Cleaning Chain

[dude608]

I want to clean the chain. what can I soak it in or spray on it?

[spyug]

Kerosene, mineral spirits, paint thinner or naptha makes a good bath if you pull the chain and let it soak for a day or so. Get a good parts cleaning brush and give it a good scrub. Dry off and lube with proper chain lube or chain wax.

If you are doing the cleaning with the chain on the bike spray with WD40, PB Blaster or your penetrating fluid of choice. A used tooth brush can be helpful in cleaning out the grundge. Dry off and lube as above.

One word of caution. While you can use WD40 or any of the penetrating fluids to clean, these are not appropriate lubes so take a trip to the local bike store for something recommended.

If any of the links are badly corroded or if any of them bind you should change the chain as it could let go at any time. While you are at it you should also have a look at the sprockets for wear or bent teeth and replace as appropriate.

Good luck and Cheers,
Spyug.

[Mark M]

One word of caution. While you can use WD40 or any of the penetrating fluids to clean, these are not appropriate lubes so take a trip to the local bike store for something recommended.

This statement needs qualifying. If it is not an O-ring chain, then you need to lube after the WD-40 cleaning. If it is an O-ring chain, you need do nothing after cleaning it unless you live in a very high humidity climate or the bike lives outside.

Mark

[80GS1000]

Motul Chain Clean, then Maxima Chain Wax works for me.

[bonanzadave]

This statement needs qualifying. If it is not an O-ring chain, then you need to lube after the WD-40 cleaning. If it is an O-ring chain, you need do nothing after cleaning it unless you live in a very high humidity climate or the bike lives outside.

Mark

Really ! Holy cow, you mean all that PJ-1 ive been spraying all over the driveway was useless ? Let see what others have to say...

Word to the wise....

If you think you can speed up the chain / sprocket cleaning operation by running the Bike on its center stand and hold a rag against said chain or sprocket...be careful. I had a buddy do it and, as you may have guessed, he got a finger to go all the way around between the chain and sprocket. Ouch !!!!!!

[Mark M]

Really ! Holy cow, you mean all that PJ-1 ive been spraying all over the driveway was useless ? Let see what others have to say...

I wouldn't say useless, I would say unnecessary. I have at least 35000 km on my last several street bikes with WD-40 cleaned / no lube chains with no issues at all. My GSXR is at 9500+km without even needing an adjustment yet and my ZX-9 had near 30K on it with the original chain and still going strong when I sold it.

One thing to note is that the dry chain attracts far less dirt and grit, which reduces the wear and tear on the outside of the chain due to abrasive wear. Probably also saves the sprockets, but I can't say for sure.

This only works in dry climes and indoor stored bikes, as I said. If your bike lives out in the elements or you live in a very humid area, you may need to lube the chain simply as protection against surface rust. Also only O-ring type chains, non O-ring types MUST be lubed if you want them to live.

Mark

[Mark whiz]

For cleaning purposes, I just use a paint brush to brush on kerosine, working the stuff into all the nooks & crannies on the chain. Then I wipe it dry and relube. After a warm up ride I'll then check the chain adjustment as a clean chain tends to be a tad looser than one that needed cleaning.

[ShirleySerious]

I'm not quite sure what kind of chain I have. My '78 550 has the original chain, AFAIK. I didn't know if WD-40 or lithium grease was OK to use, so I put on a glove and poured a little motor oil in my hand and greased up the whole chain. Anyone else do this?

[Nessism]

I'm not quite sure what kind of chain I have. My '78 550 has the original chain, AFAIK. I didn't know if WD-40 or lithium grease was OK to use, so I put on a glove and poured a little motor oil in my hand and greased up the whole chain. Anyone else do this?

Factory service manual calls for washing the chain in kerosene every 600 miles and lubricating with high viscosity motor oil.