BambooKiro wrote:Has anyone used WD-40 to clean the chain?
WD = Water Dispersant
... so it should leave the chain clean and moisture free?
I've used WD40 and it does indeed clean and remove moisture, but it must be remembered that it tends to 'wash out' the existing chain lubricant and is not a good substitute for it. (As you say, it is first and foremost a water disperser - not a lubricant). After using WD40 therefore, it is advisable to let it dry and then re-lube the chain.
Brucey wrote:I don't think you need to (or will much benefit from) using an expensive industrial parts washer on bicycle parts.
Under no circumstances should you immerse a RD into a cleaning solution unless you intend to strip it down completely afterwards and regrease both the A and B pivots as well as the pulleys. Same goes for anything with bearings in it.
Stuff like mechs and sprockets are best cleaned on the bike, eg with a hot pressure wash, carefully directed. Chains and other small parts are best cleaned using a small amount of solvent and they can fit inside a jam jar or a small ultrasonic cleaner.
I rebuild lots of IGHs (as well as cars and motorcycles etc) and for this a parts washer would be useful. Top of the list would be something like this;
but it is complete overkill for maintaining one or two bicycles with derailleur gears.
To relube chains, just add your favoured lube to them.
cheers
Coming back to this because I just impulse bought an ultrasonic cleaner from Lidl.
I've seen a "hot pressure washer" mentioned a few times. Is there a recommendation for one for home use? I assume this isn't just connecting a Karcher to the hot tap.
connecting a karcher to the hot tap usually works pretty well. IIRC most models will accept incoming water at up to ~70C, but check your specs. Machines which heat the water themselves tend to be bigger expensive machines and overkill for cleaning bikes.
You can clean stuff with cold water and a pressure washer, but it is difficult to shift most chain lubes without using chemicals/solvents to help it along. It goes a lot easier when the water is hot.
An ultrasonic cleaner make short work of cleaning chains and the ones from Lidl/Aldi seem good value.
Brucey wrote:connecting a karcher to the hot tap usually works pretty well. IIRC most models will accept incoming water at up to ~70C, but check your specs. Machines which heat the water themselves tend to be bigger expensive machines and overkill for cleaning bikes.
You can clean stuff with cold water and a pressure washer, but it is difficult to shift most chain lubes without using chemicals/solvents to help it along. It goes a lot easier when the water is hot.
An ultrasonic cleaner make short work of cleaning chains and the ones from Lidl/Aldi seem good value.
cheers
How about a pump up garden sprayer with hot soapy water?
I looked up hot pressure washer and gained the impression that it would be cheaper to throw the bike away and buy a new one than get such a device.
Brucey wrote:garden sprayer is feeble; Ok for shifting freshly deposited mud and that is about it.
If you want a hot pressure wash at home, get a Karcher (with a suitable temperature rating) and plumb it into the hot tap.
cheers
O.K.
There might be slight complications/delay whilst I find an adaptor which will go on a mixer tap and not leak, or until I re plumb the downstairs to give myself an external hot tap.
Brucey wrote:garden sprayer is feeble; Ok for shifting freshly deposited mud and that is about it.
If you want a hot pressure wash at home, get a Karcher (with a suitable temperature rating) and plumb it into the hot tap.
cheers
With respect, I would be careful about running a pressure washer off the hot tap, especially if the water is heated by a combi boiler. The intermittent demand from the pressure washer may not do the boiler much good. To be on the safe side, I'd be inclined to fill a water butt with hot water and use the pressure washer pick-up tube dangled in it. You could even use a relatively small open container under the hot tap and regulate the flow into it to match the average flow out
I don't know much about combi boilers but I don't see how they will put a demand on the boiler that is much different from just turning the hot tap on and off...?