Any suggestion on how best to clean a chain?

[motoroller]

Try your local bike shop - they'll have one of those cleaners. They might even do it for free if you're a regular! Not worth buying the tool only to use it once or twice.

[BOR]

I do this:

1. Pour about 0,75 litres of petrol from bottle 1 to bottle 2.
2.Shift gears to small cog front/small cog rear to reduce tension on chain, then unclip Powerlink.
3.Pull chain out, re-clip powerlink then lower chain into petrol, attached with "bit of wire".
4. Leave chain to soak/shake bottle to de-grease.
5.Remove chain, allow to dry in air.
6.Lower dry chain into bottle of chain lube and completely submerge.
7.Remove, wipe off excess.
8.Re-fit to bike using cable tie to guide chain through mechs.
9.Pour dirty petrol from bottle 2 back into bottle 1 and allow gunk to settle to bottom of bottle 1, with cleanish petrol on top for next time.

I'm toying with the idea of alternating between two chains, purely as a quick method of threading the chain through the mechs. ie Attach clean chain to dirty chain and pull through.

[ezi]

I use degreaser to get off all the crap that's stuck to the lube (And the lube itself), then blast it with a hose to get it all off and re-lube it, job done.

[Chris71]

I went down to my local bike shop (Cycledealia in Broxbourne - well worth investigating if you're nearby) and after seeing how easy it is I elected to go down the powerlink route. Even a numptie like me can do it, so there really is no excuse!

They also had a rather handy tool for de-tensioning the chain. You can buy them, but I'm reliably informed the shop's version was made from an old MTB spoke and coat hangers work too:



Once you've pressed the pins out of the old chain link with a chain took they can be binned (or kept aside). The two halves of the power link just press together, linking in with the rest of the chain at either end, and then you give it a tug to snap it into position (there's a sort of slotted hole). It's reassuringly idiot-proof.



To take it off you position either your fingers or some pliers diagnonally, so one steadies the plate behind while you push the plate in front backwards, and it snaps the plate out of the slotted hole, after which you can separate the two halves.

The procedure they recommended was:

• Dismantle/remove chain
• Place in meths/parafin for a soak
• Give it a shake in the solvent then take out and dry off
• Apply GT85 for a teflon coat
• Apply additional wet lube on top for winter use

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 22 February 11:19

[zebedee]

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do? Have tried squeezing away from all angles but it just behaves like a normal link.

So I use a Park Tools chain cleaner with a good squirt of washing up liquid in it and fill to the line with water, then keep whizzing the chain through until foamy and clean, by which time most of the water will have gone out of the cleaner anyway. Rinse well and allow to dry, whizz chain through some crumpled up kitchen towel and it is as clean a whistle if you do it weekly / every 150 miles or so). Then get it lubed up again straightaway. You have to clean the chain cleaner too though, otherwise that becomes a gunky mess. Whole thing doesn't add that much time to the cleaning process.
Sprockets are best done with spray degreaser and a sprocket brush.

Washing up liquid is a much neglected bike cleaning tool - but its designed to thin grease and allow it to be lifted by water, so its perfect, and a lot cheaper than degreaser!

[Gooby]

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do?

Ding!

[PhilLL]

Took me bloody ages and plenty of swearing to undo my Powerlink first time round, once you've got the knack tho it's simples

[Chris71]

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do?

I managed to do it with pliers using the sort of technqiue you see above - squeezing diagonally, pressing the bottom of the front plate upwards and the top of the rear plate downwards if that makes sense.

[Saddle bum]

KMC missing links are a doddle - if you use the proper pliers.

[zebedee]

Chris71 said:

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do?

I managed to do it with pliers using the sort of technqiue you see above - squeezing diagonally, pressing the bottom of the front plate upwards and the top of the rear plate downwards if that makes sense.

hmm, not sure what you mean or the technique seen above - is that what "Ding!" refers to as that post to me simply says "Ding!"

[Parsnip]

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do?

There is one type of powerlink that doesn't come undone - basically for when you snap a chain out on a ride.

Even the proper undoable powerlinks are a pin in the arse to undo if you chain is minging, the wipperman ones work far better imo.

[zapbrannigan]

zebedee said:

Chris71 said:

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do?

I managed to do it with pliers using the sort of technqiue you see above - squeezing diagonally, pressing the bottom of the front plate upwards and the top of the rear plate downwards if that makes sense.

hmm, not sure what you mean or the technique seen above - is that what "Ding!" refers to as that post to me simply says "Ding!"

I think I'll also try the 'Ding' method the next time I'm struggling to remove mine...

[Parrot of Doom]

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do? Have tried squeezing away from all angles but it just behaves like a normal link.

Place your thumb and forefinger on the front and back plate of the powerlink, and squeeze hard. Then simply push the links on either side of the powerlink, toward the powerlink. It'll come straight off.

Its the initial "squeeze" of the powerlink that's important.

[zebedee]

Parrot of Doom said:

zebedee said:

I have never managed to get a powerlink undone once in place, but as lots of you guys have, what is it I am failing to do? Have tried squeezing away from all angles but it just behaves like a normal link.

Place your thumb and forefinger on the front and back plate of the powerlink, and squeeze hard. Then simply push the links on either side of the powerlink, toward the powerlink. It'll come straight off.

Its the initial "squeeze" of the powerlink that's important.

cheers, will give it a try (though will probably stick to the park tool anyway!)

[snotrag]

Seriously - powerlinks are a god-send. And they ARE undo-able by hand - you just need the knack.


One end of each pin is fixed, one is free in the slotted hole. They are at opposed sides of the link.

You need to make sure you only put pressure on the fixed ends - so as your looking at the chain side on, one facing you at one end, the other end facign away from you. Grip, squeeze together or flex the links, and off it pops.

[pdV6]

Parrot of Doom said:

Place your thumb and forefinger on the front and back plate of the powerlink, and squeeze hard. Then simply push the links on either side of the powerlink, toward the powerlink. It'll come straight off.

Its the initial "squeeze" of the powerlink that's important.

^ This.

If it's still stiff, wrap a length of gear or brake cable around the pins & pull the ends across each other to undo. Works better than trying to gain a purchase with needle-nosed pliers (and then slipping and nipping your finger!)

[twinturboz]

Just dont clean it like this guy

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2422...

Edit: Not pedal powered

Edited by twinturboz on Thursday 25th February 12:28

[Gooby]

twinturboz said:

Just dont clean it like this guy

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2422...

Edit: Not pedal powered

Edited by twinturboz on Thursday 25th February 12:28

Oh my god!
Poor guy!
Did he really amputate large chunks off his fingers then take pictures???

[Chris71]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Mine are SRAM. I'd be surprised if Shimano aren't catered for in some way though, it works a treat.

[BOR]

It's ok to mix SRAM and Shimano. You just need to ensure you are using 8 speed links with 8 speed chains. The 8 speed links are silver, 9sp are gold.