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De-crustifying Derailleurs
November 29th, 2008 by NoahMy Mountain bike didn’t get a lot of use this summer. As I live in a small apartment, the two “nice” bikes (my roadie and my wife’s beach cruiser) stay inside. The mountain bike ends up on the back porch. It’s a covered deck and out of the rain, but months of neglect left me with a rusted chain, stuck cables, and crusty derailleurs.
I figured that the sticking derailleurs would loosen up once I got new cables and housings installed, but to my dismay, they were still stubborn. They were hard to shift against the spring (upshifting the front, downshifting the rear) and they refused to retract. A little bit of corrosion, a little bit of caked-on mud in the pivots, and a lot of time sitting in the humid air. I asked Guitar Ted for some advice.
He suggested that I first try removing the derailleurs and soaking them in a solvent, then work the pivots by hand to see if they would loosen up. If they do, then they should be cleaned and lubricated, then worked by hand some more until they operate smoothly. If this fails, it’s time to replace them.
I’ll be honest. I used WD-40. You can buy it in 1-gallon cans. Most bike techs will tell you “Just Don’t” when it comes to using WD-40. Most car techs will say “Just Don’t” when it comes to using a crowbar. Rest assured, bike techs have WD-40 handy, and auto techs have a crowbar. They’re just often mis-used and can cause damage if abused. WD-40 is great for a few things:
- Water displacement. That’s what “WD” stands for, after all. Used properly, it can protect metal from rusting after it gets wet.
- De-greasing. As a solvent, WD-40 isn’t the best, but it works.
- Loosening rust and stubborn parts
This is exactly what I needed. I took my derailleurs off. I removed the jockey wheels from the rear and let both of the derailleurs soak in the solvent for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, I tore the jockey wheels open and cleaned them out with a toothbrush and WD-40.
After working my derailleurs, I used the toothbrush to scrub most of the grime out of the crevices. After re-assembling the derailleurs, I blasted the solvent out of them with compressed air before shooting some TriFlow lubricant into them. WD-40 is NOT a viable lubricant, though. It lacks viscocity and tenacity and will fly off or evaporate, leaving behind bare metal. TriFlow is good for pivot points like V-brakes, shifter ratchets, and derailleurs. It’s probably too light-duty for chain lubricant, though.
At the end of everything, my bike shifts better than it did when I picked it up (used) from the bike shop 2 years ago. I was worried I’d be looking at a relatively expensive repair that involved a pair of brand new derailleurs. Instead, it only cost me an hour and a half of wrenching, scrubbing and waiting, and some relatively cheap stuff from the hardware store. Thanks to Ted for taking the time to help me out. This is definitely a Blue Collar repair with awesome results.
Bonus: By occasionally blasting your moving parts with solvent, compressed air, and lubricant when they get grimy, you can keep them operating smoothly between major cleanings and overhauls.
Thanks for the tip, I try to keep my EX-8 washed and lubed after every ride. I usually take a waterhose with scrub brush and dish soap to it and get all the nasties out of DR’s as well as everything else. Then a quick blast with the leaf blower to dry things off and a fresh coat of lube all round to finish things off. This usually keeps it squared away regardless of how often I do or don’t ride.
Tri-Flow is an excellent chain lube. It was originally developed as a military lubricant primarily for small arms that had to withstand immersion and salt spray. The teflon component is resistant to both heat and pressure. I used it to protect a .22 revolver that was used for dog training. Firing black powder blanks causes a lot of fouling and offers significant corrosion. Tri-Flow doesn’t get displaced once it’s on the metal, so cleaning required nothing more than a patch with solvent, not a bore brush.
I used it for years on my bikes. The last time I checked, a chain lasted about 5000 miles before wearing out when I lubed with Tri-Flow. My only criticism is that it stays ‘wet’ and attracts dirt, but if you clean and lube a chain every 200 miles, that isn’t a problem.
These days I use another industrial lubricant - Amzoil’s MPHD - because it’s a wax-based lube. It too has disadvantages, a brownish waxy buildup that looks awful and is difficult to remove. But my bikes are meant for all-weather commuting. Looks aren’t terribly important.
Great tip — I may need to try this on my mountain bike, after some snow/sleet insanity this weekend.
I second Ed’s comments about Tri-Flow being great for chains. I use it on all but my mountain bike, and I like it better than the Finish Line stuff I was using before. It’s not as sticky and doesn’t attract as much dirt.
Good on you Noah for pointing out that WD-40 is too light for use as a lubricant. I agree with Ed that Tri-flow is good, but that it also tends to attract a lot of dirt. My current faves are ProLink and Boeshield, both of which are metal conditioners with pretty good anti-corrosion properties and both of which stay pretty dry.
Of course, I should also repeat my mantra that full fenders and a big front mudflap go a long way toward keeping things cleaner in the first place…