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new chain procedures?

1K views 39 replies 15 participants last post by  jeng 
#1 ·
had the lbs put on a new chain when they were installling my new drivetrain and it feels like it coated in Vaseline

should I clean and scrub it down and relube it or just leave it?.
 
#4 ·
cactuscorn said:
thats cosmoline. they slather it on stuff as a rust inhibitor for the long boat ride to the usa. kinda lame that they didnt strip it off for ya. yeah, like mark says soak it, dry it, reinstall it, lube it and wipe it.
Uuuh. I wouldn't agree. I never "clean" chains with degreaser. The saturation method is the best in my opinion. Add lube, wipe all off, ride, repeat.
 
#6 ·
cactuscorn said:
please do not apply at my shop. in all seriousness, thats like puttin gravy on a frozen turkey. eat up kids!
FYI - From Sram's website (gobble, gobble):

Q.What's the best way to clean my chain?

A.Having been involved in chains for a long time, we have come up with a method of maintenance that works best for SRAM Powerchains. Of course, with any type of bicycle maintenance program, the frequency that you perform the maintenance will vary greatly on your riding conditions.

Here are steps to cleaning your chain:

A. We suggest leaving the chain on the bike.
B. Wipe off any excess dirt, water, etc.
C. Apply your favorite bio-degreaser, agitate and then rinse/wipe it off.
D. Apply a coat of your favorite chain lube (hopefully something with at least a little Teflon in it) and then be sure to let it dry or at least sit for a bit.
E. Using a rag/shop towel remove any excess lubricant and "clean" off the side plates of the chain.
- lastly, feel free to repeat steps C and/or D more than once. You may find a combination that works better in your area.

Additionally, a lot of people that replace their chains often would actually skip step C and just go straight to step D. Also, if you feel the need to degrease the chain while it is off the bike, we would warn against letting a chain sit in solvent of any kind (kerosene, gasoline, SimpleGreen, bio-degreasers, etc.) for any length of time. And be sure to follow all dilution recommendations found on degreasing products.
 
#7 ·
you tryin to make me look like a turkey? i had to say it, as lame as it is.

im sure sram has their reasons to leave that gunk on but ill be damned if i can figure out why. maybe to sell more chains, cassettes, rings and ders. substances that attract and collect debris dont do drivetrains any favors.
 
#8 ·
do you really wipe that stuff off of every chain you sell? I have always thrown a healthy coat of white lighting on my chain before (sometimes during) every ride throughout the life of the chain.

all my chain and DT's are old as hell (and sparkly clean) right now so I have no complaints about the longevity of sram chains and if the life of it was compromised I prolly wouldnt blame it on that coating.
 
#9 ·
spxoo said:
do you really wipe that stuff off of every chain you sell?
noooooo. thats just silly. only the ones we install. but.... we assemble our bikes with power tools and tune with a hammer. why bother givin the custy the best products and services we can and waste the resorces it takes to do so? its the only way i can afford this luxorious life i lead.

you guys have got to be kiddin me.
 
#11 ·
cactuscorn said:
noooooo. thats just silly. only the ones we install. but.... we assemble our bikes with power tools and tune with a hammer. why bother givin the custy the best products and services we can and waste the resorces it takes to do so? its the only way i can afford this luxorious life i lead.

you guys have got to be kiddin me.
You might want to re-think you're thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
#16 ·
LoozinSkin said:
had the lbs put on a new chain when they were installling my new drivetrain and it feels like it coated in Vaseline

should I clean and scrub it down and relube it or just leave it?.
I would find a new LBS or go have a chat with them. When I was a bike shop guy I always cleaned most or all of the slime off the chains, that stuff is sticky, you might end up with small rodents on your chain.

I always degrease my chains before they get installed on my bike, my process is actually very time consuming and anal. I degrease with citrus, strip with white lighting metal prep, blow all leftover liquid out with compresses air, hang the chain overnight to 'dry' and then I lube it with boe-shield. I do a few lube applications to get a good base. Nothing will ever stick to your chain if you use boe0shield
 
#17 ·
I believe the lube that SRAM uses is Gleitmo. It really is a great lube. If you are worried about it attracting dirt, then just wipe the excess off the outside. Letting it soak in degreaser will remove all the lube from the inside as well. That's no good. The factory lube is applied at high pressure/temperature. It really gets into it. Any lube job you do will not be quite as thorough.

I think Shimano just uses something on the chain to prevent corrosion.
 
#18 ·
XSL_WiLL said:
I believe the lube that SRAM uses is Gleitmo. It really is a great lube. If you are worried about it attracting dirt, then just wipe the excess off the outside. Letting it soak in degreaser will remove all the lube from the inside as well. That's no good. The factory lube is applied at high pressure/temperature. It really gets into it. Any lube job you do will not be quite as thorough.

I think Shimano just uses something on the chain to prevent corrosion.
i believe this man. i don't know why, but i do.
 
#19 ·
XSL_WiLL said:
I believe the lube that SRAM uses is Gleitmo. It really is a great lube. If you are worried about it attracting dirt, then just wipe the excess off the outside. Letting it soak in degreaser will remove all the lube from the inside as well. That's no good. The factory lube is applied at high pressure/temperature. It really gets into it. Any lube job you do will not be quite as thorough.

I think Shimano just uses something on the chain to prevent corrosion.
+1 This is what I've always been told.
 
#21 ·
More on chains from KMC

I got this post from searching the Drive train forum...

From KMC website (they make the Shimano chains too):
"NEVER EVER use a so-called 'chain washing machine' in combination with solvent. This is the one and only sure way to instantly ruin your chain.
- Avoid the use of solvents, not only are these bad for the environment, they remove lubricant from the chain's bearing.
-...the usage of solvent is not recommended!!"

http://www.kmcchain.com/index.php?ln=en&fn=service#1

The reason for this is because degreasing the chain will break down the factory applied lubrication from inside the links. This factory 'lube' treatment is extremely durable (meant to last for the majority of the chain's life) and cannot be replaced by external applications of lube. As such, degreasing a brand new chain is one of the most counter-productive things you can do!

The only 'degreasing' you should be doing to a chain is lightly wiping the outside of the chain with a cloth dampened with a bit of degreaser. And even this is not necessary because if you apply lube correctly then the outside of the chain should be free of lube and all the dirt on it would be water based (easily removed by a cloth wet with water). What do I mean by 'correct' lubing? Well, apply the lube, let it penetrate into the links, wipe off excess from outside, let the lube dry so the 'wet' carrier evaporates. Afterwards wipe the chain again, the only lube left should be the dry base that's now inside the links. A chain lubricated in such a manner should appear completely dry on the outside and should attract minimal amounts of dirt.

...and I've heard this many times before in my 15 years of bike wrenching which is why I'm surprised there are so many responses on here telling this guy to clean his chain before use...
 
#22 ·
Insta-thread-jack: how much stronger is a SRAM PC991 Cross Step chain compared to just the regular 991? (Sorry, couldn't resist, too many people seemingly in the drivetrain know looking at this one thread).
It's just that I seem to break the regular 991 a whole lot easier (surely nothing to do with my other-worldy quads..)....should probably go back to buying the Cross Step version again...?

Oh and I usually leave that SRAM factory gunk on there when I change chains. By the looks of the answers on this thread I am easily half right in doing so.
 
#23 ·
I guess I'm one of the castaways as I religiously remove, scrub and degrease with solvents, reinstall and relube all my chains on all my bikes. My chains see a healthy dosing of east coast clay and mud where I ride and there's no way I can see the "internal" factory lube being "that" durable and long-lasting to leave it on for the life of the chain. Chains links aren't like sealed bearings. You'd just be dropping fresh oil/lube onto a gritty situation. You gotta strip all that gunk off before you reapply!! My chains last as long as anyone elses'....run quiet....stay looking new and don't make a mess. To each his own I guess.:thumbsup:
 
#24 ·
I believe there is some confusion here. IF a new chain is coated with cosmoline then it should be cleaned and lubed before installation. Cosmoline is NOT a lube but a rust preventative as thick as Vaseline. Would you ride your bike with a chain lubed by Vaseline?:eek:
However if SRAM or Shimano or whoever ships their chains lubed up by all means install and go. Has anyone verified exactly what the coating on the chain is?
In CCs defense I think Jeng's post referring to SRAMs "How to clean a chain" may not even apply since we don't know if they are talking about a brand new chain or just cleaning in general. I personally use diluted Simple Green in a chain cleaner tool and have never had a chain break. Maybe those KMC chains are different and they are self cleaning?:rolleyes:
I know after a muddy day on the mountain my chain is coated with mud and no amount of scrubbing without some kind of cleaner is going to get it clean.
FYI Simple Green is safe for the environment and works great for cleaning the whole bike:thumbsup:
 
#26 ·
pinknugget said:
I would love to find one of these self cleaning chains with bearings instead of pins:thumbsup:
All chains have bearings. The pins go into them. How do you think a chain comes off the gear Holmes? If you people don't believe the chain manufacturers then I don't know what to say...
 
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