What de-greaser in chain cleaner machine

AverageJoe82

ok so i got one of those chain cleaner thingies that needs a degreaser, but not sure which or what to use, I normally just use some green deisel and a rag to clean it and then lube it after

If I put some green deisel into the cleaner would it be ok or to severe on the compoments, or is there a better alternative.

Any help would be great

Lumen

How do you dispose of the diesel?

cuculainn

Lumen wrote: »

How do you dispose of the diesel?

F*ck it in the river or throw it on the rubbish to help start the fire














P.S do not do this.......

petethedrummer

Halfords sell stuff that smells of oranges in a big white bottle. It does the job.

Surveyor11

petethedrummer wrote: »

Halfords sell stuff that smells of oranges in a big white bottle. It does the job.

Citrus degreaser from bikehut or mucoff degreaser, both available in halfords or the lbs. Both are Eco friendly so can be rinsed out in drains

petethedrummer

Surveyor11 wrote: »

Citrus degreaser from bikehut

That's the one. Packed full of Vitamin C, so your bike won't get scurvy.

Lumen

FWIW, I've read accounts of the magic cleaning and degreasing properties of diesel. I got the impression that the crap would get washed off the chain and settle neatly on the bottom of the diesel container, allowing the diesel to be reused many times.

What actually happened was that I filled a jam jar with diesel, popped the chain in there and gave it a good old shake. The diesel went totally black, one of the chain links fell off and needed to be rescued from the murky depths and I ended up with drips of stinky diesel all over my kitchen floor when I put the chain back on the bike, and a bunch of cloths and bits of kitchen roll covered in the stuff.

The particles of crud didn't sink to the bottom and the diesel has stayed completely black despite sitting completely still on my window sill for about six weeks.

I just don't see how it's possible to use diesel without getting it spilled around the place and creating a disposal problem.

By contrast, when I use citrus degreaser in my chain cleaner I just chuck it down the drain with a clean conscience and wash the excess off the bike with a hose.

dave2pvd

Lumen wrote: »

....I use citrus degreaser in my chain cleaner I just chuck it down the drain with a clean conscience and wash the excess off the bike with a hose.

^ Same here.

1) Fill chain cleaner device with citrus degreaser and turn the pedals for ~2mins.
2) Discard the dirty degreaser.
3) Rinse out the chain cleaner with water.
4) Fill it with water again.
5) Rinse cycle: 30sec of cranking.
6) Repeat the rinse cycle one more time.
7) Dry off the chain immediately with a relatively clean rag that doesn't leave much lint.
8) Apply some Pro Gold.

Surveyor11

petethedrummer wrote: »

That's the one. Packed full of Vitamin C, so your bike won't get scurvy.

That's it, I find the vitamin c in it handy for keeping colds at bay as well

jinkypolly

I recently got Piranha Degreaser which ticks all the boxes as far as being eco friendly and is also the best cleaner I've used, quite concentrated so the grime is cut through no problem. It can also be diluted 1 parts to 10 with water to make a bike wash.

Rew

Just bought some of the citrus stuff at lunch time, they had no chain cleaner devices though. Presumi I can use a cloth and lots of degreaser to do the same till I finda device?

petethedrummer

You can but the chain cleaners are so handy. Sometimes there is knack to getting it right and it can be infuriating until you figure it out. I like watching my housemate trying to use mine until his blood boils.

Rew

petethedrummer wrote: »

You can but the chain cleaners are so handy. Sometimes there is knack to getting it right and it can be infuriating until you figure it out. I like watching my housemate trying to use mine until his blood boils.

Yeah I want one, ill prob order online thought that any LBS would have them but the one closet to me in Dub City center I was lucky they had degreaser and lube...

AverageJoe82

well i let it settle for a 2 weeks and filter out the dirt and reuse the old deisel as it seems to do the job, but it does leave a mess on my garage floor which is painted so noting seeps into the ground, and throw the old dirty rags into a toxic bin in work, cheers for the advice so it the citrus stuff i need by the sounds of things

07Lapierre

Foaming degreaser, a
brush and some "Elbow Grease". None of your fancy cleaning machines for me!!

Cee-Jay-Cee

Lumen wrote: »

What actually happened was that I filled a jam jar with diesel, popped the chain in there and gave it a good old shake. The diesel went totally black, one of the chain links fell off and needed to be rescued from the murky depths and I ended up with drips of stinky diesel all over my kitchen floor when I put the chain back on the bike, and a bunch of cloths and bits of kitchen roll covered in the stuff.

No matter what you put into the jar to clean the chain is going to end up dripping all over the place when you take it out. Anyone using diesel, no matter what quantity of it, in a kitchen of all places, is asking for trouble! The stink it leaves behind alone should be enough to ensure its only used outside or in the garage. The fact a chain link fell off is irrelevant and would have happened no matter what you used and the kitchen roll or cloths will get covered in what ever liquid you use.

NeedMoreGears

I use a dilute mix of clothes washing powder (about two soup spoons to 700ml).

It cleans well and I haven't had any trouble with the chain or cassette.

I thoroughly rinse, dry as much as I can with a cloth and then air dry followed by relube

I think I heard about the washing powder thing here. Anyone else use this?

Outkast_IRE

I use shimano degreaser, its great stuff you can see the dirt etc run off .

ozzy jr

Is it worth buying one of these,

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pdw/mister-sparkle-chain-cleaner-ec035252

or would I be better off just using a brush?

Is there a better option then the one I posted above?

Seaneh

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10195

€12.39, can't really go wrong... reviews seem good.

That said, the mr sparkle looks a lot smaller and better built.

ednwireland

ozzy jr wrote: »

Is it worth buying one of these,

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pdw/mister-sparkle-chain-cleaner-ec035252

or would I be better off just using a brush?

Is there a better option then the one I posted above?

park tools one but its 3 times the price

petethedrummer

ozzy jr wrote: »

Is it worth buying one of these,

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pdw/mister-sparkle-chain-cleaner-ec035252

or would I be better off just using a brush?

Is there a better option then the one I posted above?

Yes, No, Don't Know*.

*You're probably more likely to break the chain tool by dropping it or stepping on it than through actual use. So that one will probably be fine.

shaka

Diesel does the job just fine. Have used muc off and it was fine also . I find taking chain off does a better job than doing it on the bike

Hungrycol

Can of WD40, a few rags (and maybe a toothbrush) should be all you need if you don't let it get too bad.

No chain cleaners in the Bikeradar article here.

Edit: I lube the chain after cleaning it with WD40 in case you thought I just WD40'ed and off I go.

jimm

I got a couple of those chain cleaners in Lidl last year for around a fiver each. It was in the Santry branch (shop called Bargain Base) in Gulliver's Retail Park. Still using the first one on the weekly chain/bike wash.

They are Barbieri brand but repackaged in Lidl pack.

Exact same as this one: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=33179

Comes with little bottles of degreaser and lube.

Surinam

I use GT85 - I spray a cloth with it and run the chain gently through it. I also use an old toothbrush on the hard to reach areas around the derailleur etc where crud builds up. GT85 is also great for getting hard dirt off the frame.

After a few hours of letting the chain dry I then apply a bit of muc-off lube.

Seaneh

I just went ahead and bought this little kit on wiggle.
Chain cleaner and a brush set for cleaning derailluers, cranks and cassettes, everything ya need really, just need to go pick up a litre of Degreaser from halfords and I'm laughing.


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-chain-cleaning-kit/

shaka

Used Gt 85 spray once and found it brilliant , had totally forgot about that - must get me some ..

Moreofthatjazz

personally i will not use degreaser... it gets into the reservoirs in the chain and unless you dry the chain immaculately afterwards will break down and shed the oil you apply necessitating more frequent application and ineffective lubing... personally i use a Teflon spray, if using a chain cleaner i fill it with this, my logic being it tends to evaporate alot quicker, especially given a blast of an airline and/or swung vigorously about in a circular fashion... if you can, after the mechanical means of removing the spray oil/teflon, hit it with a heat gun or hairdryer to dry it, thus coating the plates in teflon and thereby leaving an unadulterated surface for the chainlube you apply afterwards... a little excessive maybe but has to be done less frequently.