Thread: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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#1 Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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- Guang frigging Zhou
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05-07-2011, 03:58 AMWas looking at this site here and since they claim kerosene is good for cleaning a chain I thought I would buy some and get down to work. Anyone know where to find it in Shanghai? Asked a few locals and only gotten confused looks so far .
If anyone knows of a suitable substitute I'd appreciate hearing about it. Not really to keen on using a flammable substance as a cleaner in the first place.
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#2 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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05-07-2011, 05:13 AMNuhaus,
I burn kerosene all winter in my Japanese Blue Heaters.
Kerosene is technically called 煤油 (mei2you2), but it's widely referred to simply as 燃油 (ran2you2) or "fuel oil".
Last load I purchased from Blue Heater was 50 rmb for a 5 liter tub, which is probably more than you need. You can reach them in Shanghai at 400 820 3021.
EDIT: I'm not at all commenting on the suitability of using kerosene as a chain cleaner, as I've not done this. Others may have opinions on this topic.
cheersjkp
Shanghai
2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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#3 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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- Mar 2009
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- Guang frigging Zhou
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05-07-2011, 05:51 AMThanks Euphonius . Tried the first one at B&Q but had no luck. Will get the GF to call the number you provided this afternoon. Yeh, I can't imagine using up 5 liters of the stuff any time soon. Maybe I'll get Steve R over this weekend and see what we can do on his bike too. Do you even bother cleaning the chain on your bike? Reason I ask is that the last one I had on the Rebel got completely ruined over the course of 8 months. I noticed the improvement in performance immediately after getting a new one put on and would like to be able to keep that.
Would it be dangerous to use this stuff on the exterior of the engine (while it's cold of course)? Or does it just evapourate?
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#4 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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05-07-2011, 06:09 AMYes, it's not the kind of stuff you want to have sitting around your apartment. I have a couple liters left in one of my heaters, and would consider using this in the manner you've described, if you get a green light from others.
Yes, you should clean your chain regularly, but as you'll read in many forums, there's a lot of debate about what to use. A lot depends on the type of chain you have -- standard or o-ring. Use of penetrating agents like WD-40 is hotly debated to the point of ruining friendships. WD-40 will indeed clean your chain, but it can also penetrate into the o-rings and destroy the grease that the o-rings are there to encapsule and protect. Most folks say WD-40 is fine as long as you wipe off the excess immediately, so it cleans the exterior of the your links, but cannot penetrate. Others recommend bespoke chain cleaners.
My chain definitely needs a cleaning, so I await other replies to this new thread!
As for B&Q and the like, flammable liquids are subject to pretty strict controls in China, for reasons that are pretty easy to understand, so I'm not surprised they'd not have jugs of kerosene in stock.
cheersjkp
Shanghai
2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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#5 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?05-07-2011, 07:11 AM
I'm about 5 weeks late to chime into this thread with this amazing discovery for cleaning chains. It comes from Web Bike World, quite a good website for information ...
Cleaning chains with a pickle
I've seen huge jars of pickles in China at very reasonable prices.
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#6 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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05-07-2011, 07:16 AMFive weeks late? Now that wouldn't have anything to do with 1 April, would it?
jkp
Shanghai
2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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#7 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?05-10-2011, 02:36 AM
Well - you just had to say pickle and motorsickle didn't you?
http://mp3.baidu.com/m?f=ms&tn=baidu...cle+song&lm=-1
Arlo Guthrie, "The Motorcycle Song"
Apparently McDonald's has big vats of pickles for their burgers and they save the pickle juice. At closing time, the pickle juice is used to clean the grills. So if it can clean a McD's grill, I'm sure it can clean your chain.
As for me, I have a lube spray I use (similar to what ChinaV posted). For you guys in Shanghai, head over to the Jiaoji Lu MotoMarket to pick up a can (about RMB 60 if I recall).
When on long rides out of Shanghai, I stop by the village bike mechanic and he always has a bowl of used motoroil with a paintbrush in it. I paint some of that on to keep me running smooth - a good "paintjob" lasts a few hundred kms._____________________
嘉陵 JH600-A (Upgraded)
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#8 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
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05-07-2011, 08:07 AMFrom what I understand it's not what you chose to clean your chain, the critical part is lubing it properly afterwards. Paint thinner seems to be the favorite for cleaning chains. Kerosine, paint thinner, gasoline and diesel dissolve grease and clean your chain. You have to do this more than once, everytime throwing out the dirty solvent and starting over with clean container.. Gasoline is extremely flammable, if it weren't, would be ok to use. over here.. http://www.nordicgroup.us/chain/ they recommend chainsaw oil. I don't know if anything heavier is needed for a motorcycle chain.
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#9 Re: Kerosene for cleaning chains?
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
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- Guang frigging Zhou
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05-07-2011, 09:12 AMMy chain is not an Oring type. I don't know if I could even get one for this bike. How common are they on Chinese bikes? I did get one on my CB400 and had to lube it with an expensive compound every time I rode.
Chinese gasoline also leaves behind some really nasty detritus. I had a leak from my tank that left brown goo on the top of my motor and it just looked awful. Yeh, I think paint thinner should be easy enough to come across. I'll go look for that at the B&Q. Really not wanting to leave 5 liters of kerosene in the apartment.
Had Euphonius not chimed in about April 1st I would prolly be out there right now with a pickle.
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