Rusted chain salvage.

[deorman]

How does the vinegar treatment do on chains? I've got some crusty 1" pitch Worth it? Other suggestions?

 

[LAGreg]

Several times I have used pure lemon juice. Put the chain in a bottle or similar and fill with enough lemon juice to cover the top of the chain. Leave overnight. It has worked every time. I've also used it on all manner of screws, nuts and bolts. Full disclosure, I have a lemon tree. Buying lemon juice can get expensive.

 

[RustySprockets]

My current sauce of choice is a solution of powdered citric acid and plain water. It's the same idea as vinegar and lemon juice--a weak acid + time. You can find the powder near the canning supplies at you local grocery. It doesn't take much...maybe a teaspoon or two per gallon.

 

[horsefarmer]

I have used vinegar and gotten good results. Just don't forget it for 6 months like I did one time - Chain completely disintegrated!

 

[LAGreg]

My current sauce of choice is a solution of powdered citric acid and plain water.

I’m going to try this next time. It sounds a heck of a lot easier than juicing half a dozen lemons.

 

[CRASH]

Is the chain that rare that it needs to be saved?

Evaporust would be my go-to, but I've never tried to bring back a chain. I just replace them since they stretch over time.

 

[deorman]

Is the chain that rare that it needs to be saved?

Evaporust would be my go-to, but I've never tried to bring back a chain. I just replace them since they stretch over time.

Good 1" pitch gets harder and harder to find every year and no one is currently making any. Last time I checked, NOS 1" chains were going for 100 bucks a pop. 1" sprockets and chain don't work with common 1/2" chain. Bikes that came with it can usually be retrofitted with common 1/2" sprockets, if you just want to ride, but some people want to do restorations or "vintage" customs.

 

[Oak Tree]

Don’t use vinegar!! Even though horsefarmer says he has had good results- Don’t do it!!!
It only took my 1” pitch chain 12 hrs to completely fall apart in vinegar.
it was perfectly functional too- just a little rusty.

 

[us56456712]

Don’t use acid on one inch pitch chains, unless it is for a very short time. You’ll be left with pins, rollers and side plates. The steel is soft and grainy so acid easily dissolves them. I use gun oil and small brass and steel brushes. I sit around and watch the tube when doing this. If you are patient it will look like new.

 

[SupermanEst1984]

I use The Works Toilet Bowl cleaner from the Dollar Tree/stores. If it's heavily rusted soak it for a few hours & use a wire brush. I have soaked some heavily inflexible chains & brought them back to like new use. Works for cleaning motorcycle tanks & other rusty parts. Careful with how long you soak some things as Any acid can eat into the metals even at .5% acidity like most lemon & vinegars

 

[Couch tater]

3 - 4 hours in vinegar followed by very hot water and Simple Green in my ultrasonic tank followed by 24 hour soak in clean motor oil. The ultrasonic tank is the key as it cleans inside the pins and rollers so there is no chance of an abrasive slurry forming after lubing it.

 

[order99]

I just scrub off loose rust with a wire brush and then let them soak in a combination of used motor oil and old transmission fluid-they come out supple and smooth, with a plum-colored patina.

I live near the coast-NO chain stays shiny here, so I just want them working...

 

[us56456712]

On modern chains some serious riders remove the chain and put it in a closed container of Goo Gone and shake it for five minutes. Rinse with soap and water and put it in a container of Simple Green and shake for five minutes. Then they use a water rinse, quickly dry it and lube and wiggle each link. I know folks who do this on road bikes. They claim your chain is super buttery if you do this every time your chain gets dirty. I wouldn’t bother.

 

[SupermanEst1984]

There's a youtube video where a guy does a paraffin wax mix for his chains once cleaned to prevent so much dirt but it's again for road bikes. Once cleaned pretty well if you use something like Liquid Wrench with Cerflon to lube you shouldn't have to clean it very often for most cruisers. Trail & beach bikes are another story

 

[RivNut]

An inexpensive rust buster is a 50:50 solution of automatic transmission fluid and acetone.

 

[pebblewurm]

A 10% solution of molasses and water has worked for me after keeping the chain submerged for two weeks. Do NOT let the water evaporate and makes sure the chain is totally free of oil before starting. A soak in paint thinner and a few applications of jet sprat gumout are advised.

 

[KJV]

3in1 oil.

 

[RivNut]

A 10% solution of molasses and water has worked for me after keeping the chain submerged for two weeks. Do NOT let the water evaporate and makes sure the chain is totally free of oil before starting. A soak in paint thinner and a few applications of jet sprat gumout are advised.

I've used the same solution, but for parts that I can let sit for longer periods of time. Cheap too.

 

[us56456712]

A 10% solution of molasses and water has worked for me after keeping the chain submerged for two weeks. Do NOT let the water evaporate and makes sure the chain is totally free of oil before starting. A soak in paint thinner and a few applications of jet sprat gumout are advised.

I’ve used this in the past. I went to the pet store and got gallon jugs of horse feed molasse. It’s slow, but works well as it contains phosphoric acid. It got disgusting with a big pad of mold on the top so I moved it into the garage.

 

[LAGreg]

Here’s a before and after of a fender strut going into and coming out of a lemon bath. This is the juice of about 8 lemons and then water to cover the parts (there are 4 struts in there) so about 4-1 water to lemon juice. But I leave the lemons in the bath so they continue to give off juice and they take up space and allow me to use less water than if they weren’t in there. You simply wipe off any rust that hasn’t fallen off and it’s like new.