![]() |
Cleaning wheel bearings
What type of solvent or name of a product should I use to clean the wheel bearings and wheel axle? Is gasoline ok? I think there must be something more effective or safe. I have taken the main tires and wheels off to rotate the tires and there is brake dust on the bearings and axle that I want to remove.
|
Gasoline would be my last choice. For bikes, I used brake cleaner. I just hate the smell of gas and the blowing up part too.
|
I use mineral spirits. It does not dissolve the grease as fast as gasoline, but is safer. Compressed air is good to blow off the old grease and dry the bearing but be careful spinning it, the cage can expand and/or explode. Just be sure to use fresh for the last cleaning.
|
100LL. Works great, readily available, dries fast, it's the all purpose cleaner. Probably not a good idea to smoke while using it tho.
|
Mineral spirits, a throwaway cake pan, and an old toothbrush.
|
Wipe with paper towels. Spray with brake clean. Rinse with mineral spirits. Inspect. Re-pack with Sta-lube boat trailer grease from Napa Auto parts..... touch it and you will understand.
|
Brake cleaner.
|
Nothing
I've read here that you shouldn't use a solvent. Simply pack with new grease until all the dirty grease is pushed out.
That's what I've done for three years now. Michael |
I've never cleaned mine. I inspect the race. If it's good, I inspect the bearing looking for any shiny flakes. Then I use a bearing grease packing tool and inspect the old grease that is forced out. If all is good, back in they go.
update: I'm Mike's shadow from above. |
Quote:
As said before, just pack in new grease until the dirty grease is expelled. |
Quote:
That said, it seems most of us are in there looking and repacking pretty often and things won't get too bad before you catch it on the rollers or outer race. Tim Andres |
Quote:
If contaminated with brake dust or other dust, full on cleaning is in order. No use in making a grinding slurry. :eek: |
Quote:
I have won several similar bets since then, but the down turn in smoking has seriously cut into my lunch money fund. ;) -Marc |
Quote:
This is NOT something to play around with. |
Bearings and working with flammable liquids
I like to think I'm a pretty conscientious person when it comes to fire and chemical exposure after worked in petrochem mfg for 15 years and working on cars and planes for the last 35 or so years with no injuries requiring more than a band aid and a few choice expletives. But last winter I was doing some cold weather maintenance - wheel bearing inspection and grease, brake inspections, etc.
After removing the wheel and bearings, I tossed all the greasy parts in a plastic bucket and sumped some 100ll out of the plane in with it. Began sloshing it around to clean the parts. I think I got up to go get a brush and almost stumbled over the propane heater I had running next to me. Not sure how that didn't flash. Guess the cold temps kept the fuel vapors to a minimum, along with a little divine protection. Ironically/stupidly, I have a working parts washer about 30 ft away. Just thought I'd share. Be careful, and think. |
Gasoline
In college I worked 40-60 hrs a week at the local FBO. One day I commented to the boss that the fueler had a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he fueled our newest C150. Boss said it would not ignite and bet a coke that he could put his cig out in the now-full fuel tank. I fell for the coke bet but stayed well back as boss poked his cig into the full tank.
But,even so, it's not for me! Friend's garage and half a house burned up while he was changing out a car fuel pump. My own hangar almost burned up when a resident RV was calibrating his fuel gages. Static can be more of an ignition source than a lit cigarette .. Ground wires, outside hangars only, proper containers, fire extinguishers handy, and great care when dealing with gasoline! |
Back to bearing cleaning:
WD 40 works well. Really like Hoppe #9, like the smell also. |
Quote:
The shop foreman's point was, just because you might get away with doing something unsafe for a while, it's still not safe and eventually it will blow up on you. I cleaned wheel bearings with gasoline swirled in the bottom of a can or jar for years. These days I wipe out as much as I can with paper towels, and use mineral spirits instead. I just don't like the gasoline stink, and I don't use avgas. |
Quote:
In welding school after my Army stint I won a similar bet with a guy who tried to ignite gas in a cup and on a welding table with a cig. He even discharged 02 on the gas from an Oxy bottle! Something about the flash point of gas being above the temp of a burning cigarette. So I asked my friend that originally taught me this why there are "no smoking" signs in gas stations? He smiled and reminded me that the object used to light a cigarette (lighter or match) would ignite gas. Duh! ;-) ~Marc |
No gasoline gas fumes fan out on the floor accident waiting to happenp
In a previous life I worked in the wheel and tire shop at Ohare airport for my airline ( a big one) and I spent weeks cleaning and inspecting wheel bearings and we always cleaned, inspected, repacked the bearings. I did this for the 747 dc 10s , dc 8s 767, 727 ,737..
Side note.. I have over 22,000 hrs and Im betting Im the only guy who has changed a tire on all of those planes and been a Capt on some of them too..😁 Cm |
Bearing packer?
May I ask a dumb question? What kind of bearing packer are people using? I see some of them have Zerk fittings and some don't. Which is better?
|
In my neck of the woods this is popular. I think if you shop this item it can had for less money else where, maybe.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SER774005 |
Quote:
On solvents, I had always been taught to use Stoddard Solvent for aviation work, and have done that for years too - but nowadays, its hard to find by that name. I did some research, and it turns out that Stoddard is another name for Mineral Spirits, so that is what I have been using lately. Much less likely to go "boom" than gasoline or Avgas (which I have also used in a pinch, but prefer not to take the risk if I don't have to. |
Quote:
Stoddard solvent is my preference if cleaning out all the way. Have been known to use mineral spirits, diesel fuel, and Jet A but NEVER gasoline or 100LL. Did not know mineral spirits and Stoddard solvent was the same thing. Around my airport, people talk about using Varsol. Sounds like we all use the same thing but has different names. |
The 104 flash point safety clean was my favorite in a solvent tank, then emissions regulations started taking over and then 140 flash point, did not clean as well, then the orange juice solvent, then the heated water base with soap and live bugs that eat grease, take the parts out and then they would rust. Then they took our solvent tank away! so now we use cans and cans of brake clean........what fumes? bet you can't guess what state this is.........getting rid of hazard material is expensive. By the time you buy many cans of cleaner, you could probably buy new bearings and pack them.......
|
Quote:
Quote:
Dave |
Quote:
|
Diesel
I've started using diesel for most parts cleaning. It's much cheaper than mineral spirits; just take an empty gallon oil jug to the service station. If left uncovered when you're not around for a bit, most of the smell goes away.
Cheers, David RV-6A A&P |
Stoddard solvent or mineral spirits depending what I have and then rinse with brake cleaner. Always thought having the solvent residue left on the bearing could break down the new grease. Brake clean leaves very little residue.
A lot easier to inspect bearing for pitting if you clean them before packing with fresh grease. |
Sounds like mineral spirits and brake cleaner is the ticket. I have so much brake dust from dragging brakes I don't want to just push more grease in. Now working on what is dragging the brakes.
|
Quote:
they are not returning. |
Quote:
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:47 AM. |