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I use diesel when I want to give it a really thorough clean (rest of the time I just use a degreaser).
Why use petrol when diesel does the same job and has 5000% less chance of resulting in a trip to casualty?
Seems some people need to watch this:
Petrol/gasoline is covered from 2:10 - don't be using it to wash your best bloomers! 😉
what about meths? would this work too?
only asking as I'm thinking of getting some to wipe brake rotors clean.
Ta
Heating oil (kerosene) is good too
+ 1
what about meths? would this work too?only asking as I'm thinking of getting some to wipe brake rotors clean.
Would disk brake cleaner not be a better choice?
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@graham,
dunno, not what hope advised me to use for rotors.
Would [s]disk brake cleaner[/s][b]mud[/b] not be a better choice?
Seriously, who cleans disc rotors? Why?
Didn't realise people were so scared of flamable things. Hope they don't have gas cookers
The difference is 100g of petrol (i.e a jam jar) looks inocuous. 100g of gas would fill a wardrobe (then dilute into a small room to make it flamable).
100g of petrol would move your car (a few tons of metal) a few miles (i.e. that's a lot of energy), and it evaporates quickly forming an explosive mix. As for ignition sources, how about that nice synthetic cycling jersey your wearing?
Diesel is far less volatile, you'd have to hold a match to it to even get a pool fire.
Petrol is also mostly benzene and toluene, so it's VERY carcionogenic.
It's also (partialy) water soluable, so if you spill it it washes into the ground poluting the environment (one of the reasons boats use diesel is the oily film is far less toxic than petrol invisibly leaking, and it's visible).
@IHN,
its probably a good idea from time to time, you know, if there's any contamination, oil grease etc off roads and that, can perhaps reduce braking performance.
anyway, its not my idea, its advice direct from hope service dept.
back on topic, what about meths for chains- anyone? thanks 😛
[i]its probably a good idea from time to time, you know, if there's any contamination, oil grease etc off roads and that, can perhaps reduce braking performance.[/i]
One muddy ride = clean rotors
[i]anyway, its not my idea, its advice direct from hope service dept.[/i]
Pah, what do they know 🙂
[i]back on topic, what about meths for chains- anyone? thanks [/i]
If you must (but, again, a better solution is not to put greasey lube on in the first place)
Seriously, who cleans disc rotors?
Clearly not this guy:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bb7s-shimano-rotors-squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaal
😀
😆
The other thing with using petrol is it's volatile, which isn't good from a safety point of view but the volatile emmissions (VOCs) are bad for the atmosphere as well. I'm really not sure why you would want to go to hassle of using petrol when there are safe, less polluting and perfectly good alterantives?
This thread has gone in an unanticipated direction.
This surprised you? are you new here or something...
😯Just thinking about how some people may have used hairspray at some point. Now that is seriously flamable and I bet it gets used whilst holding a red hot hair dryer.
Clearly not this guy:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bb7s-shimano-rotors-squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaal
Well exactly, what he needs to do is take them for a godd muddy ride to get them all bedded in properly. 🙂
Petrol is also mostly benzene and toluene, so it's VERY carcionogenic.
Petrol is mostly short chain hydrocarbons up to about C10, but mainly Octane (C8H18) and Heptane (C7H16). Benzene is limited by law in Europe to be less than 1% of petrol by volume.
But yes its nasty stuff.
Toluene is much safer - but it still wouldn't spread it on my toast.
If I had petrol lying around it wouldn't bother me using it to clean a chain but other solvents are available that are cheaper and safer
My mistake, I was thinking gasoline as we use it on site (which is about 40:40:20 benzene, toluene, other), still, 1% is still more than as you put it I'd "spread it on my toast."
I went to the garage to fill a small jar with diesel the other day, for chain cleaning duties.
I was stressed, in a rush etc etc, and accidentally put petrol in it - Oh how I was embarrassed.
Needless to say I knew not to start washing the chain, but instead I rang 'the man' who came by, syphoned out the petrol, cleaned the jar, and put 'special diesel' in it.
A mate of mine said I could have just topped up the jar with diesel, but I thought this only worked for older chains??
Anyway - I haven't told the wife yet as she'll no doubt give me hell.....
DrP
which is about 40:40:20 benzene, toluene, other)
Thats a seriously high octane mixture (Honda ran its turbo era formula 1 cars on something like 80% toluene 20% other and they could make about 800bhp per litre 8O)
What are you running on that?
Petrol... if you can smell it then your clothes are already impregnated with the fuel air mix. Lethal stuff, just turning a light on or off can ignite it - avoid it like the plague...
Diesel.... Leaves sticky residue when dry as already mentioned as Diesel contains a lubricationg agent naturally. So is brilliant for cleaning combustion engine internals, gearboxes, differentials etc. where the lube residue will be diluted by other oils. Flushing oils used to purge manky engines that have gone too long between servicing tend to use a diesel derivative/engine oil mix.
Kerosene/pariffin... think diesel but without the lube agent (ergo why it's not good to run your diesel car/van on heating oil as the injection pump [b]will[/b] sieze(eventually)) good for cleaning.
Water .... brilliantly effective de-greaser when applied at high temp (80degrees plus)... even better when that is combined with high pressure (aka steam cleaner)! Particularly effective when used in conjunction with a detergent like fairy liquid kit needed... [b]plastic tub capable of holding boiling water, kettle, brush[/b].
Won't explode (unless you are really, really, really clever) is eco friendly-ish - as long as you only put on the reccomended amount of oil onto the chain in the first place then there shouldn't be that much coming off down the drain should there? 😛
Only disadvantage is you need to dry the chain [s]thourorly[/s] [s]thurerley[/s] [s]thourgh[/s]... completely, I normally chuck mine in the oven after it's been used.
[i]Water .... brilliantly effective de-greaser when applied at high temp (80degrees plus)... even better when that is combined with high pressure (aka steam cleaner)! Particularly effective when used in conjunction with a detergent like fairy liquid kit needed... plastic tub capable of holding boiling water, kettle, brush. [/i]
So if I pour boiling water in my sonic bath thingy when I'm cleaning my chain it'll be even bettererer?
So if I pour boiling water in my sonic bath thingy when I'm cleaning my chain it'll be even bettererer?
Bettererererer...ererer..er.. than the bestest best best thing ever... er
hmm warm water and sonic bath = no elbow grease = cheating... bah humbug! 😕
Not all of us can afford Sonic Baths..... I remember when we were living in a shobox in the middle of the M62 me dad had to suck on a polo mint to get the bath water warm...
...ha we couldn't even afford the "e" on the shobox!
richmtb - Memberwhich is about 40:40:20 benzene, toluene, other)
Thats a seriously high octane mixture (Honda ran its turbo era formula 1 cars on something like 80% toluene 20% other and they could make about 800bhp per litre 8O)
What are you running on that?
second that - what the hell you doing with that, are you on a refinery and actually refering to reformate? - i see no logical use for Benzene at that volume unless it's being further processed, as Rich said, Benzene is limited globally now.
[i]Not all of us can afford Sonic Baths..... [/i]
It was a tenner from Aldi 🙂
[i]I remember when we were living in a shobox in the middle of the M62 me dad had to suck on a polo mint to get the bath water warm... [/i]
A shoebox? A shoebox! Eeeh, luxury, we lived in inflated pigs bladder and we longed for Sundays when father would beat us as that was the only way we kept warm.
my cleaning tips for 0 effort and time:
run cheap 9speed
dont waste hours over the years cleaning chain or buying cleaners or steamers or setting yourself on fire by accident...
wait for 60% CRC sale.
buy 9speed chain for 9.99 and sram cassette for 20quid
replace chain and cassette together
repeat process in 1 year.
I know it pointless...but if it saves just one...
You only have to look at petrol vapour explosions/fires on open petrol station forecourts to see that being well ventilated and avoiding sources of ignition IS NOT as easy and/or obvious as it sounds.
And I like guns (so do my kids), don't wear a cycle helmet (neither do my kids), and once dated a girl from Croydon...hey, I look danger in the face and laugh.
A lot of people on here have serious issues. WTF is wrong with using petrol to clean something? Just don't be a fud.
Sadly it is remarkably easy to be a fud even if you think you are being careful.
Petrol vapours spread far and are easily ignitable (i.e. as someone mentioned even static from your clothes could potentially be enough).
Yes clean my chains with petrol it works a treat..
Just don't be a prat with it , mind your eyes , no smoking, well ventilated area etc and store in a suitable container..
Common sense rules.
Buncfield - the result of a tank that leaked over causing a small flood of gasoline. Said gasoline created extreme vapour residue over the entire site, and coupled with a slightly odd atmospheric pressure reading that night resulted in a 2 meter high vapour cloud (from deck) that covered the entire site - -it went BOOM when the alarms were triggered (they were the spark source). It was all reported to the authorities before it happened by one of the neighbours.... Remember kids gasoline vapour is dangerous, diesel becomes similar at around 55-64 celcius as well.