cleaning clutch bearings

[BigT]

OK... so they're temperamental and not suited to heavy work but they're a fact of life in smaller reels these days. So does anyone know how to clean them effectively??

The problem with most of the clutch bearings I come across is that they have a nylon cage inside a pressed metal outer race... and of course, there's all those metal pins

Some more complicated ones (like in Shimano spinners) can be taken apart and cleaned (carefully) if needed... but this common type above seems to be designed to never come apart. All very well until crud gets inside one when it becomes impossible to remove. Bathing in white spirit, blowing carb cleaner through them... none of it seems to work and in fact seems to often result in the crud clumping together and making the problems much worse.

Does anyone pull this kind of clutch bearing apart or is it just a throw away job??

Cheers, BigT

[alantani]

the first time i tried carb cleaner and compressed air, i lost half the pins.  now i stick the inner tube half way in and clean the open side, then switch,  the goal is to not loose any of the pins.  honestly, though, if it's corroded at all, just toss it,  alan