Have I just killed a brand new chain?

[BdaGhisallo]

Sitting here I have just realised that I put a new Dura ace 10 chain in a bath of mineral spirits last sunday to strip off the gunk that Shimano puts on new chains. That chain is still there!!

Have I killed this chain? I know that extended exposures of chains to simple green render them a little dodgy but how about a petroleum distillate like mineral spirits? Have I killed it or do I have a good to go, albeit VERY clean new chain?

Thanks.

[stevep]

why not just wipe it off with a rag?
too easy?

[palincss]

Sitting here I have just realised that I put a new Dura ace 10 chain in a bath of mineral spirits last sunday to strip off the gunk that Shimano puts on new chains. That chain is still there!!

Have I killed this chain? I know that extended exposures of chains to simple green render them a little dodgy but how about a petroleum distillate like mineral spirits? Have I killed it or do I have a good to go, albeit VERY clean new chain?

Thanks.

I think the chain is probably fine. They sell mineral spirits in metal cans in the gallon size, you know; and I never heard of a gallon can of paint thinner failing because of what it contained.

[amg]

I don't know how much the mineral spirits can attack the metal, even after a week in the bath. I don't think it's problem. Try it out. If you make it up the first hill without it breaking, then I think it'll be ok. :D

Antonio

[victoryfactory]

Mineral spirits will have NO negative effect on your new chain!
It's made of STEEL!
First use a degreaser to get the solvent out, then
Just dry it and lube it up with your favorite chain lube (I like ProLink)

On a dirty chain however, solvents can cause bits of gunk to get in
the rollers etc. and cause wear and noise if you don't get them all out.

VF

[Ahneida Ride]

According to my Guru LBS:

Gunk on all new chains is not a lubricant, rather a protectorant against
corrosion.

He cleans all new chains in a full strength citrius degreaser and
then rinses in water. Let's dry and lube.

[manet]

it'll hold paint now

[Dave]

Mineral spirits will have NO negative effect on your new chain!
It's made of STEEL!
First use a degreaser to get the solvent out, then
Just dry it and lube it up with your favorite chain lube (I like ProLink)

On a dirty chain however, solvents can cause bits of gunk to get in
the rollers etc. and cause wear and noise if you don't get them all out.

VF

Mineral spirits won't bother steel or aluminum no matter how long the exposure, since it's not caustic or acidic. Water soluble degreasers are another story.

You should not use a "degreaser" (water soluble?) to remove the solvent. It will evaporate in a day with no help. Depending on what lube you use, it can probably be applied right after the chain is removed the the solvent and wiped dry.

I use nothing but a 6/1 mix of mineral spirits and synthetic oil to lube my chains and apply it after nearly every ride. Since I split my miles between two bikes, my chains are in use for several years. My oldest has been in use for about 3 years and it's got 6000 miles on it. It's about 1/4 of the way to the maximum elongation of 1/16 inch per foot. Using this technique you hardly every have to clean the chain, but occasionally I do remove mine for a good bath in clean mineral spirits, followed by a hot soapy water bath and a final hot water rinse. After that, I just apply more of my lube and I'm done.

[chrisroph]

Its ruined. I'll give you $2 for it.







It's fine. Dry it, lube it and ride it.






Man, you don't have enough real stuff to worry about in your life. :)

[weiwentg]

I think the chain is probably fine. They sell mineral spirits in metal cans in the gallon size, you know; and I never heard of a gallon can of paint thinner failing because of what it contained.

I think the original poster's concern is that soaking the chain removed the lubricant from the internals of the rollers, which would then lead to the chain deteriorating. you could probably just lube the chain a little more frequently for the next couple of weeks, though.

[Squint]

No, that's not his concern. He tells us what he's concerned about in his original post.

I soak my new chains in OMS all the time and have no problems. What you mention is likely to be the only issue. I've found that OMS baths will remove much of that factory gunk and chains will need a thorough lubing afterwards otherwise squeaks may develop. Sometimes, they even need lube not just between the plates and inner link but the "bushings" on the ends of the inside links.

I think the original poster's concern is that soaking the chain removed the lubricant from the internals of the rollers, which would then lead to the chain deteriorating. you could probably just lube the chain a little more frequently for the next couple of weeks, though.

[BdaGhisallo]

Thanks for all the feedback. I intuitively knew what the response would be, but it's been a long time since high school chemistry, so some reassurance is nice.

I dried it, looked at it, gave it a good yank back and forth in my hands, and I can scientifically announce that it is fine!!

It is on the blade as I speak!

Cheers and thanks again.
Geoff

And just to clarify, I wasn't concerned about the spirits stripping out all lube from the rollers, but rather the simple green effect where the chain is damaged from extended exposure to simple green degreaser.

[Needs Help]

According to my Guru LBS:

Gunk on all new chains is not a lubricant, rather a protectorant against
corrosion.

He cleans all new chains in a full strength citrius degreaser and
then rinses in water. Let's dry and lube.
What's the point of removing the "protectorant"?

[Tom]

And gathers dirt and crap.

[Ahneida Ride]

It is NOT a lubricant.

[Keith Lewis]

Very true; the stuff they ship the chains coated with is a protectant and not a very good lube. On lower quality chains the stuff may even have some grinding dust and particles of metal from the bath that they run the chain through before cutting into lengths. Chains will last longer if cleaned very well before use and coated with a very good lubricant. Preferably a lube with an extreme pressure lubricant in it as the loads on the chain are very high.