Absolutely, and I continue to be amazed by the operating lifespan of some dry-feeling Phil bottom brackets and especially hubs, some of which haven't been serviced in over 30 years.


Go ahead and keep using them. Bearings eventually become rough and need replacement, but it might be a lot longer than you think.


I've popped out shields and greased old cartridges but it isn't uncommon for some bit of grit to be felt floating around as the bearing turns afterward, so the bearing surfaces may actually suffer versus leaving things alone.
Where the cartridge has been removed from an assembly, it is much easier to assure complete cleaning than if it is still pressed in place somewhere. I advise that unless complete flush cleaning can be assured that the shields be left alone, as a very tiny bit of grit can ruin this type of bearing's downsized, heavily-loaded surfaces.