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yellowfz
Dude mine was 10 times worse than the one in that link (not proud of it) and with the Citrus Cleaner it just melts off there, sparkly clean with just some light scrubbing and spray with water.
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Chain Cleaning - Kerosene?
- Thread starter MNGreg
- Start date
Good Link for Chain Mtce
No pun intended, but IMO this link gave a comprehensive unbiased overview of chain cleaning and maintenance.
Understand Motorcycle Chains @ CyberPoet.Net
Note the part on how you can damage a chain by improperly cleaning it, not just the solvent, but the using a too stiff of brush.
Also thought it was good info to look for signs of leaking o-rings but watching for a red tint on the links.
No pun intended, but IMO this link gave a comprehensive unbiased overview of chain cleaning and maintenance.
Understand Motorcycle Chains @ CyberPoet.Net
Note the part on how you can damage a chain by improperly cleaning it, not just the solvent, but the using a too stiff of brush.
Also thought it was good info to look for signs of leaking o-rings but watching for a red tint on the links.
I can attest that kerosene works really will! I have been using aerosol type clearner and it did good job, enough to see the grim (sp?) or dirts removed, but never really really clean around the rear sprocket.
I then purchased kerosene from Lowes (where i live, kerosene are seasonal item and only sold year around at hardware stores) and tried it out. After working on it for 20 min or so, the chain and sprockets were all shinny, litterally.
As others have said, use a spray bottle to splash on the chain. I then cut a coke can in half and pure some kerosene in it, just enough to dip a brush. I mainly use this to dip my brush to remove dirts etc, w/o having use the same dirty brush to scrub and have it drip down on sprackets.
Also grab the a Dupon Telflon can or two to use as a lube. It has kept the chain lubed and cleaner, much better than what i have been using, which cost almost double.
I then purchased kerosene from Lowes (where i live, kerosene are seasonal item and only sold year around at hardware stores) and tried it out. After working on it for 20 min or so, the chain and sprockets were all shinny, litterally.
As others have said, use a spray bottle to splash on the chain. I then cut a coke can in half and pure some kerosene in it, just enough to dip a brush. I mainly use this to dip my brush to remove dirts etc, w/o having use the same dirty brush to scrub and have it drip down on sprackets.
Also grab the a Dupon Telflon can or two to use as a lube. It has kept the chain lubed and cleaner, much better than what i have been using, which cost almost double.
WD-40 to clean it; Maxima Chain Wax to lube it. Until someone can prove that WD-40 isn't a safe chain cleaner, I'll keep using it. It's cheap, easy to apply, and works great.
Bloke
New Member
I use it and if you YouTube "driven and ridden how to clean a motorcycle" it's what the autoglym chaps recommend.
Does the DuPont degreaser come out as a foam or as a thin liquid?
I am an avid WD-40 user. I use it at work and at home as a degreaser and lubricant. I have used WD-40 on my last 3 motorcycles to clean the chains without any problems. I just replaced the chain on my FZ6R after only 14,000 miles. I was trying to figure out why it became stiff so quickly. I did some inspecting and found my O-rings had become brittle. I tried to determine if WD-40 is bad for O-rings by reading online but, couldn't find a definitive answer. I picked up my can and called the number on the back. I spoke to a representative of their technical department. They confirmed that over time WD-40 will dry out rubber and plastic. They recommended that I didn't use it on my chain. That's the only negative experience I've had. I'm actually tempted to give it another chance because it is such an effective cleaner.
Did you use any chain lube after you cleaned it with the WD-40?
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Yes inquiring mind want to know. I am really curious as I use WD40 as well. I use a liquid dupont chain lube.
Well, I prefer odorless paint thinner to clean mine - no smell, and just as effective. Then a light coat of chain wax.
After cleaning in WD-40, I would wipe off as much excess as I could with a clean rag and coat the chain with Bel Ray chain lube. I found this thread in my search for a new chain cleaning solution after reading and being told by so many that WD-40 is bad for rubber. Until now, my own experience has been fine. My bike is garage kept but, I do ride in a lot of rain and my bike sits in the rain at work as well. I believe that was a big factor in my early chain demise.
Bel-Ray Super Clean Chain Lube | Bel-Ray Company, Inc
A follow up post from a user a few posts down after this "proof" says pretty much what I was set to say:
Besides, it was never mentioned if after using the WD-40 whether they regreased the bearings, which is essentially what I do after using it on my chain. Not to mention, if the WD-40 is getting past your O-rings, then it's only a matter of time before your chain fails anyway.
An isolated incident on a very different application is not proof.
LOL, you asked for someone to show why WD40 might be bad. I did so. I could end this post here.... But I won't.
Here's a quote from the article you linked:
I must caution you that the use of WD-40 for cleaning motorcycle chains is controversial; some say that it will degrade the lubrication that's sealed behind the O-rings of the chain at the factory.
It's hard to know whether this is fact or fiction without some scientific evidence, but it sure seems to me that WD-40 must be better than a degreaser, which by its nature is designed to remove grease. I honestly don't think that the WD-40 gets past the O-rings.
Pretty strong statement, right? Except that my point was that WD40 degrades the O-rings. It doesn't have to get past them. It's the darn O-rings that we're worried about.
Yep, I'm busting on you, but I'll be honest and say that I don't think kerosene is perfect either. I've got just a little over 12k miles logged on fuelly, and even with my relatively religious chain cleaning, I've got sticky links. They're not stuck, just sticky.
What I do think is that even though kerosene has gasoline in it (which will degrade the O-rings) I don't think it's as bad as a degreaser. Which contrary to the article you posted, WD-40 actually is.
This debate has got me to thinking. We don't really know what's in WD-40. I would have thought that it's a petroleum derivative, closely linked to gasoline with a ph-stable lubricant (carbon would be my guess, but it's just a guess). There's actually some evidence that it's flax based. Meaning the oils are derived from a more recent organic source.
Regardless, I've stated that I've got sticky links on my chain. I use kerosene to clean, and then a chain lube. Still, I've got sticky links.
The problem is that if the O-rings are degraded, then you lose the lubricant that's built into the chain. That leads to early wear on the metal and the chain stretching far more than it should otherwise do. The chain might seem good and clean to the eye, but on the inside, it's hurting. O-ring chains have become the norm for a reason. Kill the O-ring and you lose that technological advantage.
It's a known fact that WD-40 degrades rubber. Kerosene does as well, but not as badly. Both are great degreasers. However, one is harder on the O-rings than the other.
Having thought it through, once again, I've got to continue to lean towards the kerosene side of the debate.
It can be summed up pretty simply. Nowhere on a can of WD-40 does it say it's good for cleaning O-ring motorcycle chains. As long as that product has been around, I can't see them missing that potentially huge market possibility.
Before someone goes there, the kerosene pump doesn't say it either. OK.
Regardless, I've stated that I've got sticky links on my chain. I use kerosene to clean, and then a chain lube. Still, I've got sticky links.
The problem is that if the O-rings are degraded, then you lose the lubricant that's built into the chain. That leads to early wear on the metal and the chain stretching far more than it should otherwise do. The chain might seem good and clean to the eye, but on the inside, it's hurting. O-ring chains have become the norm for a reason. Kill the O-ring and you lose that technological advantage.
It's a known fact that WD-40 degrades rubber. Kerosene does as well, but not as badly. Both are great degreasers. However, one is harder on the O-rings than the other.
Having thought it through, once again, I've got to continue to lean towards the kerosene side of the debate.
It can be summed up pretty simply. Nowhere on a can of WD-40 does it say it's good for cleaning O-ring motorcycle chains. As long as that product has been around, I can't see them missing that potentially huge market possibility.
Before someone goes there, the kerosene pump doesn't say it either. OK.
The label on WD-40 says it "Cleans and Protects." It doesn't limit what it cleans and protects, and it doesn't exclude o-ring chains. Judging by how many of us use it, I'd say they aren't missing that market at all. :thumbup:
Formulation
WD-40's formula is a trade secret. The product is not patented, to avoid completely disclosing its ingredients.[3][6] WD-40's main ingredients, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:
WD-40's formula is a trade secret. The product is not patented, to avoid completely disclosing its ingredients.[3][6] WD-40's main ingredients, according to U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet information, are:
- 51% Stoddard solvent
- 25% liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability)
- 15+% mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
- 10-% inert ingredients