View Full Version : Chain Rust
I've just encountered some rust on my chain. Now I'm relatively new to bikes but know I need to nip this in the bud...
Can anyone suggest a good range of products and a cleaning process to firstly stop and secondly reverse (!?) the rust.
Also, how many times are you supposed to lube (snigger) the chain. I riding the SV in all weathers.
jonny.boyd
27-12-10, 03:09 PM
The rust will most probably be just surface rust unless its been festering there for a while! Mine gets rusty now and again - only happens when it's coming up to needing a re-lube.
So what I do is get a cloth, good hard bristled brush and go at it, this will hopefully get most of the surface rust off. Then just give it a good lube up. I found that using 'dry lube' made my chain go rusty very very quickly, like within a few days. I now use castrol chain lube (kinda waxy) and it sticks well and helps prevent the chain going rusty for a much longer time!
HTH
loonytoon
27-12-10, 03:15 PM
with the weather the way it is it will rust pretty quickly, give it a bit of a scrub of with a hard brush an give it a good soaking of lube and leave it to soak into the links over nyt
squirrel_hunter
27-12-10, 04:45 PM
If you are getting rust on your chain it means you are not lubing it enough.
If you are riding in all weathers/ every day then I would suggest fitting a Scottoiler (http://www.scottoiler.com/).
dizzyblonde
27-12-10, 04:49 PM
If you are getting rust on your chain it means you are not lubing it enough.
.
^^wot he said^^
If you got rust, you got a dry chain, then you might have stiff links, or even kinky ones!;)
Some say to clean in parrafin, I use WD40 on rags, then lube the hell out of the chains with a nice chain lube like Castrol. Never had to attack it with a wire brush or anything. I maintain four bike chains in this manner, and have never needed to go looking for a scottoiler.
Having a Scottoiler means you don't have to bother with this tiresome maintenance regime, and your chain stays lubed to the correct level at all times. I'd have thought having a Scottoiler on all four bikes would have made even more sense if you have to go to those lengths to keep them all good. Just think of all the time you could save, which could be better spent in the kitchen or hoovering ;-)
jonny.boyd
27-12-10, 06:01 PM
which could be better spent in the kitchen or hoovering ;-)
***Fire In The Hole!!***
(run and hide)
Amplimator
27-12-10, 06:38 PM
^^wot he said^^
If you got rust, you got a dry chain, then you might have stiff links, or even kinky ones!;)
Some say to clean in parrafin, I use WD40 on rags, then lube the hell out of the chains with a nice chain lube like Castrol. Never had to attack it with a wire brush or anything. I maintain four bike chains in this manner, and have never needed to go looking for a scottoiler.
Gawd dont do this, ya'll bugger it some more. Dry chain lube is only any good for fair weather poofters like myself as it gets washed off quickly. If your ride in all weathers use the gunkiest stickiest stuff you can find with minimal fling (wax type is preferable but there are others) and put it on a warm chain after a run. Often.
I use a large stiff toothbrush and parafin/parasene (sp?) to clean my chains, bit cheaper than WD-40. WD-40 is a water disperser not a crud disperser (smells nice though) Keep the parafin in a jar and re-use it as the gunk will settle at the bottom of the jar and last years. ;)
Wax type lubes don't lube, they just seal all the crap in and turn it to grinding paste. If a lube doesn't fling to some extent then it doesn't flow enough to get around the rollers. A gunky sticky lube will just attract grit and other road crap which will shorten the life of the O rings and the chain. A decent oil coming from a dispenser at a steady set rate will lubricate a chain better than anything else.
I forgot to add, since starting to use Scottoilers, I haven't had a chain go rusty and neither have I needed to clean one with paraffin or anything else. I also haven't needed to replace a chain in less than 20,000 hard ridden miles.
I clean my chain with WD-40, it's cheap for me I get the WD free from work. I've been using castrol chain wax for about 12 years, my boss thinks I use it on machinery drive chains :D
Dicky Ticker
27-12-10, 09:58 PM
Irrelevant how you look after your chain oiler or otherwise to have rust on it is neglect.Oilers are good but not infallible and the reservoir still needs topping up
Wizzbangwill
27-12-10, 10:25 PM
Acf50 helps I clean mine once a week then use acf50 and then lube it. Leave overnight and no rust. Use bike prob 20 miles max per week so alot of standing time in winter. Does the trick nicely
Wizzbangwill
27-12-10, 10:27 PM
Btw I use silkolene chain cleaner and lube. Hate acf50 and parafin. If I've spent a ton on a chain I don't see the point of saving the price of a pint on chain care!
Acf50 helps I clean mine once a week then use acf50 and then lube it. Leave overnight and no rust. Use bike prob 20 miles max per week so alot of standing time in winter. Does the trick nicely
Btw I use silkolene chain cleaner and lube. Hate acf50 and parafin. If I've spent a ton on a chain I don't see the point of saving the price of a pint on chain care!
kinda contradicting yourself there mate, do you use acf50 and still hate it, but don't mind the expense?
fizzwheel
28-12-10, 08:20 AM
Also, how many times are you supposed to lube (snigger) the chain. I riding the SV in all weathers.
When it needs it, in the winter when the weathers bad, more often than you would in the summer when you are riding on dry roads.
When I had a bike with no scottoiler, it was every 100 miles or so that I would lube the chain.
As for cleaning parafin and a toothbrush, but that wont get the rust off once its started to form. Where is the rust just on the side plates ? or it it on the rollers ?
If you are commuting / riding in all weathers, I'd echo the above recommendation for a scotoiler, which will lube as you ride. They are not fit and forget and you'll still need to check the chain regularly and adjust as necessary.
If you dont go down this route, then to be honest, any chain lube is better than none at all.
Biker Biggles
28-12-10, 09:52 AM
I think we can legitimately call this a Hitler thread
Anyone care to suggest the "final solution"?
husky03
28-12-10, 10:58 AM
I think we can legitimately call this a Hitler thread
Anyone care to suggest the "final solution"?
my 2p -fit an oiler, check your chain before every ride, if parking it up for any length of time cover it in old engine oil, then before riding after lay up clean with gunk then give a good oiling.
i've not got an oiler fitted as i check and oil before every ride(old engine oil for me)-paddock stand and paint brush, takes two mins and its done when checking rear tyre for any objects
andrewsmith
28-12-10, 02:50 PM
i'm nt saying the words BB!
But personal pref is lube.
dizzyblonde
28-12-10, 03:31 PM
with the weather the way it is it will rust pretty quickly, give it a bit of a scrub of with a hard brush an give it a good soaking of lube and leave it to soak into the links over nyt
I'll come back to this...
Having a Scottoiler means you don't have to bother with this tiresome maintenance regime, and your chain stays lubed to the correct level at all times. I'd have thought having a Scottoiler on all four bikes would have made even more sense if you have to go to those lengths to keep them all good. Just think of all the time you could save, which could be better spent in the kitchen or hoovering ;-)
Give me the money and I'll put them on, but I don't like the mess they make personally, you still need to clean all the crap off from them, so you may as well do it the old fashioned way. Plus I have known for them to go wrong and make tyres extra slippery. The old fashioned way has worked for me and I'll stay that way thanks :)
As for more time in the kitchen...ferk orf, I'd prefer to have more time with my bikes right now, getting all dirty up to my elbows, cause they is getting neglected because I have one of them crying, peeing, plopping things! Standing at the kitchen sink does great harm to my poor hands ;)
Gawd dont do this, ya'll bugger it some more. Dry chain lube is only any good for fair weather poofters like myself as it gets washed off quickly. If your ride in all weathers use the gunkiest stickiest stuff you can find with minimal fling (wax type is preferable but there are others) and put it on a warm chain after a run. Often.
I use a large stiff toothbrush and parafin/parasene (sp?) to clean my chains, bit cheaper than WD-40. WD-40 is a water disperser not a crud disperser (smells nice though) Keep the parafin in a jar and re-use it as the gunk will settle at the bottom of the jar and last years. ;)
The quote in bold is what I was referring in my post Mr Ampliminator, I would never be so thick as to scrub a chain with a wire brush;)
Acf50 helps I clean mine once a week then use acf50 and then lube it. Leave overnight and no rust. Use bike prob 20 miles max per week so alot of standing time in winter. Does the trick nicely
I have done this once with ACF50. Its never had a detriment to the chains, and when you have several parked up while you are pregnant, you will try anything to avoid a large headache and expense when you return to the saddle. It certainly helps keep rust away when a bike is laid up for a while, not sure I'd recommend it as a permanent solution though...o rings etc blah blah
Teejayexc
28-12-10, 04:35 PM
.......... when you have several parked up while you are pregnant, you will try anything to avoid a large headache and expense when you return to the saddle.
Perhaps enduring a large headache would have saved you from the former?
;)
fizzwheel
28-12-10, 05:30 PM
but I don't like the mess they make personally, you still need to clean all the crap off from them
If you setup the scotoiler properly they dont make a mess. Yes it flings a little, but thats no worse than it would be using normal convential chain lube.
Then you have the advantage that if you use the proper scotoil lube, its also much easier to clean off than convential chain lube is as well.
ive got a scotoiler on mine, ive got it set to a drop every 45 seconds roughly and it does get on the edge of the tyre quite badly, but i must say in this weather its the best thing ive ever fitted have only adjusted the chain once as well, on my SV i was adjusting the chain every week
AndyBrad
28-12-10, 06:26 PM
ive got a scottoiler to fit but havnt got around to doing it yet. had one on the bike before this one as well.
there good but in the back of my mind i allways think about the lube going on the edge of the tyre. they can also be a pain to look nice on the bike.
lube is good but is also a pain to do properly. have you ever collected even half of the crap you wash off? theres LOADS!
anyways all your doing is keeping the chain rust free and the rollers spinning. the pins are sealed from the factory so you shouldnt massivly increase or decrease the amount the chain stretches ?
Well what lovely helpful people you all are.. :D.. Looks like I'm in for a dirty thursday off cleaning and lubing. My Toolbox is becoming increasingly full off oily tins and bits off destroyed/abused household utensils... I bet Valentino Rossi doesn't have to lube his own chain :(... Maybe I could employ a small chimp like chap to maintain and love the thing when i'm not hanging on... hey ho...
Wizzbangwill
29-12-10, 10:30 PM
Oops cheers toxic meant I hate wd40 not the acf was half asleep when wrote that!
mister c
30-12-10, 08:43 AM
Could always go to basics & remember your CBT.
We used to tell our students Oil your chain approximately every 200 miles, or weekly whichever came sooner. And use a good quality chain lube.
I use old engine oil & a toothbrush normally once a week, cant say that I have ever cleaned a chain in the 30 years I've been riding
Oops cheers toxic meant I hate wd40 not the acf was half asleep when wrote that!
No worries fella, I might try the ACF on my chain next time it needs doing.
Biker Biggles
30-12-10, 04:58 PM
Could always go to basics & remember your CBT.
We used to tell our students Oil your chain approximately every 200 miles, or weekly whichever came sooner. And use a good quality chain lube.
I use old engine oil & a toothbrush normally once a week, cant say that I have ever cleaned a chain in the 30 years I've been riding
Bravo.
But you cant tell as they dont want to hear the cheap easy way.
bengrrr
07-01-11, 02:13 PM
Hey Spike. As they have all said that'll keep it going for a while.
However to everyone; this stuff i found to be dam good to spray on any rusting areas or for general protection.
http://www.busters-accessories.co.uk/productinfo/TCCI5/Bike-Care/Protective-Sprays/Tech-7
Firstly, Thanks for all the replys and advice
Secondly, sorted... No fear Bengrr!, the bikes being well looked after!!
Well I had quite a good time clearing that up... Washed it clean. WD40'd it, ACF'd it then used a really good Motul Lube recommended by the helpful people at Hallens Cambridge. No Rust, it just rubbed off... Lesson now learned.
Now have a nice smoothly running and well lubes chain... Magic
bengrrr
07-01-11, 07:45 PM
Firstly, Thanks for all the replys and advice
Secondly, sorted... No fear Bengrr!, the bikes being well looked after!!
Well I had quite a good time clearing that up... Washed it clean. WD40'd it, ACF'd it then used a really good Motul Lube recommended by the helpful people at Hallens Cambridge. No Rust, it just rubbed off... Lesson now learned.
Now have a nice smoothly running and well lubes chain... Magic
Good stuff, make sure you keep the tension as it should be and you'll have smooth running all year. Take care mate.
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