Chain cleaner?

[Straymonolith]

At the bike shop, they recomended this stuff to clean the chain:
SaBesto Brake & Parts Cleaner. The ingredients are Heptane, Isopropanol and Carbon Dioxide.


Is this stuff really usable on a chain with o-rings? Is it any better than wd-40 or kerosene?

[that_guy]

users manuals say to not use a very aggressive cleaner to avoid O-ring damage..  I use wd40.  but i also don't know much.lol

[annguyen1981]

I would stick with WD-40...  Just to be safe

[ninja_steve]

At the bike shop, they recomended this stuff to clean the chain:
SaBesto Brake & Parts Cleaner. The ingredients are Heptane, Isopropanol and Carbon Dioxide.


Is this stuff really usable on a chain with o-rings? Is it any better than wd-40 or kerosene?

that stuff is for solid roller chains.  brake cleaners will dissolve o-rings.  wd40 is supposed to do the same, but i couldnt tell you.  i use kerosene- $3 for a big jug and lasts forever.

[Straymonolith]

Thanks dudes.
So kerosene seems to be the cleanser of choice. But spraying wd40 on a rag seems easier.
I guess I'll have to decide tomorow when I clean the chain for the first time.

[Phaedrus]

How is it easier? You could spray kereosene or WD-40 on the rag to clean the chain..hehe. But yeah, WD-40 is more widely available and easier to store if necessary. Just remember to clean the chain with it and then be sure to oil it (dont use the wd-40 as a lube).

[RedShift]

Agree with the prevailing mood.

I'd also suggest finishing the cleaning with Chain Wax.  I've had great Chain maintenance results with a WD-40 clean with a Chain Wax sealer. 

Have a peek at How To Lube a Motorcycle Chain on the About Motorcycles site.

[annguyen1981]

Great Link!

[Larry]

I use odor free "lamp oil" as an alternative to kerosene.  I believe that it is a highly refined kerosene  with no odor. Works good for cleaning and nice on the hands.

[vtlion]

I have found that the controversy over what will or will not damage a chain has been debated for ages, and yet I have NEVER heard anyone actually say "I ruined my chain by cleaning it with XYZ product".

That said, I found that the easiest way to be safe is to just use liquid chain lube.  I lube the chain with --insert your favorite manufacturer here-- brand racing chain lube, but instead of riding her around the block to fling off the excess, I take a rag to it and repeat the process as needed to clean her up, then I hit it with wax or graphite lube for the last lube.

[rritterson]

No one can say they ruined their chain with XYZ product because it tends to deteriorate the links slowly, making it look like wear and tear.   (Maybe if you dumped concentrated sulfuric acid on it you'd notice right away)

WD40 is refined kerosene and contains nothing but petroleum derivatives.

Isopropanol is a bad thing to use on chains- it's rubbing alcohol!

Finally, the reason you lube a chain is to keep the motion at the link joints smooth. Oring chains do that automatically and are sealed. Hence, when you 'lube' an oring chain, what you are really doing is applying a protective layer around it to prevent it from rusting, getting dirty, etc. So, when you do lube it, make sure you clean it as well as you can first- because that's more important.

[vtlion]

I was under the impression that another benefit to regular chain lubrication wasn't just for the chain's benefit, but also to help reduce wear to the sprockets.