All right to use degreaser from Super Cheap Auto on chain?

[atom608]

Hey there, I'm wondering if it would be ok to use normal cheap degreaser from super cheap auto to clean my chain, after I degrease it I would of course water blast it off and put my proper chain lube on but I just want to know if it will be safe to use on the chain and not eat the orings or anything? I plan to just spray the chain, leave it for 2-3 minutes then spend about a good 5 minutes making sure I water blast all the residue off the chain with a water blaster then I got some decent chain spray lube from a bike shop I will put on it after.

[Cheesy]

Its pretty irreverent if the de-greaser will hurt the o-rings, 5 min of water blasting will f@#k it though

[atom608]

My water blaster is not a very powerful one, its a low pressure one with a wide spray nosel on it which even further reduces the pressure, lets just say if i put my hand infront of it while it was on it would hurt a bit but thats about it, proper water blasters would fuck your hand up. I have used a hose before to clean my chain but it only gets the loose surface stuff off while the water blaster really gets the stuck on grease off

[Erelyes]

Sounds like you're overdoing it on this chain cleaning business boss. Waterblasting will just spray the shit over the rest of the bike. Toothbrush, a little kero, and an old rag. Job jobbed

[nodrog]

I'd hate to be your chain.

Were you one off those kids who used to crc their skateboard wheel bearings?

wipe the shit of the outside with a rag, spray on chain lube.

[atom608]

you guys are fucking dicks, you tell me everything besides what i asked. this happens every fucking time I ask something and I see it happen to other people to, you attack them making fun of them or picking out shit they are doing wrong, I understand if they are doing something wrong but instead of being a dick maybe nicely point out what they are doing wrong and tell them a better way to do it.

[neels]

instead of being a dick maybe nicely point out what they are doing wrong and tell them a better way to do it.

You mean something like this?


Sounds like you're overdoing it on this chain cleaning business boss. Waterblasting will just spray the shit over the rest of the bike. Toothbrush, a little kero, and an old rag. Job jobbed

Seriously, you need to work on your anger issues. And not waterblast your chain, it will fuck it.

[nodrog]

you guys are fucking dicks, you tell me everything besides what i asked. this happens every fucking time I ask something and I see it happen to other people to, you attack them making fun of them or picking out shit they are doing wrong, I understand if they are doing something wrong but instead of being a dick maybe nicely point out what they are doing wrong and tell them a better way to do it.

I'm sorry, I do apologise.

May I suggest maybe you could use your water blaster to wash the sand out of your Vagina?

[Ender EnZed]

you guys are fucking dicks, you tell me everything besides what i asked. this happens every fucking time I ask something and I see it happen to other people to, you attack them making fun of them or picking out shit they are doing wrong, I understand if they are doing something wrong but instead of being a dick maybe nicely point out what they are doing wrong and tell them a better way to do it.

That was quick.

[Mike.Gayner]

Wow, what an utter pillock. Firstly, what are you hoping to achieve with this cleaning regimen? To answer your question, the degreaser is probably safe, though completely unnecessary. Waterblasting your chain is both unnecessary and stupid, and WILL end your chain's life prematurely. Also, calm down, you're making yourself out to be a bit of a wanker.

[OddDuck]

Yep, people have a lotta fun making fun around here... better get used to that, it's not gonna change :)

With your chain:

Get a scrubbing brush. Bike shops sell a weird brush specially made for this. It's stupidly expensive for what it is but it works. Alternately get the stiffest bristled paintbrush you can find and tape up the metal band so you don't scratch paintwork. Rags work for the outside of the chain but you're limited to what you can reach or get the rag into.

Get a bowl. A stainless steel bowl from secondhand shop / tip shop is great for this kind of thing.

Get kero, stay away from degreasers which need water washoff. Water onto your chain is generally a bad idea.

Get the bike onto a stand so you can spin the back wheel by hand.

Have at it.

Wipe the chain with a rag to get most of the kero off, relube (there are lubes out there which don't attract dirt), job done.

If you're in the mood and the bike needs it then the rest of the back wheel / swingarm etc can be washed with water-soluble degreaser and hosed off. I've had good luck with the detergent stuff for pushbikes. Muc-Off kit is generally crap (and their chain washing machine is overpriced garbage). There are spray on, hose off degreasers out there advertised as 'no scrubbing', they work but they're aggressive as hell. I've had paint lifted by these (admittedly on an older bike with heat damaged paintwork).

Last thing: pull the ignition key, put it in your pocket, keep it there. DO NOT START YOUR ENGINE. Loads of people have thought it'd be a good idea to put the bike into first, fire it up, and scrub the chain as it runs along with the motor idling. They tend to lose fingers or even a hand.

[SVboy]

Yep, people have a lotta fun making fun around here... better get used to that, it's not gonna change :)

With your chain:

Get a scrubbing brush. Bike shops sell a weird brush specially made for this. It's stupidly expensive for what it is but it works. Alternately get the stiffest bristled paintbrush you can find and tape up the metal band so you don't scratch paintwork. Rags work for the outside of the chain but you're limited to what you can reach or get the rag into.

Get a bowl. A stainless steel bowl from secondhand shop / tip shop is great for this kind of thing.

Get kero, stay away from degreasers which need water washoff. Water onto your chain is generally a bad idea.

Get the bike onto a stand so you can spin the back wheel by hand.

Have at it.

Wipe the chain with a rag to get most of the kero off, relube (there are lubes out there which don't attract dirt), job done.

If you're in the mood and the bike needs it then the rest of the back wheel / swingarm etc can be washed with water-soluble degreaser and hosed off. I've had good luck with the detergent stuff for pushbikes. Muc-Off kit is generally crap (and their chain washing machine is overpriced garbage). There are spray on, hose off degreasers out there advertised as 'no scrubbing', they work but they're aggressive as hell. I've had paint lifted by these (admittedly on an older bike with heat damaged paintwork).

Last thing: pull the ignition key, put it in your pocket, keep it there. DO NOT START YOUR ENGINE. Loads of people have thought it'd be a good idea to put the bike into first, fire it up, and scrub the chain as it runs along with the motor idling. They tend to lose fingers or even a hand.

This post speakum big truth. My only other input is after the chain is cleaned, take the bike for a brief-10kms-ride to dry the chain fully and lube on your return, once the chain has some heat in it. No water blasters or degreasers near chains.

[EJK]

Last thing: pull the ignition key, put it in your pocket, keep it there. DO NOT START YOUR ENGINE. Loads of people have thought it'd be a good idea to put the bike into first, fire it up, and scrub the chain as it runs along with the motor idling. They tend to lose fingers or even a hand.

+1 this.

You may think "If I be careful it won't happen. I'll just stay my hand clear of the sprocket" but the truth is sticky chain can easily catch the rag, which pulls your hand into the sprocket.

I know this had happened to some KBers in the past.

[nodrog]

With your statement that water on the chain is a bad idea what you are in effect saying is that riding your bike in the rain is also a bad idea. Risking a bit of rust is something many riders are forced to do when they ride so cleaning tthe bike/chain with water is hardly going to make the situation worse. I have read solvents can cause O ring damage but am not sure if kero is included also.

Fuck you're a dork.

I'm retarded and even I can see that he's talking about high pressure washing.

you can have mint o rings, but if anything, even kero gets past them you can expect a shorter chain life. The purpose of the o rings is to keep the grease around the pins, chain lube doesnt get past them either.

[Ender EnZed]

+1 this.

You may think "If I be careful it won't happen. I'll just stay my hand clear of the sprocket" but the truth is sticky chain can easily catch the rag, which pulls your hand into the sprocket.

I know this had happened to some KBers in the past.

Yeah, but the risk of finger amputation adds a bit of excitement to an otherwise dull task.

[EJK]

Yeah, but the risk of finger amputation adds a bit of excitement to an otherwise dull task.

<img src="http://www.gambling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/living-dangerously.jpg" />

[Grubber]

With your statement that water on the chain is a bad idea what you are in effect saying is that riding your bike in the rain is also a bad idea. Risking a bit of rust is something many riders are forced to do when they ride so cleaning tthe bike/chain with water is hardly going to make the situation worse. I have read solvents can cause O ring damage but am not sure if kero is included also.

Really....i mean really???
HIGH PRESSURE DUDE NOT FRIGGIN RAIN WATER!:weird:

[Rhubarb]

My 2 cents worth .........

I've sold chain, sprockets, bearings etc for years for a living.
Chain manufacturers told me:

1. Take the chain off the bike
2. Completely submerge the chain in diesel overnight.
3. Dirt etc will 'fall out' and settle in the bottom of the tray.
4. You can give it a scrub with a hard toothbrush or parts wash brush as well to get out the tough crap.
5. You don't need to completely wash away the diesel afterwards. A blast with an air compressor or a fresh flush with diesel will do.
6. The diesel will not harm the o'rings if it's an o'ring chain.
- Almost all chain o'rings, regardless of brand or price, are generally made of Nitrile (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber or Buna-N).
- Nitrile is completely compatible with diesel in both static and dynamic applications
7. The diesel will also act as a lubricant and will not be effected by, or effect, your chosen chain lubricant.
8. Dry off with a rag (so you don't drip diesel everywhere) before refitting to the bike.

I've done this on dirt bikes and road bikes for 20+ years. My chains have always lasted very well.
A chain that's in good condition will most certainly help with the longevity of the sprockets.

EDIT: I've never sold Supercheap degreaser but the other brands I've sold such as CRC, Chemz, Wynns etc are all compatible with Nitrile o'rings

[OddDuck]

The diesel is an idea I'll have to check out.

Just to add one more thing... one of the worst things that you can do is nothing. A mate did exactly that with his bike. The lubricant inside the O-rings eventually ran out, the O-rings themselves started to crack, and then one of the O-rings broke and dropped out. The chain then had a sideways offset between two links. This wore itself in and got worse. Pretty rapidly it got to the point where the chain was going to bind up around the sprocket and run off, or break. Or jam completely and lock the back wheel.

New chain, drive sprocket, wheel sprocket... it wasn't cheap!!

[SVboy]

Fuck you're a dork.

I'm retarded and even I can see that he's talking about high pressure washing.

you can have mint o rings, but if anything, even kero gets past them you can expect a shorter chain life. The purpose of the o rings is to keep the grease around the pins, chain lube doesnt get past them either.

I agree with this whole post except for the "I am retarded" bit!

[caspernz]

Cup of kero, brush and a rag. Apply kero sparingly, by the time you've done a full lap of the chain it'll be damn near done. Wipe off the cruddy stuff with rag. Repeat if necessary. Apply chain lube in modest fashion, wipe off excess.

To avoid anyone treating you like a noob, save the water blaster suggestion for the garden path. Water blasters and road bikes don't get on well...

[bogan]

Dork if you reread the actual post I responded to they did not mention high pressure water just water itself.

Arguably this is one of your better counterpoints. But alas, you still miss the actual point. A water wash off degreaser is what comes off, before the lube (see, for your information, its water repellent properties) goes on, see 'the order of the steps in the bloody post' for supplementary information previously overlooked.

It's like how it's a bad idea to ride your bike around halfway through a tyre change; fucking self explanatory I would have thought :scratch:

[nodrog]

[QUOTE=nodrog;1130922472]Fuck you're a dork.

I'm retarded and even I can see that he's talking about high pressure washing.

you can have mint o rings, but if anything, even kero gets past them you can expect a shorter chain life. The purpose of the o rings is to keep the grease around the pins, chain lube doesnt get past them either.[/QUOTE

Dork if you reread the actual post I responded to they did not mention high pressure water just water itself.

that sure told me.

[AllanB]

Clean Rag soaked in kero - clean (bike on stand, NOT running). Clean, dry with another clean rag. Oil with suitable shit. Job done.

[Grumph]

Clean Rag soaked in kero - clean (bike on stand, NOT running). Clean, dry with another clean rag. Oil with suitable shit. Job done.

Or as I've seen done by someone who shall remain nameless....back racebike up to fence around pits. Put it on the stand and fire it up. While idling in gear apply chain lube generously, avoiding losing a finger but watching the crowd gather outside the fence...Then rev the tits off it, in gear, spraying excess lube over the suddenly abusive crowd....Shit, does the back tyre grow when you do that.....

[AllanB]

A guy at high school munted several fingers lubing his chain with the bike on the main stand and in gear ........

[Moise]

Hey there, I'm wondering if it would be ok to use normal cheap degreaser from super cheap auto to clean my chain, after I degrease it I would of course water blast it off and put my proper chain lube on but I just want to know if it will be safe to use on the chain and not eat the orings or anything? I plan to just spray the chain, leave it for 2-3 minutes then spend about a good 5 minutes making sure I water blast all the residue off the chain with a water blaster then I got some decent chain spray lube from a bike shop I will put on it after.
To answer your original question, no it's not OK to use any degreaser on an O-ring chain. The solvents may damage the rubber - kero or diesel only.

If you don't like the advice you're getting here, then check out the chain manufacturers' websites.

[Laava]

I have found this thread to be informative, entertaining and very funny. 8/10

[pete376403]

The Supercheap degreaser that I have in the shed smells very like diesel anyway. And its not very good degreaser.

[Cheesy]

The Supercheap degreaser that I have in the shed smells very like diesel anyway. And its not very good degreaser.

It seemed to work quite well as a cutting fluid for aluminium when I ran out of kero as well.... and the price of the stuff it probably is just kero or diesel

[EJK]

The Supercheap degreaser that I have in the shed smells very like diesel anyway. And its not very good degreaser.

They are fantastic for cleaning BBQ grease. :psst:

[Flip]

you guys are fucking dicks, you tell me everything besides what i asked. this happens every fucking time I ask something and I see it happen to other people to, you attack them making fun of them or picking out shit they are doing wrong, I understand if they are doing something wrong but instead of being a dick maybe nicely point out what they are doing wrong and tell them a better way to do it.

Best post of the year LMFAO, you come here and expect respect. Take a big harden the fuck up pill junior and pull up a chair.

Only a rider with a compulsive disorder would worry about degreasing his chain. Secondly don't degrease it, degreasers distroy the film strength of any lubricant present and will help water to get into the chain. Dont water blast a chain, corrosion is the no1 killer of chains.

A little bit of oil often and dont worry about the dirt because shit happens.

On my T1200 the first chain lasted 14,000km I then fitted a scott oiler and the second chain lasted 80,000km. A little bit of oil often is the way to go.

If you want a laugh search "amputated fingers cleaning motorcycle chain"? To quote a wise man "You should never put you fingers anywhere you woulden't put your dick."

[croozn]

Clean with wd40. Get all that dirt and grit off the chain.then apply new lube.doing this often will extend the life of your chain and sprockets.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Suture]

Clean with wd40. Get all that dirt and grit off the chain.then apply new lube.doing this often will extend the life of your chain and sprockets.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I can't really agree on this tho. Not sure if you have different WD40's down in NZ but the one I used here caused the chain to extend. Naturally I sprayed it, used a chainbrush. Then sprayed chainlube on it. Took a week or so and I could see the slack on the chain increasing. Could have been so much dirt lodged I suppose, but I've seen it on two bikes so far so I'm staying far away from WD40 in favor of oils.

[Jin]

I can't really agree on this tho. Not sure if you have different WD40's down in NZ but the one I used here caused the chain to extend. Naturally I sprayed it, used a chainbrush. Then sprayed chainlube on it. Took a week or so and I could see the slack on the chain increasing. Could have been so much dirt lodged I suppose, but I've seen it on two bikes so far so I'm staying far away from WD40 in favor of oils.
This is exactly what happened to my chain and now i need to replace it. Now will just stick to using kerosene.

[Berries]

Do you all ride MX bikes?

I lube my chain when it looks dry, every three or four weeks of daily riding unless it has been really wet. Have never cleaned a chain in my life. Life is too short for that malarkey.

[Ender EnZed]

Do you all ride MX bikes?

I lube my chain when it looks dry, every three or four weeks of daily riding unless it has been really wet. Have never cleaned a chain in my life. Life is too short for that malarkey.

+1

I bought a new set of chain and sprockets recently. I'll have forgotten about this event long before they're due for replacement, even with minimal care.

[5ive]

I've changed my mind and come to the same conclusion as some of you guys, cleaning the chain too much is worse that just re-lubing it often.

My first chain lasted about 15000km, and I was degreasing it and waxing it often. I thought a visibly cleaner chain was better. It eventually wore out and needed replacing.

My second chain (same OEM chain) has lasted just as long, and has plenty more life left in it yet. I've been doing more lubing than cleaning, even switching from wax to normal lube, as well as not bothering to degrease it that often, and it has way more life left in it yet.

Not sure if my riding habits have contributed, but I've done a lot more riding on my new chain in a shorter space of time than on the last one... my maintenance schedule hasn't changed too much though.