How To Clean A Rusty Bike Chain Without Removing It
Soak the chain in a bowl of lime or lemon juice for 60 minutes to two hours.
How to clean a rusty bike chain without removing it. In this video how to remove a bike chain using a chain tool splitting a chain with a quick link and disassembling a. To ensure the longest life and best operation of bike chains avid cyclists should clean their chain once. The citric acid in the lime juice reacts with the rust dropping it off. If you re wondering how to clean a rusty bike chain without removing it here s our quick guide.
Remove the chain from the cog and front wheel. Few things look worse than rust on your bike but rusty parts don t need to be thrown out. Turn the bike upside down setting it on the seat and handlebars. Rusting is far easier to clean if you do little and often rather than let the rust accumulate and have a much bigger job on your hands.
You do this by slowly turning the pedals backward to move the chain a section at a time so you can clean it by either spraying on the solvent as you wipe down the chain with an old rag or by wiping down the chain with a rag that is saturated with the solvent. Align the pin of a link removal tool against a pin within a chain link. Like all other vehicles your bike needs maintenance and proper care as over time the environmental factors such as air and moisture tend to take their toll on it. Crank the tool until the link loosens and pops out.
It is dependent on how rusty the chain is. When your bike chain is rusty the normal motion needed to transfer power from pedals to the bike chain and then the wheels aren t possible. With a few things you ve probably already got around your house you can have rusty bike parts looking. If you notice warping imperfections in the metal or similar deterioration you and your bike will be better off with a new chain surface rust buildup and crustiness can all be removed so your chain runs like new.
Throughout previous years many bike riders have had no clue how to clean a bike chain without removing it. With your bike in position apply solvent something like wd 40 or isopropyl alcohol to the chain. Take a look at your chain up close. With the bike still upside down you can start cleaning the whole chain using lime juice if you have not removed the chain.
I am sure you would love to read our updated guide of 2019. Evaluate the condition of the chain. One that is too rusty will need a good soaking in the lime juice before embarking on cleaning. It doesn t take much effort to fix it but is a better option than replacing it in an economical way.
Evans cycles takes you through the simple process of removing a bike chain.