I left my son's bike outdoors for few months because there is no room in the house. Now the bike chain is so rusty that I can hardly turn the crank. Will WD-40 or scilicone spray be good enough (that is what I currently have) to lube the chain and keep the rust away?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
What is the best lubricant for rusty bike chain?
- Thread starter sifan
- Start date
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Take the chain off the bike, put it in a can and cover with ATF. Let it soak a while, work the chain, wipe it, soak it, repeat until satisified with chain, then let it soak some more.
Dissassemble the crank and repack the bearings while the chain is soaking.
Alex.
Dissassemble the crank and repack the bearings while the chain is soaking.
Alex.
If its a single speed then just go buy a new chain, 1/2 x 1/8 chain will cost you bout $10....and while youre at the bike shop ask them what theyd recommend to keep this from happening inthe future(besides the obvious)...I personally would recommend White Lightning chain lube, its self cleaning, but could be too high maintence for a child, and in that cause a light chain lube like Finish Line.
BTW, bring the old chain with you and have the shop cut the new chain to length for you, otherwise youll likely need a chain tool.
I had my bros bike thats been siting for 3 years and the chain was so rusty... i jjsut soaked it with STP Silicone spray.. cycled it.. applied more... cycled it and applied more.. and now its all good.
wd-40 will probably work, but the more oily sprays (PB blaster or penetro 90) will work better.
soak it in break free clp. it will actually start to remove the rust.
Oh my...a chain lube that lasts a full year!quote:
Originally posted by kingrob:
Try Bel-Ray's Super Clean Chain lube. It's made for motorcycle chains and you can find it at most motorcycle shops. Hands down the best for a chain... you can spray one coat on it and you'll be good for a year.
Only thing better than that would be a chain that is maintenance free!
kingrob, in all seriousness, how could you possbibly work up the nerve to post something like that?
sifan, with a rusted chain, you want to use something that is fairly caustic and will help to eat away the corrosion. I would suggest using any sort of penetrating lube. Something like Liquid Wrench would probably be a good bet.
Best bet is to buy a new chain, They are very cheap.
Golly Jay, sorry to offend you with my stupendously idiotic claim. Maybe I should have said 11 months to stay on the safe side?!?quote:
kingrob, in all seriousness, how could you possbibly work up the nerve to post something like that?
I supposed you've used this chain lube far longer than me.
I'm going by the general consensus of my chums and I who have had the same cans of Bel Ray sitting on the shelf for ten or twelve years and still have half a can left.
Why is this hard to believe? I guess you get all huffy when someone says they do 12 month OCI's on Mobil 1.
kingrob,
I really didn't want to offend you. Sorry.
You and your chums will find that things last when they are properly lubricated. If you are lubricating your chain once a year, why even bother?
You posted recommending a particular lubricant, yet there is no way possible for you to have any idea how it performs. You don't use it as prescribed by the mfg, nor anywhere close enough to be able to form an opinion.
If you have cans of lube on the shelf 10-12 years old, they sure aren't Super Clean. Maybe you should have given those other lubes a chance.
You might have found that the Super Clean is in fact a cleaner lube than the old Belray stuff, but still lacks what it takes to be a superior chain lubricant.
I really didn't want to offend you. Sorry.
You and your chums will find that things last when they are properly lubricated. If you are lubricating your chain once a year, why even bother?
You posted recommending a particular lubricant, yet there is no way possible for you to have any idea how it performs. You don't use it as prescribed by the mfg, nor anywhere close enough to be able to form an opinion.
If you have cans of lube on the shelf 10-12 years old, they sure aren't Super Clean. Maybe you should have given those other lubes a chance.
You might have found that the Super Clean is in fact a cleaner lube than the old Belray stuff, but still lacks what it takes to be a superior chain lubricant.
I used 80w-90 on my neighbor kid's chain. I got tired of seeing a rusty chain when he would ride around in front of my garage.
replace the chain-once it rusts, it's history.
keeping a clean, lubed drivetrain makes a huge differance in the life of the chain, cogs and chain wheels. once a chain is badly worn, the cogs must be replaced as well, as the new chain will conform to the worn cogs in a matter of a hundred miles or so.
the only way to know when a chain is due for replacing is a chain checker. park tools makes a nice one.
btw, i have been putting on ~15k miles a year on a bicycle for the last 9 years or so. i like boeshield T-9 for dry and tri-flow for messy conditions (i strip my chain after every rain ride).
keeping a clean, lubed drivetrain makes a huge differance in the life of the chain, cogs and chain wheels. once a chain is badly worn, the cogs must be replaced as well, as the new chain will conform to the worn cogs in a matter of a hundred miles or so.
the only way to know when a chain is due for replacing is a chain checker. park tools makes a nice one.
btw, i have been putting on ~15k miles a year on a bicycle for the last 9 years or so. i like boeshield T-9 for dry and tri-flow for messy conditions (i strip my chain after every rain ride).
Here's what I do.
Turn the bicycle upside down so that it's resting on the seat and handle-bar tops. Turn the crank with one hand and hold a wire brush in the other. As the chain goes over the gear teeth, hold the wire brush firmly next to the chain. Do both sides of chain. Next, spray entire chain with favorite lube, (WD-40, PB Blaster, etc), repeat wire brush cleaning. Just last weekend I did seven bikes this way and always works like a charm.
Turn the bicycle upside down so that it's resting on the seat and handle-bar tops. Turn the crank with one hand and hold a wire brush in the other. As the chain goes over the gear teeth, hold the wire brush firmly next to the chain. Do both sides of chain. Next, spray entire chain with favorite lube, (WD-40, PB Blaster, etc), repeat wire brush cleaning. Just last weekend I did seven bikes this way and always works like a charm.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Similar threads
- Replies
- 23
- Views
- 4K
- Replies
- 8
- Views
- 2K
- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 4K