Hey guys, new to the Board but I've been browsing for a while. Thanks to all who have helped me with rebuilds! Question, I see a lot about lubes and oils, but what is the beat way to clean the old grease & crud out of bearings? I have done a lot of rebuilding lately, namely on old Penns (Just restored the following Penn reels 77, 78, 85 Sea-Boy, 112 Ocean City, 112, 113, 114), but I've picked up some Tritons & Speedmasters, and don't want to use anything too harsh. All replies are appreciated! ;)
If you have plenty of time any solvent will do. You can fill a jar or similar with mineral spirits and let them sit. Especially the ones full of old grease.
Finish off with a spray product like brake and/or carburetor cleaner so it will spin and clean the bearing.
Thanks! I have plenty of time, trust me! :P
What Keith says + I put all my bearings in small glass jars - cover with IPA (any solvent will do, IPA is a bit safer) - Then place the jars in an ultrasonic bath - 3 to 5 mins and they are pretty much done. A quick shake in clean IPA, leave to dry a few minutes, they are then ready to re-lube.
I use either Lacquer Thinners and/or Acetone, toss the bearings in a small medicine container and shake a while and then leave to soak.
Quote from: Tiddlerbasher on June 20, 2017, 08:11:02 AMcover with IPA (any solvent will do, IPA is a bit safer) - Then place the jars in an ultrasonic bath - 3 to 5 mins and they are pretty much done. A quick shake in clean IPA, leave to dry a few minutes, they are then ready to re-lube.
*Note* IPA is isopropyl alcohol, NOT India Pale Ale, which might actually work if it had enough alcohol in it :) If you want to speed up the process a little use Naphtha or mineral spirits, then rinse with IPA before drying.... the non-polar solvents will work more quickly for grease.
Sid
Thanks guys! :D
Not always having the luxury of time to wait -- I use Lacquer Thinner in a small glass jar with a lid.
Lacquer Thinner is very flammable, but I have used it all of my life when doing stains and lacquers for woodworking finishes. So I am comfortable with it -- and am also respectful of any flammable solvents.
Lighter fluid is good also -- but expensive for bulk work.
Some folks use fancier, or more expensive cleaners -- but for me, the Lacquer Thinner just dissolves off any grease and crud quickly and effectively. A warm water rinse afterwards -- then a dry on a paper towel does the trick.
Some guys use a small high pressure nozzle with their air compressor -- then they see how fast they can spin the bearing races with the air. More damage is done in 2 minutes this way -- then a lifetime of fishing.
Repack the bearings used in salt water with a good Marine Grease such as Penn, or Yamaha.
For freshwater reels -- I generally use a mix of Yamaha Marine cut with TSI321.
Wise mechanics have taught me to stay away from the kid stuff -- just get the job done properly.
Many different opinions and techniques -- this is just what works for me.
Best,
Fred
Nice day at the office Foaks! I just got back from Lake Tahoe. Nice fishing trip!
Great, John --
Tahoe is a great fishery -- Macks, Trout, and more.
How did you do?
That pic of me in my boat is on Bridgeport Reservoir -- about 80 miles South of Tahoe on 395.
Been going there for 43 years now.
Best,
Fred
Yes Fred, It is a great place! First time there. Awesome views! Got 2 large Macks, and a trout. They were delicious! The wind was bad that Saturday, but we caught fish. I wanted to fly fish the river, but it was raging and muddy with all of the snowfall this year. Can't wait to go back next year. ;D
All of the things stated above and sometimes if in a hurry will use aerosol brake cleaner.
Most memorable flyfishing trip in the Sierra N. Mountains, was an October day hikin up the S. Fork of the San Jouquine R. in the Mammoth area. Light in the canyon was perfect, no wind and the caddis were goin nuts, as were the trout, and I had the river to myself. Sometimes it all comes together. Fall seems to produce the most trips like that in the mountains for me.
Brake parts cleaner short soak, then air pressure blow out, then longer soak with Inox MX 3. Spool bearings: drain exess inox, one drop light machine oil(to mix with leftover inox) install. Non- spool bearings: what Fred said, but I leave the inox residue to mix with the marine grease.
Did a Late Fall trip on L. Tahoe once. The fish were down there according to the captain/ guide and fish finder, but wouldn't move. Total skunk. Summer's probably best.
Gfish
Are you guys soaking bearings with covers or seals? I have always been concerned that the soaking agent would end up under the cover and stay there so I usually just soak in ReelX.
carb cleaner, maybe engine degreaser, never gasoline.
I tried carb cleaner and it worked great! Thanks Alan!
Quote from: JohnBSims on June 23, 2017, 02:29:45 PM
I tried carb cleaner and it worked great! Thanks Alan!
Quote from: handi2 on June 19, 2017, 11:14:55 PM
If you have plenty of time any solvent will do.....Finish off with a spray product like brake and/or carburetor cleaner so it will spin and clean the bearing.
Alan always gets all the glory!
Carburetor and brake cleaner is quick and works great, but it gives me the creeps. They are mixtures of lots of hazardous stuff including acetone, xylene, MEK, toluene, propane, benzene.... Then it's put in a aerosol can so it flies all over the place, gets on your skin and is inhaled when used. The only safe way to use it is in a spray hood, but we don't spray hoods so we just do the best we can and hope it doesn't fly in our face. Really, there ought to be a better way.... but I don't know what it is.
-steve
I'm with you Steve, I can't stand that stuff. Don't even attempt using it in your garage, or any othe room in the house, you'll never get the stench out.
Here is what I've been using for the past 5 years and wouldn't use anything else.
https://www.amazon.com/PASLODE-219384-12OZ-CRDLS-Cleaner/dp/B004BGBB5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498242712&sr=8-1&keywords=paslode+tool+cleaner
Don't knock it until you try it.
Sal
Quote from: Alto Mare on June 23, 2017, 06:35:49 PM
Here is what I've been using for the past 5 years and wouldn't use anything else.
https://www.amazon.com/PASLODE-219384-12OZ-CRDLS-Cleaner/dp/B004BGBB5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498242712&sr=8-1&keywords=paslode+tool+cleaner
Don't knock it until you try it.
Seven bucks and free shipping? I'd say I'll be giving this product a try. 8)
Yeah, I'll bite too. Thank you very much Sal. Says it is 75% naphtha and 25% difluoroethane as propellant. So, you would want to avoid contact, but it should not be nearly as toxic as carb or brake cleaner.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on June 24, 2017, 08:19:32 AM
Yeah, I'll bite too. Thank you very much Sal. Says it is 75% naphtha and 25% difluoroethane as propellant. So, you would want to avoid contact, but it should not be nearly as toxic as carb or brake cleaner.
-steve
Steve, all products out there are harmful, if they weren't they wouldn't work :).
This stuff is extremely flammable, but as everything else, safe when used with caution.
I can tolerate the stench on this one, but not on the carb cleaner.
It does dry up quickly, so I like to spray the bearing while its resting on a rag, it doesn't dry as quick and the rag will help with the cleaning.
If the bearing is pretty bad, as having lots of dried up grease, I place it in a small container and spray it, this will allow me to grab the cleaner at the bottom with a small brush and work it on the bearing.
Wearing gloves is always good practice when using any cleaner, you could grab a bunch at harbor freight for a couple of bucks and they do work nicely.
This product is plastic safe, some bearing have plastic racer.
After cleaning I will usually hold the bearing on a chopstick, you could use a pencil or anything else, I like using chopsticks ;D and give it another gentle spay with the straw attached and let it spin a little. After it has dried give it a spin with your finger, but don't hold your breath.
Not sure I've mentioned this earlier, I do not have anything to do with Paslode... I wish I did. Just trying to help out.
Another thought about the chopstick, sorry, it has been working so nicely that I need to share :)
They are useful at times when removing bearings, just a little pressure as you set them in and they will usuially come right out...not all.
They are also useful when stting the eccentric spring in, especially on Tom's beautiful plates, you don't want to scratch those. I use the other side of the chopstick to set the spring in...works like a charm.
Ok, enough on chopsticks :)
Sal
Thanks Sal for posting up. I was dying to jump in there and suggest it, since I took your advice a while back. But I figured if the reel Yoda suggested it, people might listen up. Picked it up at Home Depot.
It works great on reels like you said it would, but I use it for tool cleaning too.
I cleaned up some old Penn reels with Non-CFC brake parts cleaner, and also electronic parts cleaner (Safe for plastics). They turned out pretty sweet (Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnSims3/videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnSims3/videos) ), but I don't think brake cleaner is too safe not only for my reels and plastics, but also my health! Actually the carb cleaner I recently used to clean Shimano Speedmaster bearings was actually for MAF sensors, but it worked great! ;) Thanks again for the wealth of knowledge on this forum!
Thanks again Sal. I go through a lot of chop sticks and also bamboo skewers when cleaning. They hold bearings while being cleaned and the stick can be used to pick stubborn gunk out of the corners and gear teeth. Use a pen knife to re-cut a chisel edge, a knife edge, a point or whatever shape is needed for the task. Put the stick in a drill chuck and spin it inside a hole to polish brass bushings and the like. You can be as aggressive as you like with a wooden stick and confident that it will not scratch or mar the finish on soft metal or plastic.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on June 24, 2017, 06:08:19 PM
Thanks again Sal. I go through a lot of chop sticks and also bamboo skewers when cleaning
Do you make your own bamboo skewers, too? :)
Sid
I saw some Bamboo Skewers with Hot Dogs skewered and wrapped in bacon at the beach vendor yesterday! :o
The bamboo skewers are shish kabob or tempura sticks from the grocery store. Couldn't make them at that price.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on June 25, 2017, 06:43:54 AM
The bamboo skewers are shish kabob or tempura sticks from the grocery store. Couldn't make them at that price.
-steve
Ah, yeah, that was a joke :) Not necessarily a good one....(Steve makes bamboo rods, folks, you've now been let in on the joke.
I've attached the MSDS for the Paslode Electronic Tool Cleaner. As Steve said, the active ingredient is Naphtha, which is pretty much gasoline without added engine protectants. I've already got a can of that I use. I bet you're paying a lot for the propellant to get it out of the can.... I wonder how much differently this would perform from a Naptha soak and a spray of compressed air....
Naptha is not easy to find anymore, unless I'm looking in the wrong place!
Quote from: sdlehr on June 25, 2017, 11:52:39 AM
Quote from: oc1 on June 25, 2017, 06:43:54 AM
The bamboo skewers are shish kabob or tempura sticks from the grocery store. Couldn't make them at that price.
-steve
Ah, yeah, that was a joke :) Not necessarily a good one....(Steve makes bamboo rods, folks, you've now been let in on the joke.
I've attached the MSDS for the Paslode Electronic Tool Cleaner. As Steve said, the active ingredient is Naphtha, which is pretty much gasoline without added engine protectants. I've already got a can of that I use. I bet you're paying a lot for the propellant to get it out of the can.... I wonder how much differently this would perform from a Naptha soak and a spray of compressed air....
Naphtha is a flammable liquid made from distilling petroleum. It looks like gasoline. Naphtha is used to dilute heavy oil to help move it through pipelines, to make high-octane gas, to make lighter fluid, and even to clean metal.
Quote from: JohnBSims on June 25, 2017, 02:16:37 PM
Naptha is not easy to find anymore, unless I'm looking in the wrong place!
The information where to get it is right above :).
I was at a couple of home centers yesterday, you would actually do better ordering it from Amazon.
Sal
When we were kids there was a do-it-yourself dry cleaning spot removal product called Energine that was straight naphtha. Varnish makers and painters (VM&P) naphtha is in the paint department of every hardware store here. Like Sal said, it dries (evaporates) fast. But it does not seem to leave any residue. Sid, one thing I've been intending to try is to put naphtha in a spray bottle or a squirt gun.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on June 25, 2017, 06:53:27 PM
When we were kids there was a do-it-yourself dry cleaning spot removal product called Energine that was straight naphtha. Varnish makers and painters (VM&P) naphtha is in the paint department of every hardware store here. Like Sal said, it dries (evaporates) fast. But it does not seem to leave any residue. Sid, one thing I've been intending to try is to put naphtha in a spray bottle or a squirt gun.
-steve
Uh, yeah, I've got a tin of VM&P Naphtha from Home Depot, but never knew what VM&P meant. Thanks. :) About a year ago there was a very interesting and technical discussion about solvents
in this thread (http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=17698.15)
Sid
Yeah, some of the spinning reels I've worked on have what I call a sealed bearing; you can't see any of the balls/rollers so you can't see if they're dirty or have lube left either. I usually just leave 'em if they aren't gritty & seem to spin OK. Is there a better way? Were these meant to just be replaced?
The best cleaner was Benzene. It was a Cancer causer. You can't get this anymore. My other favorite was Freon 12. Another that you can't get but we have enough holes in the Ozone. Don't tell the President about the Ozone because it's perfect.
Mike
Quote from: happyhooker on June 26, 2017, 03:04:13 AM
Yeah, some of the spinning reels I've worked on have what I call a sealed bearing; you can't see any of the balls/rollers so you can't see if they're dirty or have lube left either. I usually just leave 'em if they aren't gritty & seem to spin OK. Is there a better way? Were these meant to just be replaced?
What I do is either remove one or both of the bearing shields -- sometimes they are replaceable (rarely) -- most times I just remove and toss them -- clean the bearings with Lacquer Thinner in a Pimento jar -- rinse -- then dry and relube. If I think some protection is needed from salt -- I may leave one shield on -- then after greasing the bearing -- install the still shielded side towards where I think may offer the most protection.
If only going to be used in fresh water -- a mix of 1/3 Yamaha Marine and 2/3 TSI321 Oil works well -- and attains a smoother and easier crank. Many times you can just pry off the bearing shield -- other times it is necessary to punch a hole with a straight pick -- then pull the shield with a hook or "L" pick.
Shields are rarely necessary with the good quality lubes we use today.
For me, if the bearings are not cleaned and lubed properly -- the job is incomplete.
Just my method & opinion...
Best,
Fred
Quote from: foakes on June 26, 2017, 03:56:38 AM
Quote from: happyhooker on June 26, 2017, 03:04:13 AM
Yeah, some of the spinning reels I've worked on have what I call a sealed bearing; you can't see any of the balls/rollers so you can't see if they're dirty or have lube left either. I usually just leave 'em if they aren't gritty & seem to spin OK. Is there a better way? Were these meant to just be replaced?
What I do is either remove one or both of the bearing shields -- sometimes they are replaceable (rarely) -- most times I just remove and toss them -- clean the bearings with Lacquer Thinner in a Pimento jar -- rinse -- then dry and relube. If I think some protection is needed from salt -- I may leave one shield on -- then after greasing the bearing -- install the still shielded side towards where I think may offer the most protection.
If only going to be used in fresh water -- a mix of 1/3 Yamaha Marine and 2/3 TSI321 Oil works well -- and attains a smoother and easier crank. Many times you can just pry off the bearing shield -- other times it is necessary to punch a hole with a straight pick -- then pull the shield with a hook or "L" pick.
Shields are rarely necessary with the good quality lubes we use today.
For me, if the bearings are not cleaned and lubed properly -- the job is incomplete.
Just my method & opinion...
Best,
Fred
X2 with the only exception being that if the double shielded bearing is running smoothly I only soak it for about in the thinner for about 15 minutes, to remove crud off the outside, dry it well (wipe & air), then squirt/lube it with some synthetic oil & leave well enough alone until a total relube is imperative.