how to clean correctly a drivetrain?

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ALx
Posts: 477
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:39 am
Location: Québec

by ALx

title says it all.. how do you guys clean your drivetrain? i don't know any way to clean correctly my cassette without removing it and i don't know how to clean my chain without going link by link.. wich really take so much time :(
how do you guys deal with that?
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Skyleth
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:59 pm
Location: Boston, MA, USA

by Skyleth

hmmm, I haven't found a way to clean a cassette well w/o removing it from the wheel... if you get anything done, it'll be just the outside of the cassette, on the backside of each cog will still be muck. You also have to be careful when you clean a cassette on your wheel, you don't want to dunk it in de-greaser and power wash it and end up de-greasing your hub.

for the chain, re-lube w/ T9 often enough, and it'll be "clean enough" I've given up on getting a showroom clean chain, because I usually end up spending more time cleaning my bike than I do riding it!
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Mottsauce
Posts: 512
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 8:37 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH

by Mottsauce

Park Tools chain scrubber....the kit comes with a cassette brush as well. It's a little contraption with a series of brushes and sponges that cleans the chain as it is run through--almost like an automatic car wash. This can get pricy to replace the sponges and brushes if you clean your drive train regularly (as we all should), but it's the easiest method that I've found.

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CaptainWilier
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Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:14 am
Location: Georgia

by CaptainWilier

The best way I have found to clean the chain(with connector link) is to put it in a jar with degreaser and let it sit for a minute, then shake...........I use a brush on the cassette but the hard part (to me) is the deraileur pullies.

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nexusheli
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by nexusheli

I have a whipperman chain on my MTB, so it's easy to get it off, then I pull the cassette off the wheel and pull the pulleys off the derailleur. Everything gets soaked/sprayed with degreaser and scrubbed thoroughly, re-lubed and re-assembled.

The road bike doesn't get as much attention because it only ever sees dry roads and thus doesn't pick up much dirt. I spray a little degreaser on a rag and run the cranks backwards with the rag wrapped around the chain and clean it that way, the rag then gets inserted in-between the cogs and run back and forth as well. That usually does the job sufficiently and then she gets re-lubed.
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brecht
Posts: 160
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 7:38 pm
Location: Dubai, UAE

by brecht

I found this article from Discovery's mechanic Vince Gee on their PaceLine Website quite helpfull. You can find an article on bike lubing a this URL as well http://www.thepaceline.com/

Things needed:

* Bucket
* Dish soap (blue "Dawn" is my favorite)
* Two sponges -- One for the chain and one for the rest of the bike.
* Parts cleaning brush -- For the chain / cogs / chainrings. Or, a cheap 1" paint brush
* Small bottle brush -- For the hard to get areas.
* Degreaser -- For the chain / cogs / chainrings -- Pedros "Orange Peelz" is my personal Favorite.
* An old nasty water bottle. Cut the top off and you have a cup for your degreaser.
* A wide soft brush -- for chainrings and spokes -- the small dust pan brushes work well here (Pedros Super Pit Kit has a great "paddle" looking brush for this).

As a complete bike wash kit, Pedros Super Pit Kit is very nice. Add some blue Dawn and an old water bottle to this set and you are pretty much complete.
Image

How to do it:

Wander out to the sidewalk, get the hose out and make a bucket of soapy water. I like to use the cut water bottle because when the bike is in the workstand you can put your degreaser cup (the cut bottle) in the cage of the bike so your degreaser is always close by. I'll also wash the bike with the wheels off so I can get into all the tight areas (I'll usually do the wheels last).

A) With the parts brush or paint brush "paint on" the degreaser onto your chain, cogs and chainrings by turning the crank with one hand and brushing on the degreaser with the other hand. In my obsessive / compulsive manner, I count pedal revolutions when cleaning the chain. In my quest to go as fast as possible, I want to do exactly what I need to and not a second more. Pedal about 4 revolutions in the big ring and small cog and your chain goes around one complete time. So when I degrease the chain, I usually turn the crank in multiples of 4 depending on how dirty it is and how much degreaser I need to brush on. Don't forget to do other dirty areas like the derailleur pulleys and the derailleur itself.
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B) Rinse the chain, cogs, chainrings and any other areas that you degreased with water from the hose. You'l get most of the degreaser off via this process. You can use a spray nozzle, just don't high-speed blast it.
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C) Take a sponge (that will now and forever be your dirty-chain sponge) and using the soapy water "grab" the chain with it and spin the crank with the other hand as you use soapy water to get the remaining degreaser off the chain. Remember the 4 crank revolution rule here? Now use the wide brush (Pedros "paddle" brush -- dust pan brush) to lightly brush the chainrings with the soapy water.

D) Take the other sponge (this will be the frame sponge for its life) and soap down the rest of the bike. Don't forget under the bottom bracket shell where lots of debris collects, including but not limited to your favorite sports drink clogging up the cables under the BB.
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E) The bottle brush can get areas like under the saddle, inside the brake calipers (when the wheel is off), some areas of the derailleurs, in-between the crank and seat tube (below the front derailleur), under the fork crown and any other area that is hard to get to with a sponge.

F) Handle bar tape can also be washed here (I'm a fan of white or light colored tape) and with some soapy water and a clean sponge it can clean up really nice.

G) With the hose rinse off the whole bike now.

H) For the wheels brush on degreaser for the cogs (rear), sponge off the tires and rims, and us the bottle brush gets inside to the tight hub shell area and the wide brush for the spokes.

I) Rinse off the wheels and you are done. We don't dry the bikes, they air-dry.
Image

* Don't worry about the myth about getting water in your bearings. It is just that. A myth as long as you don't point the hose at high pressure directly at the bearings. I usually rinse off the bike with a wide spray pattern instead of a narrow stream of water. Your bike will get way more contaminated on a rain ride than the rinse cycle here.

As a team mechanic we have to wash bikes daily during races. If I can save two or three minutes per bike, then the collective mechanics (usually 2 or 3 at each race) will save at least 20 minutes of work and thus be 20 minutes closer to dinner. If I am really flying, I can usually wash a bike in about 5 or 6 minutes or so. When washing bikes daily they don't get so dirty so it is not too hard to scrub off the day's dirt.

- Haven't washed your bike in 4 months? Then you are going to do a bit more scrubbing that I do, and you will probably need a bit more degreaser to get it clean also.

Good luck, and good riding! - Vince

peterpen
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:34 am
Location: Northern California

by peterpen

I do the hot soapy water, then Park Tool Bio degreaser in a Park Tool Chain Scrubber routine. Every Friday or after any rain ride. If you do it regularly, it only takes 10 minutes tops. Good time to check for any problems/ wear issues with your equipment, and a good way to get the most mileage out of your drivetrain. Doing it every Friday means it's all set for the weekend's race/s. Always amazed when people at staging areas are running around asking for lube at the last minute. :roll:
I use Dumonde Tech for lube, the lighter yellow kind. Smells a bit like cheese, but very quiet. :wink:

keithster
Posts: 282
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2004 4:19 pm
Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada

by keithster

I like to use a connector link, take the chain off and dunk it in varsol, take it out scrub it with an old tooth brush, then dry it off with a rag, let it sit so the varsol evaporates, while its drying, you can take the thinner brush and apply degreaser to the cogs and derailluer pulleys,

I like to use a piece of webbing strap, but a strong peice of sash (twine) will do, you take the sash, and run it through the cogs and chain ring,
put the chain on, apply the lube using a different old toothbrush (you should change your tooth brush once a month anyhow, just keep them for the bike)
and you're in business
Jack of all trades, master of none.

Racing Aardvark
Posts: 639
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:44 am
Location: Boulder, CO

by Racing Aardvark

Been doing it the pro way since my time as a team wrench. But I don't brush on degreaser (and neither do most mechs), I spray it on.

vig@s
Posts: 154
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:07 pm
Location: Algarve

by vig@s

I like the old school way...:wink:...dirty but effective and long lasting...

to clean:
-take your chain off
-pick an old small bucket
-put the chain in
-cover it with plain Diesel fuel (the masters secret) :mrgreen:
-use a paint brush and "brush it" inside the bucket
-drain the dirty diesel
-wash out the residual dirt in the chain and bucket with tap wather
-refill with a new (small) ammount of diesel and repeat the above steps - It usually takes me 2/3 times to get it done
-dry the chain with an old rag

to degrease:
-replace the diesel for benzine and simply repeat the cleanning operations

same goes for the k7 but 1 step of each is enough

total satisfaction guaranteed...you'll never see your chain so clean again unless you'll clean it yourselff...
it will look and feel clean...

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stella-azzurra
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Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:35 am
Location: New York

by stella-azzurra

Those chain scrubbers leave dirt no matter how long you run them through.

To properly clean a chain and make it come out new:

1. Take chain off
2. Place chain in empty 2 liter coke bottle and fill with favorite degreaser solution.
3. Shake well and let stand 15 minutes.
4. Shake well
5. Take chain out and wash with mild soap and warm water.
6. Spray chain with hose to rise throughly.
7. Place chain in toaster oven or oven at 250 until dry (20 minutes).
8. Let chain cool
9. Lube chain with favorite lube.

Chain with be good as new.

I do this when you feel the chain deserves such treatment. :lol:

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ALx
Posts: 477
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:39 am
Location: Québec

by ALx

:shock: stella-azzurra, what a treatment! by doing this post i was thinking more of "what is the easyest way to have a chain cleaned" not "how to cook you're chain" :lol: :lol:
this is an original way to clean it!
Sprinters are born not made

fdegrove
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by fdegrove

ALx wrote::shock: stella-azzurra, what a treatment! by doing this post i was thinking more of "what is the easyest way to have a chain cleaned" not "how to cook you're chain" :lol: :lol:
this is an original way to clean it!


.............Just don't try this with your micro-wave. :oops:

Next step would be to cryogenically treat your chain by throwing it in a nitrogen tank I guess. :twisted:

Ciao, :wink:
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stella-azzurra
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Location: New York

by stella-azzurra

ALx wrote::shock: stella-azzurra, what a treatment! by doing this post i was thinking more of "what is the easyest way to have a chain cleaned" not "how to cook you're chain" :lol: :lol:
this is an original way to clean it!


Theres different levels of clean I guess. The easiest way would be to leave the chain on the bike a run it through the park tool. Which by the way leaves grit between the plates and pins. I guess that would be called "clean".

You do not have to do it. The chain is heated rather then air dry which could cause rust. That is the purpose of heating the chain.
It won't hurt the chain :roll: unless your chain has rubber parts :lol:

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stella-azzurra
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Location: New York

by stella-azzurra

fdegrove wrote:
ALx wrote::shock: stella-azzurra, what a treatment! by doing this post i was thinking more of "what is the easyest way to have a chain cleaned" not "how to cook you're chain" :lol: :lol:
this is an original way to clean it!


.............Just don't try this with your micro-wave. :oops:

Next step would be to cryogenically treat your chain by throwing it in a nitrogen tank I guess. :twisted:

Ciao, :wink:


Yeah I wouldn't microwave it. I would not be sposting this if I did not try it first. It works, the chain comes out clean not "clean".

by Weenie


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