whitesmokin

I need to service a friends bike, Its a Giant yukon 97-99 model. I plan to repack the hubs with fresh grease front and back. Clean and grease the crank, plus the steer tube. What kind of grease do yall use and can the grease work in all the above areas? Also, what is a good degreaser to use for intial clean-up? I have Simple Green it works good but I have never used it on a bike. Thanks for the HELP Guys


P.s. please give a location on where to buy stuff too.

mx_599

i have been using this for a number of years now. its great. it now comes with flax oil as well. good stuff.

mx_599

no SG!!! either just use paper towels to dry wipe the parts or get some type of parts cleaner spray contact cleaner. please don't use things like simple green on parts like that.

as for grease, many on here like water proof marine grease from an auto store or home D. it will work for your parts.



this will work as a degreaser...just watch eyes and use in a ventilated area. i little on a rag goes a decent way...until it evaporates!!

whitesmokin

O cool, I love CRC. It came to mind first but I thought it might be a little harsh. Cool bro and thanks!

whitesmokin

I forgot to ask but what should I use for the chain and clogs?? Sorry for the newbie questons. If it was my bike I would use what ever, I just dont want to screw my friends ride up. Thanks again

mx_599

yeah, i don't really take good care of my chain and cogs so i'll defer this to someone else.

i would always watch the CRC on plastics, rubber, and certain paint...however, with that said, i have never ruined any of the above either. probably watch for flat type paints and lexan and polycarb plastics. but seriously, it is meant to go on most plastics and rubber brake parts.

DrugCoder

Just curious, why do you suggest not using Simple Green on those parts? What parts ARE okay to use SG on?

mx_599

simple green is like soap, a surfactant, and is miscible in water. i don't know i am not a chemist. sorry for lay terminology. you can pull up the MSDS, i just did but i don't know chemicals enough. it did say you could drink it and not necessarily have to see a physician. i don't know about you, but if i am cleaning greasy parts, i want it to be something i cannot drink.

common sense, its not that it will hurt the bearings but you don't want residual soapy non-petroleum type stuff in there with fresh grease. that would be silly. simple green is great for surface grime, but not for parts cleaning. i use it superficially on my engine bay and bike and occasionally in the shower, but never in a parts cleaner.

the best thing to do is just dry wipe those greasy parts with like disposable scott rags or paper towels. as long as nothing feals gritty to the touch just apply new grease and you're good. you don't need to get all old grease out.

that is my best explanation for not using SG on bearings.

DrugCoder

Excellent! Thanks for the help.

Peek the Geek

You seem like a decent guy, MX_599, but man I hope you're kidding about everything you've recommended in this thread, and not just the Smart Balance.

mx_599

like?

seriously, i definitely wouldn't use SG to clean bearings. i think smart balance is a great product as well

Peek the Geek

Why recommend brake cleaner as a degreaser while saying the OP should never use Simple Green on bike parts? Seems to me, brake cleaner is relatively pricier and nasty enough to be considered overkill for bike parts. Like you said, half the time a rag will be enough to get the job done. While Simple Green is a safe, inexpensive degreaser that works well even when it's quite diluted, so a little would go a long way.

I'm not looking for a debate here. To each his own. I just honestly thought you were yanking the guy's chain a little bit.

mx_599

no i was very serious about most. i recommend dry wiping first, then parts cleaning solvent second if you need absolutely grease free, and lastly contact cleaner.

yeah everyone has their own methods. no big deal

dminor 

I can see MX's reasoning on brake cleaner for degreasing. It's a highly evaporative solvent that is powerful; once it strips the grease away it will dry completely leaving nothing to dilute the new lube. I'm kind of old school, though - -I only quit using gasoline as my parts-washing solvent a bare few years ago ().

I can see NOT using Simple Green on bearings and chains as the 'carrier' is not a volatile solvent, but rather water, which stays around on/in things annoyingly long and can emulsify your new lube. Unless, of course, you have your air compressor handy and can thoroughly blow things dry.

For SG, I keep my old empty bottle, dump half the new bottle into it and cut both to the top with water. Dilution still seems to do an admirable job of cleaning/degreasing. Keep in mind that most industrial, ag and auto shops are going to some sort of water-based degreasers in their trusty ol' parts-washing cabinets -- it's the wave of the future.

As for Smart Balance, I prefer Canola-oil-based product over flax seed oil: gotta keep our Pacific NW farmers growing something and rapeseed (canola) is a good rotation crop for wheat .

samster143

The regular Simple Green will eventually destroy the finish on aluminum parts; painted, polished, or annodized. They do make 'Bicycle 'Simple Green which does not. For bearings and really al bicycle needs I use Park Poly Lube. Both of these should be available at your LBS.

Peek the Geek

Only if you let those parts soak in it for a long time. Many many many use Simple Green on their bikes with no ill effects.

Ah yes. Yet another grossly overpriced "bicycle-specific" product that is hardly any different from the cheap alternatives you can get at the hardware store.