Zeus bottom bracket cleanup
 

I would appreciate any suggestions for removing the glazed on grease / rust / dirt that is on the bearing surfaces of the spindle and cups of this Zeus BB. I'll replace the bearings as they are in rough shape and several of them went AWOL on the garage floor when I pulled the BB.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3729/3...779eced0_m.jpgUntitled by BJ Stevens, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2322/3...50c8613b_m.jpgUntitled by BJ Stevens, on Flickr

Thanks.

Brad

I would use mineral spirits and a scratch awl. Some would warn you against using steel, and perhaps that is wise, but the scratch awl I have seems to be softer stuff than hardened bearing surfaces. If you want to be cautious, use a brass brush. Whatever you use, you will also need a lot of elbow grease and patience.

Steel wool.

By far the quickest is a wire wheel mounted in a Dremel.

N.B. be sure to wear safety glasses.

Use brass wool instead. Steel wool leaves bits of itself behind and can accelerate rust.


Crumpled tin foil also works well

I have wooden coffee stir sticks and wooden match sticks from the craft store that I use for cleaning and scraping on bearing surfaces.