Best way to throughly clean your chain & gears without having to take anything apart?
Is this possible? If so, how do you do it?
The reason I ask is because I'm a little apprehensive about taking things apart. I'm worried I won't know how to put it back together again. I'd take it to LBS, but they are crazy busy on weekends and are closed when I get out of work.
Degreaser and a gear brush. Finish cleaning the cassette by running a towel between the cogs. Do the same for the front rings. Dry everything and re-lube the chain.
I 2nd that. The SRAM powerlink is simple to install and it makes cleaning easier, faster and works much much better than any of those chain cleaner tools. I take the chain off (takes 2 seconds to unlink), throw the whole chain in a bottle with some simple green and shake like crazy. Sit for however long, take it out, rinse, dry, put it on, lube, ride.
Will that SRAM powerlink work on my Shimano chain? A buddy of mine has the same chain as me. A while back he took off his chain to clean his drive train. Then he reattached the chain just the same way he disassembled it. Next thing he knew, his chain was detaching on every ride. Is there a special way to reattach the chain links once taken off?
Another vote for the Powerlink (the 9 speed version fits the 9 speed Shimano chains), plus find a lube that runs as dry as possible; that way it'll be easier to clean your cassette and chainrings. You may like to take a look through a guide I did for basic cleaning and maintenance (click link). You'll build your confidence by doing things; removing and refitting your chain is a great place to start.
Will that SRAM powerlink work on my Shimano chain? A buddy of mine has the same chain as me. A while back he took off his chain to clean his drive train. Then he reattached the chain just the same way he disassembled it. Next thing he knew, his chain was detaching on every ride. Is there a special way to reattach the chain links once taken off?
You can try to reattach an actual link but it is not recommended. Once you break the chain, the pins are not reusable (plus if you've used a chain breaker, the links are probably going to be bent anyways). I've read/heard that in a pinch you can do it but it is not a permanent fix by any means. The Powerlinks ( http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CH608Z00-Sram+Powerlink.aspx?sc=FRGL ) are designed to be taken on/off for maintenance and I have never had one detach on a ride. I've broken chains yes, but not at the powerlink.
You can try to reattach an actual link but it is not recommended. Once you break the chain, the pins are not reusable (plus if you've used a chain breaker, the links are probably going to be bent anyways). I've read/heard that in a pinch you can do it but it is not a permanent fix by any means. The Powerlinks ( http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CH608Z00-Sram+Powerlink.aspx?sc=FRGL ) are designed to be taken on/off for maintenance and I have never had one detach on a ride. I've broken chains yes, but not at the powerlink.
wow, a lot of misinformation in one post (no offense).
i use strictly shimano chains, i "break" the chain (with a chain tool) dozens of times over a season (and more on my SS bikes) and have never had any problems with bent links or chains breaking when they shouldn't.
to keep on topic, i clean my chains with a rag and a brush with degreaser.
wow, a lot of misinformation in one post (no offense).
i use strictly shimano chains, i "break" the chain (with a chain tool) dozens of times over a season (and more on my SS bikes) and have never had any problems with bent links or chains breaking when they shouldn't.
to keep on topic, i clean my chains with a rag and a brush with degreaser.
If you want to re-attach a chain using an old pin, go ahead. That is not "wrong" information or "misinformation" as you say. Also, when I use a chain breaker, I notice that the chain bends a little...the plates are slightly untrue. I would rather use a powerlink than reattaching the old link. That's my preference, again it's not wrong.
If you're not breaking chains reusing links, great, wonderful, outstanding. That's not the OP's problem if you read his post.
Also, your method of cleaning is not the best method IMO....but that doesn't make it wrong...that's my opinion (as well as most of the replies here). The best is to take the chain off, you can never clean the chain as well if it's on the bike. Breaking chains every time to do that (I do it once every 3-4 rides or so) is a pain in the butt. A powerlink is a much more efficient way of doing that.
spray Simple Green over everything. let sit a couple mins. scrub with brush. rinse. repeat if necessary. don't forget to change gears to get in the ones blocked by the chain.
Give me a chain with a quick link every time. I've used the Park on-the-bike chain cleaner and not only did it not completely clean the chain, it made a mess!
Any kind of solvent or degreaser will be fine on the chain - worry about your pain and any plastic bits nearby. Simple green is easy to find and doesn't require hazardous waste disposal. Personally, I like Citra-Solv. Smells like oranges, works as well as any degreaser.
Also, water soluble degreasers can be washed out with water - and once the chain is dried with either a heat gun or an isopropyl alcohol rinse/air dry, the chain lube really gets inside where you need it.
I prefer a chain washer, because its easier to keep going until the crud is all out of the chain - you do have to keep dumping out old fluid and refreshing. Hand brushing works, but takes a lot of persistence to do the whole chain well. With the washer, it takes 3-5 flushes of degreaser to get clean, and the chain is cycling thru the washer continuously for several minutes each time. I can tell if the chain is clean by twisting it between my fingers. Once you've dissolved the gunk you can feel grit crunching - loose chain/no crunch/all done.
wow, a lot of misinformation in one post (no offense).
i use strictly shimano chains, i "break" the chain (with a chain tool) dozens of times over a season (and more on my SS bikes) and have never had any problems with bent links or chains breaking when they shouldn't.
to keep on topic, i clean my chains with a rag and a brush with degreaser.
Some chain tools (Park mini chain brute, ... others) have a nasty habit of bending link plates when you try to push the original pin out.
From an economy standpoint, the powerlinks make a LOT more sense. They are about twice as much, but they're re-usable. The 9 speed powerlinks are compatible with 9 speed Shimano chains. The 8 speed powerlinks are not compatible with Shimano 8 speed chains.
I also recommend a chain cleaner. I like powerlinks due to ease of use. I do take my chain off to do some bike maintenance tasks and I would rather not pay $1 for the privilege every time I do it. When cleaning the chain, the scrubber does a fantastic job. You just have to change the fluid 2-4 times to get the job done.
Note that the chain cleaner will be far superior to "wiping the chain down" as the rolling brushes in the chain cleaner can get where your rag cannot.
My setup is an XTR chain and 9-speed SRAM Powerlink. Remove the chain, put it in my ultrasonic cleaner (eBay is your friend), clean with mineral spirits. Remove chain, dry, install chain, and lube.
The mini tools are for field emergency use. They are difficult to use (need enough force to hurt your hands sometimes) and as noted earlier, may actually do damage to the chain when "breaking" it.
You need to have a shop tool, like the Park CT-3 Shop Tool ($30) which allow you to get some leverage, and have good quality anvils so you can break the chain, press pins back in (top position) and also loosen the links after pressing so the plates aren't mashed so tightly they bind (bottom position).
But here is the bomb: http://www.rohloff.de/en/products/revolver_2/ This baby can actually rerivet pins after insertion, and unlike every other chain tool I ever saw, stops just before you push the pin all the way out of the last plate (making it a PITA to reinsert). Only problemo is price/availability. Sigh.....
But here is the bomb: http://www.rohloff.de/en/products/revolver_2/ This baby can actually rerivet pins after insertion, and unlike every other chain tool I ever saw, stops just before you push the pin all the way out of the last plate (making it a PITA to reinsert). Only problemo is price/availability. Sigh.....
But you're right, they not the best tool to do it.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mountain Bike Reviews Forum
15.4M posts
515.2K members
Since 1990
A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!