Chain cleaning?

[yamahaggis88]

Wondering how you guys go about it, especially on a bike with no center stand? With my pushbikes i used to use this little machine thingmabob that had brushes in it, you clamped it over the chain, filled it with citrus cleaner and spun the crank until the chain was dirt free, is there anything similar to this for a motorbike chain or is more of a degreaser and shitty rag job? Chains attracted a fair bit of shit in the month since it was put on so would like to get it clean again, been lubing it after each ride.

On that note, i'm using Silkolene Titanium chain gel after it being recommended to me by a mate, carry on using it, or is there anything better out there? Silkolene's pretty pricey :blink:

[DrunkenMistake]

Wondering how you guys go about it, especially on a bike with no center stand? With my pushbikes i used to use this little machine thingmabob that had brushes in it, you clamped it over the chain, filled it with citrus cleaner and spun the crank until the chain was dirt free, is there anything similar to this for a motorbike chain or is more of a degreaser and shitty rag job? Chains attracted a fair bit of shit in the month since it was put on so would like to get it clean again, been lubing it after each ride.

On that note, i'm using Silkolene Titanium chain gel after it being recommended to me by a mate, carry on using it, or is there anything better out there? Silkolene's pretty pricey :blink:

Xring chain or O ring?
I think all Xrings are rivets?
If not they are cliped and you can remove the entire chain, soak it in kerosene for an hour or so, give it a good scrub, reinstall, super lube, quick blat, relube.

[yamahaggis88]

Just a standard heavy duty chain, couldn't afford O-ring at the time :( :facepalm:

[DrunkenMistake]

Just a standard heavy duty chain, couldn't afford O-ring at the time :( :facepalm:

...:innocent:


Anyways, I use some kerosene and a nail brush and put the bike on a rear stand and just spin the back wheel holding the brush against it,
Pretty sure its not the best way of doing it though

[Cloggy]

Kerosene works well. With a toothbrush, rags, kerosene gun, elbow grease and a beer or two.
Just don't clean it like this: http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242261 (http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242261)
(note: if you don't like graphic images, don't click link)

[quickbuck]

Just a standard heavy duty chain, couldn't afford O-ring at the time :( :facepalm:

I would argue you can't actually afford not to have one. (As you may have found out).

But as for cleaning, I put the bike up on a paddock stand Like this one (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/parts-for-sale/stands/auction-407692506.htm), and degrease it with a paint brush and a degreaser that won't harm the o-rings. As yours is HD, then anything will do, so long as you keep it off the rubber bits.
Then I dry it off, and lubricate it with oil for the lawn mower. Mineral 30 weight.
All the oils job is, is to prevent friction between the sprockets and the bushes. The lubrication for the pins is always held in between the o-rings. This is why o-ring chains have a long life.

This is done before every meeting on the race bike, and every couple of weeks riding for the road bike (Not that i have ridden that for ages. Should have held the rego over the winter! :facepalm: ).

[DrunkenMistake]

Kerosene works well. With a toothbrush, rags, kerosene gun, elbow grease and a beer or two.
Just don't clean it like this: http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242261

Should maybe warn people of the gore in that Link.

[yamahaggis88]

At the time, I had a chain that was literally skipping teeth at the end of its adjustment, thats how fucked it was, hence why I went with a cheap option to get me going again, *shrug* at least its a decent brand :laugh:

It'll do for now, will prob change it at the next service for an O-ring. Good to know I can go at it with kero and a shitty toothbrush though :D

[quickbuck]

Should maybe warn people of the gore in that Link.

Agree....
Almost brought up lunch... and I had lunch hours ago...

[Usarka]

Once you buy a paddock stand you'll wonder why you didn't do it earlier.

[quickbuck]

At the time, I had a chain that was literally skipping teeth at the end of its adjustment, thats how fucked it was, hence why I went with a cheap option to get me going again, *shrug* at least its a decent brand :laugh:

It'll do for now, will prob change it at the next service for an O-ring. Good to know I can go at it with kero and a shitty toothbrush though :D

Hope you replaced your sprockets at the same time???

On your 400 (I assume it was for) you really don't want the chain to prematurely wear, and let go. Even if it falls off, yo can break the rod that goes from the front sprocket cover and actuates your clutch.... This means even if you put your chain back on, there is no guarantee you will be on your way again.

Serviced properly (regular cleaning, and adjustments), chain and sprockets will last well over 30000k.

[yamahaggis88]

All done in the service, rear sprocket is fine, was just the front that was looking worse for wear. Now, I don't have bobbins on my swingarm to take a paddock stand, although I presume there would be other alternatives? Really want one as it makes things much easier, as you guys have said.

And ouch, poor fucker in the link learned the hard way :blink: Good thing I aint squeamish :D

[DrunkenMistake]

You dont need bobbins.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/parts-for-sale/stands/auction-407370718.htm

sits under the swinger

[4AGE]

My chain was a rivet chain but i ground of a rivet and changed the link to a removable link for ease of cleaning in the future.

Hope that made sense. Dunno the proper names.

[quickbuck]

You dont need bobbins.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/parts-for-sale/stands/auction-407370718.htm

sits under the swinger
So did the one in the link I showed ;)
All the bits in the pick were included....
Not that I am a salesman for them, it is just that I have one, and found it a great deal.

[quickbuck]

...., rear sprocket is fine....

No such thing, they MUST be changed as a set.

[skinman]

I got a quad jack which worked fine on the virago I used to have. Always a messy job hence now I have shaft drive:yes:

[crystalball]

Year I use to just use toothbrush and kerosene and have a tray for the kero to drip into under the chain. Would roll it backward or forward to get to the next dirty part of the chain. wear gloves as its messy job and try not get kero onto the tyre. I would give the chain a nice wipe down with dry cloth before I lubed it.. Did the same to lube it as well roll backward. Now bike I have at moment has a scott oiler works well but sometimes still put some spray lube on as well. The chain stays alot cleaner with a scott oiler as well I have noticed.

[pete376403]

.
All the oils job is, is to prevent friction between the sprockets and the bushes. The lubrication for the pins is always held in between the o-rings. This is why o-ring chains have a long life.

LongER life perhaps. I know the theory of O ring (X ring, etc) between the side plate but what keeps the lubricant from exiting between the end of the roller and the inner side of the side plate? There has to be clearance there to allow the roller to rotate on the bushing. The last x ring chain I replaced was in quite good condition wrt chain elongation (aka stretch) which is wear between the pins and the bushes, but the rollers were flopping around on the bushings. This chain had been well lubed during it's life.

[Flip]

No such thing, they MUST be changed as a set.

Nuts!

Its perfectly OK to replace only the front, if the back is not worn that is.

Just dont put a new chain on worn sprockets or new sprockets on an old worn chain thats all.

[quickbuck]

Nuts!

Its perfectly OK to replace only the front, if the back is not worn that is.

Just dont put a new chain on worn sprockets or new sprockets on an old worn chain thats all.
So, how can one carry out the first part of your post, if they follow the rule for the second part?

[Flip]

So, how can one carry out the first part of your post, if they follow the rule for the second part?

Nuts and what else?

You have lost me here smiler.

[imdying]

So, how can one carry out the first part of your post, if they follow the rule for the second part?You've never re-geared a bike on the existing chain? Say from a 17 to 16 etc on a new bike.

[quickbuck]

You've never re-geared a bike on the existing chain? Say from a 17 to 16 etc on a new bike.
If the bike was new, then there would be no wear on the sprockets then....

In fact, we do in fact swap the race bikes gearing all the time, but in the case of the OP we are talking road bikes here, and the simple fact is that it is false economy just to change once component in the drive line at a time.

[caspernz]

Year I use to just use toothbrush and kerosene and have a tray for the kero to drip into under the chain. Would roll it backward or forward to get to the next dirty part of the chain. wear gloves as its messy job and try not get kero onto the tyre. I would give the chain a nice wipe down with dry cloth before I lubed it.. Did the same to lube it as well roll backward. Now bike I have at moment has a scott oiler works well but sometimes still put some spray lube on as well. The chain stays alot cleaner with a scott oiler as well I have noticed.

Yep, that's so true, with a Scottoiler the chain stays relatively clean. Just don't look at the places where the crap gets flung off....but then a wipe with a bit of kero cleans things up.