Never Use Gasoline to Clean Wheel Bearings???

[jonbakerok]

Next time you're at Walmart, pick up a gallon jug of "Paint Thinner". Just make sure the fine print says "mineral spirits".

The correct solvent for anything petroleum based is mineral spirits. It costs half as much as gasoline, works better, and isn't an extreme health or safety hazard.

[gmcjetpilot]

A very experience AI told me, DO NOT WASH wheel bearings at all, in gas, solvent or whatever.

The issue with solvent is you can never get it all out, or that is the theory. You can used compressed air, shake it and let it sit, but it's really hard to get all the solvent out. You add new grease after the cleaning but the solvent just dilutes the grease and keeps it from staying where needed. A little "dirty" grease is better than excess solvent remaining. As far as inspection? You can wipe the rollers off and look and look at the race as well. Wheel bearing last for ever. If there is any doubt about the condition replace them, but from my experience it will be obvious, like when one of them is missing or comes out in a chunk.

The method is just use fresh grease and pack it in until you push the old stuff out. Bearing greasers are great tools, but a little blob in the hand (with gloves of course, petroleum can cause health problems) and start working it thru. I use the slap method, where you smack the bearing into the grease to force it further in. Keep going until all the grease coming out is clean.

Its like greasing a Hartzell prop when you grease it. You don't fill the hub with solvent and than new grease, you just push in new grease and let it flow out the other side until its clean.

BTW, Gas is very dangerous and a fire hazard for one and should not be used for a solvent ever. Gas has vapors that of course will collect and go ka-boom as someone mentioned. It's just too old school.

Cheers