How To Clean Grease From Bearings
Removing Grease From Bearings?
06-12-2009, 05:47 AM
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Removing Grease From Bearings?
Is there a Chemical that just disolves the grease out of new metal sheild bearings with out the need to take them apart or use any machine, just soak it in something?
06-12-2009, 06:11 AM
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You could try brake cleaner or motor spray. Suspend the bearing by the inner race, and blast the shields until the outer race starts to spin with just the spray hitting it...
However, I like to use an air compressor and whatever mounts to the bearing as a turbine. I briefly get the bearing to a couple hundred thousand rpms... just enough to fling all the grease out of the races. Then lube with a good thin oil.
Yes, my method could lead to premature bearing failure. I understand the risk every time I take it...
06-12-2009, 06:24 AM
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Sometimes I heat them up using a heat gun to heat the bearing/grease up. This will cause the grease will mostly ooze out of the bearing, then use motor spray to clean them up, then re-oil.
06-12-2009, 10:33 AM
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Originally Posted by timmay70 
However, I like to use an air compressor and whatever mounts to the bearing as a turbine. I briefly get the bearing to a couple hundred thousand rpms... just enough to fling all the grease out of the races.
I hope you have your safety glasses on!!! That's never a good idea. I just remove both bearing sheilds,soak in brake clean for a bit,spray out & hit it with air for just a second from the side as not to spin the bearing much. Gets it out everytime
Than soak in your favorite oil,reinstall sheilds & you're ready for the track.
06-12-2009, 10:46 AM
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I have used diesel fuel it dissolves grease and is an excellent parts cleaner.
06-12-2009, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by NewOne
I have used diesel fuel it dissolves grease and is an excellent parts cleaner.
WD40 is a fantastic degreaser/cleaner.... just don't use it as your oil.
06-12-2009, 10:59 AM
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I just use motor spray to free them up/get grease... then use light oil....
06-12-2009, 12:26 PM
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regular old ronson lighter fluid works great to clean the bearings. It will dissolve the grease and it even leaves a slight oily film of it's own. I just toss my bearings in a little cup of lighter fluid occasionally and stirr them around briskly with an allen wrench or screwdriver.
if you have older bearings that you are trying to bring back to life, you can soak them in the cup of lighter fluid overnite. In the worse cases, if the bearings still won't free up, you can slide them onto a tapered reamer while they still have liquid inside them. Then you can use a cigarette lighter to set the bearing on fire (this only works on the type with metal sleeves....not the teflon ones). If you spin the bearing while it's in the blue flame, that will burn out any tire residue or carpet fibers. After the flame treatment, resoak and re-stir the bearings. If you can't get a free spinning bearing after flaming it a couple of times, then it's just done and it needs to be replaced. But many crunchy bearings can be brought back to life by burning out the contaminants in this manner. Just be careful that you don't flame your fingers too. That will happen if they are wet with fluid. Thankfully it doesn't hurt much and it is easy to extinguish the fingers flambe.
06-12-2009, 12:40 PM
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ah, the pyro method! I'll have to try that!
Originally Posted by vafactor
regular old ronson lighter fluid works great to clean the bearings. It will dissolve the grease and it even leaves a slight oily film of it's own. I just toss my bearings in a little cup of lighter fluid occasionally and stirr them around briskly with an allen wrench or screwdriver.
if you have older bearings that you are trying to bring back to life, you can soak them in the cup of lighter fluid overnite. In the worse cases, if the bearings still won't free up, you can slide them onto a tapered reamer while they still have liquid inside them. Then you can use a cigarette lighter to set the bearing on fire (this only works on the type with metal sleeves....not the teflon ones). If you spin the bearing while it's in the blue flame, that will burn out any tire residue or carpet fibers. After the flame treatment, resoak and re-stir the bearings. If you can't get a free spinning bearing after flaming it a couple of times, then it's just done and it needs to be replaced. But many crunchy bearings can be brought back to life by burning out the contaminants in this manner. Just be careful that you don't flame your fingers too. That will happen if they are wet with fluid. Thankfully it doesn't hurt much and it is easy to extinguish the fingers flambe.
06-15-2009, 02:42 PM
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xyelen xylol, mineral spirits, denatured alcohol
06-15-2009, 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by macrous99
xyelen xylol, mineral spirits, denatured alcohol
+1 for Mineral Spirits.
Awesome parts cleaner
06-15-2009, 03:52 PM
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I use my wife's ultrasonic jewelry cleaner... But dont tell her 
06-16-2009, 06:14 AM
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Originally Posted by fordmike65
I hope you have your safety glasses on!!! That's never a good idea.
I wear glasses... There's always a safety freak in the room. They can take a spin or two, it usually takes less than a second or two... If they fail, I don't want to race them anyway.
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How To Clean Grease From Bearings
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