Cleaning bearings

8

88KDX

Member

Jan 30, 2003

97

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• Feb 15, 2003

• #1

Whats the best thing to use for cleaning the bearings (there like little rollings pins) for the pivot for the rear shock/ dog bone linkage. Same as bearings in the swingarm. I want to clean them and pack them with new grease. What should I use to get the old grease out?
Thanks

 

8

88KDX

Member

Jan 30, 2003

97

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• Feb 15, 2003

• Thread starter
• #2

Oh, I have that simple green cleaning stuff. Can I use that?

 

2

23jayhawk

Sponsoring Member

Apr 30, 2002

675

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• Feb 15, 2003

• #3

I use a can of Carb Cleaner. Gumout I think, but brand can't matter too much. Old toothbrush helps a bit then spray WD40 to displace the Carb Cleaner. Leave to air dry, or I guess you could use very low pressure air if you're lucky enough to have a compressor.

 

 

8

88KDX

Member

Jan 30, 2003

97

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• Feb 15, 2003

• Thread starter
• #4

Good idea. Thanks
What do you use to clean an o-ring chain.

 

CaptainObvious

Formally known as RV6Junkie

Damn Yankees

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Jan 8, 2000

3,331

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• Feb 16, 2003

• #5

I wouldn’t use carb cleaner or WD-40 on the roller bearings. They both leave behind some harsh chemicals when the aromatics dissipate. I would use Naphtha or Kerosene. To get it into the bearing area I use an old spray bottle set on “stream”. Dry with light air pressure (30 to 40 pounds) because you don’t want to drive any surface dirt into the roller bearing.

Make sure the bearings are completely dry before repacking because Naphtha or Kerosene will breakdown the grease.

 

K

Kardon1

Member

Dec 16, 2002

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• Feb 16, 2003

• #6

there is a product out there made by maxima, its called MPPL,designed for cleaning chains among other things

 

R

Rich Graham

~SPONSOR~

Sep 23, 2002

16

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• Feb 16, 2003

• #7

RV6 is spot on. Use Kero for both. Just make sure all is dry. I soak my O-ring chain in a tub,overnight, works great.

 

K

Kawierider

Member

Jun 7, 2001

281

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• Feb 16, 2003

• #8

Ive always used Mineral Spirits and a brush.

 

K

Kawierider

Member

Jun 7, 2001

281

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• Feb 16, 2003

• #9

while were on the topic....Ive soaked my O-ring in oil over night and with heat and nothing get the surface rust off.....what do you guys use? or am I out of luck ?

 

C

cr25096er

Member

Apr 16, 2002

707

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• Feb 16, 2003

• #10

a wire brush and wd40

 

T

Tom Ludolff

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Oct 3, 2002

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• Feb 17, 2003

• #11

After every ride, when I wash my bike I scrub the chain with soapy water and a scrub brush. Keeps it plenty clean enough as long as you don't use a sticky chain lube. I just use 90W gear oil.

 

C

ChrisDP

Member

Sep 18, 2002

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• Feb 17, 2003

• #12

Kawierider, to derust your chain or anything else for that matter, submerse it in a mixture of 2 parts water to 1 part mollasses. Overnight should be sufficient for light surface rust.

 

X

XRDadKDXBeni

Member

Aug 27, 2002

46

1

• Feb 17, 2003

• #13

You can spray your chain with simple green, just like the rest of the bike, when cleaning. hose it off with water and presto...the cleanest chain in town. ride the bike a mile or so in a clean area, we use our suburb streets to get the chain warm, then lube excessively with your favorite chain lube and hand rub the excess onto the side plates to prevent corrosion. repeat after each ride.

 

B

BRush

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Jun 5, 2000

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• Feb 17, 2003

• #14

Nothing wrong with using carb cleaner to clean the grease out of swingarm bearings - especially if you are trying to clean the bearings without removing then from the swingarm. I'm not too concerned the carb cleaner residue is going to damage bearings as others have said. For getting off waterproof grease like Bel Ray, kerosene does work a little better because you can let the bearings soak.

 

S

strider80

Member

Feb 3, 2003

177

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• Feb 18, 2003

• #15

I would recommend brake cleaner instead of carb cleaner, seems to leave no residue. After all it is for brakes that definetly do not like oil. Acetone also works well because it evaporates so fast and leaves no residue.

 

8

88KDX

Member

Jan 30, 2003

97

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• Feb 19, 2003

• Thread starter
• #16

Excellent!
Thanks a bunch.
I'm going with the Kero.

 

J

JasonWho

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Apr 10, 2002

2,109

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• Feb 20, 2003

• #17

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Last edited: Sep 18, 2004