Tip for cleaning chain!

[Bill]

Here is a little tip I wish to share with everyone here on BicycleTutor.com. I was looking at the chain before I decided to tear apart this bike to completely overhaul it. Now granted I am gonna do a complete tear down of every part to the frame, this thought popped into my mind. If I were cleaning the chain why on earth do I need to clean off the same dirt/gunk from the wheel assembly from the chain? Hmmm, why not just get some sort of backing to fit behind the chain but in front of the wheel! Then I said out loud, "CARDBOARD BOX!". I am sure someone somewhere has used, thought off, or made a video with it in it, but then maybe not?!? Well here ya go.....

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By the way I found using this stuff call "LA's Totally Awesome" works great. It is cheap and cleans the dirt, grease, and grime right up!

[Alex Ramon]

Nice, I haven't seen that before but it's really clever and looks like it does the trick!

[Bill]

Yes saves a lot of time from drying off the wheel, frame, etc. Also the only thing I didn't mention is one can take the left over cut out piece and cut out a circle (or square) that fits to go over the remaining part of wheel to spray down the cassette. The cardbox I used was a large pizza box! Yes the pizza was pretty good too lol.

[KDC1956]

Nice job Bill and that bike looks good too. I have to many bicycle here to work on but it helps pass the time. Once out in the shop hours goes by fast have spent 8 hours and never knew it until my wife check on me I keep a coffee pot in my shop you need coffee and donuts to work good. lol

[Jordan300]

I will use this tip. I am going to cleam my MTB tonight.

[woodmiriam886]

5 Tips: Care and feeding of your bicycle's chain
The chain might be the most important component on every bicycle. Composed of hundreds of plates, links, and rollers, the chain contains more moving parts than the rest of your bicycle combined. So, regular maintenance of your chain is essential to keeping your bike working smoothly and reliably.

1. Do a "quick and easy" cleaning using a rag and some decreasing solvent.
2. For a complete and thorough cleaning, use a chain cleaning device.
3. Apply lubricant to the chain and wipe off the excess.
4. If you do anything at all, it's better than doing nothing.
5. Check your chain periodically for wear.

[eastman]

Shift your bicycle into the big chainring in the front and the smallest (hardest) gear in the back. We are basically going to move the chain the farthest away from the frame and wheels of the bike we can.

Lean your bicycle in the spot you will be working or put your bicycle on the repair stand.

Choose a good clean rag. Choose a rag that has a decent textural surface. Some materials are too slippery and will not be able to scrub away the dirt and grit from the chain, so choose a rag that has some texture. Red shop rags are great as are microfiber towels.

Put the clean section of rag in your hand and have the clean section on your palm. Liberally spray the Clean Streak in the palm of your hand the size of your palm.

Put the clean section of rag in your hand and have the clean section on your palm. Liberally spray the Clean Streak in the palm of your hand the size of your palm.

Prepare your chain lube by shaking it up. Remove the cap and do not use any kind of straw. Hold the lube at an angle that is downward and toward the rear of the bike. Slightly squeeze the lube on the bottom section of the chain with one hand and pedal backwards with the other. Be sure that the lube is getting on each roller of the chain as the chain is moving.

Continue pedaling for 7 or 8 revolutions of the crank while applying the lube.

Allow the lube to settle into the chain rollers for 30 seconds.

If you lube while the bike is leaning and on the floor, use a clean, dry section of the rag to lightly wipe the access lube off the chain.

If you have the bike in a repair stand, then shift through all the gears to distribute the lube and then use a clean, dry section of the rag to lightly wipe the access lube off the chain.

[Pacelineh]

(12-18-2009, 08:22 PM)Bill Wrote:  Here is a little tip I wish to share with everyone here on BicycleTutor.com. I was looking at the chain before I decided to tear apart this bike to completely overhaul it. Now granted I am gonna do a complete tear down of every part to the frame, this thought popped into my mind. If I were cleaning the chain why on earth do I need to clean off the same dirt/gunk from the wheel assembly from the chain? Hmmm, why not just get some sort of backing to fit behind the chain but in front of the wheel! Then I said out loud, "CARDBOARD BOX!". I am sure someone somewhere has used, thought off, or made a video with it in it, but then maybe not?!? Well here ya go.....

---

By the way I found using this stuff call "LA's Totally Awesome" works great. It is cheap and cleans the dirt, grease, and grime right up!

To perfectly clean a dirty linked roller chain (the kind of chain invention that revolutionized new bicycle power trains around 1884, J. K. Starley). If you are a fastidious mechanic, here is a complex methodology that is the best. Disconnect the chain and put it into an ultrasonic small parts cleaner with ultrasonic soap. I clean it in there multi times until the newer cleaning water stays clear. Then hang up the chain, wipe it off to dry it. Then when dry… put it into an electric food warmer/heater that can and has already melted paraffin wax into a liquid state. Before sinking the clean chain into the hot wax, tie a string or wire onto an end of the chain. Of course leave it in the wax for a while to be sure the liquid wax penetrates the chain’s rollers. When it is time to remove it from the wax use the string to pull it out since the chain is HOT. Hang the heated waxed chain over something that will save the dripping hot wax leaving the chain. When the chain cools down it will be rather stiff. So what? Before reinstalling it use a toothbrush to clean the dirt off the gears. It will stay clean longer since wax does not attract dirt so much as a liquid lube does.