Exibit

Hi Guys

As winter is here I am trying to give my Serpent 835 a good clean and oil, I have a quicj question in regard to the bearings - Do they need to be removed and cleaned if so what with, Can you remove them and soak in Fuel. If so what if anything do you use to lubricate them can you buy a special oil, or can you use black grease

Exibit

I'll cover the "bad way" first. The simple way to clean your bearings is to just spray them with a contact cleaner of some kind (like brake cleaner or motor cleaner). This will remove some dirt from them and all of the grease (ball bearings come from the manufacturer pre packed in grease so they don't require any further lubrication). Once you are done spraying the bearings with cleaner you apply a light oil and allow it to enter the bearing through one of the slots between the dirt shield and inner race of the bearing. This method just explained is the "bad way" to clean bearings and this is why.... First, when you spray a sealed bearing with contact cleaner not all of the dirt is removed, a lot of the dirt within the bearing gets forced against the opposite bearing shield only to fall back into the moving parts of the ball bearing once it is used again. Second, when a solvent such as a contact cleaner is sprayed into the bearing all of the pre packed manufacturer grease is removed and the bearing is left dry. To solve this problem we put drops of light oil in the bearing which easily flies out (which attracts dirt) and does not provide sufficient lubrication to the moving parts of the bearing for any length of time. This means that constant re-oiling and maintenance is required to keep the ball bearing performing well. Way too much work for an inferior performing ball bearing.

The "good way" to clean and lubricate your ball bearings requires more time but the benefits are well worth it. First, you must remove one of the dirt shields on the ball bearing. There is a tiny C Clip between the shield and the outer race of the bearing. This shield must be removed. To remove it you need a sharp exacto blade to snap the C Clip out of place (be sure not to loose the C Clip in the process). Once the C Clip is removed the shield will fall out. Once the shield is removed you spray the entire bearing (including the removed shield) with contact cleaner. Since the shield is removed all dirt within the bearing will easily be flushed out. After the bearing is clean, you re-pack the bearing with grease. Use a white lithium grease available at your local hardware store for a very reasonable price. Use your exacto blade again to push the white lithium directly onto the balls within the ball bearing. Once you have packed the internal parts of the ball bearing with grease you can install the shield again. this is easily done by placing the shield onto the bearing and snapping the C Clip in place again. It is as simple as that. As I mentioned, this method can be very time consuming but you will now have a ball bearing that is in exactly the same state as it was when you first received it from the manufacturer.

Another note, many companies are using a Teflon sealed bearing now. The Teflon bearings offer a very good seal. I NEVER clean Teflon sealed bearings. Once they start to feel gritty in any way, I replace them. They will last much longer than a metal shielded bearing as it is very difficult for dirt to enter them.

Exibit

Well no replys to this post - SO you guys must not clean your bearings then

Any advice welcome on how to clean the bearings lets try again

parris001

Bravo Exibit! I was gonna respond to the initial post but you said it all, my British friend! By the way, I feel that the Brits make the best bearings in the world. I insist on Timken "Made in England" bearings whenever I'm in need.