zandoval 

Gotta a Suntour Vx-GT derailluer that needed cleaning for full inspection and then disassembly. I put the derailleur into a plastic jar half full of water and a a half hand of powdered laundry detergent. I then taped the lid shut just to ensure no leakage and threw it in with the next wash. Bravo... Clean Derailleur with just plain laundry soap...




Caveats: #1 - Ask permission, #2 - Wash off as much debris as possible before treatment, #3 - Use regular laundry detergent just in case the plastic jar breaks open, #4 - Tape the lid on so it is not twisted off during the wash...

sd5782 

Not so sure how much I like deep clean vibratory cleaning. The used derailleurs I have gotten after ultrasonic cleaning look nice but seem dry of course. I then pretty much get the oil can out and flood everything and work it vigorously to get some smooth operation. I would guess in short order they wouldn’t be too pristine looking anymore. I usually get out the toothbrush and solvent and maybe the air compressor and call it good. I sure can’t argue with your results though. I find the VX to be a beautiful derailleur

Andrew R Stewart 

I would want to pull apart the cage and B pivots, now that there's likely soap in them and less lube than before. I do think this method is good for the outside/exposed surfaces though, just not the insides ones. Andy

zandoval 

Understood... This was just a test to see its effectiveness. The treatment did in fact get inside all the small recesses and grooves. I was really surprised a the effectiveness of plain laundry soap too. I'll be doing this with some old brake-sets and other parts I have...

Chuck M 

One problem I can see with this is if it did leak, crack or otherwise pollute a load of laundry and the washing machine, I'm going to catch hell.

zandoval 

Yep... Same thing if you use the dish washer too...

Note: Dish washer soap will oxidize raw aluminum to a light grey color. Not so bad if that's what you want...

Troul 

Did you tumble or perm press dry them? I You do know those parts are not to be ironed.
that same laundry detergent used in an USC does a decent job.

CrowSeph

definitely i had to try this asap

Andrew R Stewart 

Not quite what I was speaking to. The insides I was mentioning are the pivots and bushings, not the surface features. Andy

rumrunn6

in pic 1 it didn't look so dirty as to require special treatment. if you were going to disassemble it anyway couldn't you just clean the few parts by hand?

but I admire the ingenuity & I'm sure you had good reason. intriguing technique!

pic 2 looks spectacular!

J.Higgins 

I applaud your ingenuity, Zandy. I got to say that the shine on that derailleur is pretty nice! Not all soaps are equal, so could you tell us precisely which laundry soap you are using? My wife usually gets the liquid kind, and I am wondering if that works just as well.

I also forgot to add that over the years, I've done some experimentation with this sort of thing. I've done part cleaning with vibratory tumblers - many of which I have built myself. I've done loads of ultrasonic cleaning. I even was into cleaning motorcycle and bicycle parts in a typical household kitchen dishwasher, of which I picked up for free at the dump. The cleanest results came from the dishwasher, using dish detergent, but it does make any un-anodized aluminum parts grey. I can imagine that the results would be spectacular if I used the laundry soap.

mitchmellow62

Very interesting. But:
1. She'd never say yes. So this is mostly academic for me.
2. The method misses the "rinse" cycle because the part is locked in the bottle. Perhaps a second "wash" with water only in the bottle would be appropriate?
3. Perhaps I could tape the jar to my leg and go for a ride! (Only joking) (Perhaps).

zandoval 

We keep a bag of Dollar Store FOCA powdered Laundry Detergent in the garage. I sprinkle the powder on oil stains in the driveway then rub it into the spots. At the next rain they are usually gone.




God love him... "RJ" has a great youtube of the disassembly of this exact derailleur "Disassemble & Re-assemble Vintage Suntour Rear Derailleur". I got it done in a matter of minuets. Did a good rinse of all the parts and put it back together with a marine grease on the pertinent parts... Happy Happy, Joy Joy...

Rem: This was all a test...

davidad

I am going to confess that I almost never clean my der.s off of the bike. I have taken apart a Shimano rear der. that the grease in the pivot got gummy. I have only seen one or two like it.

canopus 

I'll just stick with my cheap Harbor Freight Ultrasonic cleaner... Less chance of divorce, same results.