Degreasing chain

[Foss]

H Guys,

What is the best thing to Degrease my chain with ? will be taking it off !

Thanks !

[manxie49]

I clean my chain in paraffin, works a treat ....

[Ian Frog]

+1 for parraffin  if it`s really gummed up a soak in a 50:50 mix of diesel and coke for a couple of days works wonders.

Cheers

Ian

[Foss]

Thanks Guys, cant find anywhere selling Paraffin so bought a gallon of this !

 

 

 

 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

1 hour ago, Foss said:

Thanks Guys, cant find anywhere selling Paraffin so bought a gallon of this !

 

 

B&Q sell paraffin in the garden section. Fuel for greenhouse heaters.

[skyrider]

1 hour ago, Foss said:

Thanks Guys, cant find anywhere selling Paraffin so bought a gallon of this !

 

you could always try diesel

[linuxrob]

+1 for diesel and paraffin. Heat the bike cleaner up it will de-grease better 50C . Use an air line to dry it thoroughly - do not use WD-40 to get the water out. 

[Foss]

Thanks !!

[Foss]

1 hour ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

B&Q sell paraffin in the garden section. Fuel for greenhouse heaters.

Never thought of B and Q !!

[manxie49]

2 hours ago, Foss said:

Thanks Guys, cant find anywhere selling Paraffin so bought a gallon of this !

 

 

 

 

Central heating oil does the same thing, it’s basically kerosene

[Tiggie]

Usually you can find paraffin for sale in petrol stations. They keep it outside with the calor gas bottles, firewood etc 

[Gerontious]

I look at the picture of the bike cleaner you have bought/ordered and I can't help noticing (and shuddering) at that rather jarring Caustic warning sign on the container... no way would I use anything like that on my bike..  at a pinch.. and for simple degreasing  of a chain, I would rather use cheapo car shampoo (salt free detergent) and hot water... followed by a good rinse and rapid drying on a radiator..

 

 

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Edited March 20, 2021 by Gerontious

[Foss]

5 hours ago, Gerontious said:

I look at the picture of the bike cleaner you have bought/ordered and I can't help noticing (and shuddering) at that rather jarring Caustic warning sign on the container... no way would I use anything like that on my bike..  at a pinch.. and for simple degreasing  of a chain, I would rather use cheapo car shampoo (salt free detergent) and hot water... followed by a good rinse and rapid drying on a radiator..

 

 

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You might be right there !!

11 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

B&Q sell paraffin in the garden section. Fuel for greenhouse heaters.

Never thought of B and Q !!

[Stu]

7 hours ago, Gerontious said:

I look at the picture of the bike cleaner you have bought/ordered and I can't help noticing (and shuddering) at that rather jarring Caustic warning sign on the container... no way would I use anything like that on my bike..  at a pinch.. and for simple degreasing  of a chain, I would rather use cheapo car shampoo (salt free detergent) and hot water... followed by a good rinse and rapid drying on a radiator..

 

 

.

 

 

 

Its made to be diluted with water 

 

Quote

This product will last much longer than ready to use bike cleaners as it is highly concentrated making it much more economical.
You can make over 600 750ml spray bottles when diluted.
Simply add the bike cleaner to a spray bottle then fill with water and it is ready to use.

 

 

But saying that 

 

it also says 

 

Quote

Please Note: Not suitable for use on Aluminium, Zinc or other Alkali sensitive surfaces

 

Although a lot of cleaners like this have this warning as if you leave it to dry on alloy it will mark/burn it 

 

If used correctly it would be fine 

[S-Westerly]

Given the cost of my bike I think I'd prefer to use something a tad less hedged about with warnings as to suitability or otherwise!

[jedibiker]

I used to use muc off chain cleaner but the cost doesn't work out. From what ive seen paraffin is fast.

 

Also, what are you lubing it with? My new chain by D.I.D recommends gear oil.. from what I've used most sprays are a gimmick.

 

[Ian_1986]

Another user of B&q parrafin better than any chain cleaner ive used, and relube with putoline chain wax

[Gerontious]

Paraffin can be reused too.

 

catch the dirty... oil/dirt filled paraffin in a tray or something, then pour it into a glass jam jar.  and leave it to stand.. all the gunk will sink to the bottom leaving clear paraffin above, just decant it back into its container. sorted.

 

 

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[Mississippi Bullfrog]

One thing to watch with paraffin is not to use it on a tarmac drive. I made that mistake once, it dissolves the drive. 

 

And it doesn't do brake pads any favours either. As I also discovered when I dropped a set into the paraffin container.

[Ian Frog]

Just by way of information a few years ago I did some work for a guy who made partswashers for garages and he supplied the brown "Gunk" like fluid.

The fluid was parrafin which we got from an old garage in Rushden that still had a pump to which he added something which he said aided evaporation and therefore future sales.

He claimed this was exactly what "Safetykleen" the people he used to work for did as well.

Cheers

Ian

[TimR]

1 hour ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

One thing to watch with paraffin is not to use it on a tarmac drive. I made that mistake once, it dissolves the drive. 

 

And it doesn't do brake pads any favours either. As I also discovered when I dropped a set into the paraffin container.

Same as diesel will damage tarmac.

It is also a substance that we as bikers avoid so why anyone wants to voluntarily add it near their tyres is beyond me.

 Diesel will also require a good clean afterwards and washing it off with water does not fully remove and the remaining will still act as a degreaser on the new lube ...

Paraffin has a better evaporation than diesel but again you have to make sure its fully cleaned off .

 So use diesel /paraffin as an initial degreaser but make sure you use a method to clean these substances off 

[jedibiker]

3 hours ago, Ian Frog said:

Just by way of information a few years ago I did some work for a guy who made partswashers for garages and he supplied the brown "Gunk" like fluid.

The fluid was parrafin which we got from an old garage in Rushden that still had a pump to which he added something which he said aided evaporation and therefore future sales.

He claimed this was exactly what "Safetykleen" the people he used to work for did as well.

Cheers

Ian

No way, just got some gunk to do sprocket area etc, thought the smell was familiar. cost alot more than paraffin would have lol

[Ian Frog]

5 hours ago, jedibiker said:

No way, just got some gunk to do sprocket area etc, thought the smell was familiar. cost alot more than paraffin would have lol

I dont think modern Gunk would even know what parrafin was.

De natured like paint stripper etc you could probably water the lawn with it.

The stuff I was describing was back in 89 ish.

Cheers

Ian

[jedibiker]

6 minutes ago, Ian Frog said:

I dont think modern Gunk would even know what parrafin was.

De natured like paint stripper etc you could probably water the lawn with it.

The stuff I was describing was back in 89 ish.

Cheers

Ian

ah right fair enough.