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I have a big steel chain for my motorbike. It has gotten mega dirty and is starting to rust. How should I clean it, leaving it ok to handle (i.e not leaving my hands covered in grease)?
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The one I use is in a plastic sleeve (protects bike and keeps muck off). How about a bike or moped inner tube or something. I've seen some expensive chains that seem to be in a canvas or tough fabric tube.
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If it neads a really good clean, try caustic soda in a bucket of hot water. Do it outside and don\'t get the caustic soda on anything, it will burn your skin. Wear heavy duty waterproof household gloves, and be VERY careful, slosh it round with a stick. Clean any tools etc.. while you\'re at it, it will also remove some rust or aluminium oxide. Then rinse ina bucket of clean hot water, and when you take it out the metal will be hot, so will dry quickly. This is also great for getting oil of drives, or out of overalls etc... but be carefull, and put the soda in the water, if you add the water to the soda, it will spit and boil to an angry spitting froth.
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If you want to leave the chain on the bike why not get some paraffin or white spirit and with an old paint brush clean the chain at the same time rotate the rear wheel. This should remove all grease and dirt. Clean off the remainder with rags and have a good look if the chain or sprocket is worn - it could be if the chain has started to rust through lack of lubricant.
If you can pull the chain away from the back of the rear sprocket then it is worn and needs adjusting, if no adjustment left then a new chain and sprocket set needed. Adjustment is about one inch up and down movement in the middle of the bottom run (depends on bike model of course). If the sprocket teeth look hooked or worn then the sprocket will need replacing.
Good luck - a necessary job especially with salt on the roads.
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I've got a feeling that he's talking of the chain he locks the bike up with rather than the one that drives the rear wheels.
Or have I missed the point ?
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I cut the legs out of a pair of old track suit bottoms and passed the chain through them and fastened it on with tie wraps.
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Just done similar for the chain that locks up my Honda trailie. I put rubber gloves on, put the thing on the old blanket I use when changing oil etc to keep my nice tiles clean, sprayed it all over with Selleys Engine Cleaner, used a stiff brush to make sure the gloop was well worked in, hosed it down then hung it in the sun to dry (Appreciate that last may be easier for me than you right now!)
Next step was to treat the rust, we have some stuff called Turbo here which is like Jenolite, neutralises the rust. Just brushed that on with an old paintbrush. Once dry (minutes only), I used insulating tape wrapped over the foot or so of chain which comes into contact with the bike frame. Should last another couple of years.
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