Ruby56

Hi! I am new here and I am waiting until I get 10 responses so I can post pictures of my bike. I know it's a Benotto but it has been repainted. It has been my goal all along to share it with you and get your opinions and possible worth.

But...my question today is how to clean my hubs before I repack them. There is brown hardened oil, from sitting for 40 years!!
Thanks

SJX426 

@Ruby56 - Welcome! You can post pic in your gallery found in your profile. You need to post 10x not get 10x responses! Just blather on and you will get there in time.
Use low odor mineral spirits to clean. Remove most of the gunk first then use it.

Paul J

You can go to the Introduction forum and introduce yourself and welcome a few people and you will have your 10 posts in no time.

nlerner

Yeah, getting some solvent of your choice in those hub races and letting it soften up the hardened grease is a good way to go. Then, you can scrape what’s left with a small screwdriver and finish off with some bronze wool.

prooney343

Welcome, i too am new and need to get to ten posts as well. Good luck!

repechage

I would shy away from a screwdriver or even bronze wool on any aluminum

nlerner

Now that you've told us what you wouldn't do, might we impose upon you to tell us what you would do?

SurferRosa

I use a tiny screwdriver on nasty looking steel hub races. And lots of wd-40. On the outside of the hub, it's more wd-40 and paper towels ... and/or 600-1000 grit paper under a dripping faucet.

USAZorro

Central PA? Lived there for 20 years before moving away about 7 or 8 years back.

Welcome to C&V

verktyg 

USAZorro

Lancaster Co. was further east...

When I was young in the 1950's we frequently visited with family friends in Centre County, PA - Rebersburg, Belle Fonte, Centre Hall. My mother's family's name was Reber. Beautiful little towns, great farms in a spectacular area. Great trout fishing too...

I always wondered what it would be like to ride those narrow 2 lane country roads with the roller coaster hills that ran up and down the valleys between the mountains.

verktyg

kunsunoke 

Cycling in Eastern and Central PA requires climbing ability. Even in the valleys, one needs to be able to climb.

One of my routes takes me from Fleetwood to Oley, across the Reading Prong - so I need to climb the Prong twice. It's about 600-800 vertical feet, depending on the route.

Another route takes me through the center of East Penn valley. You'd think it would be flat, but it isn't, due to the stream beds that cut across. The hills don't rise as much, but there are more of them.

Narhay

Inside the races I'll use degreaser, toothpicks and sometimes if it is really bad some steel wool. Be sure to get every bit of it out.

On the shell I'll use degreaser and I find polish on a rag can cut through the brown stuff.

BFisher 

Good luck on the cleanup, @Ruby56.

Cycling in PA can be lots of fun and quite beautiful, but yes, bring your climbing legs. I live in the northeast, in the Wyoming Valley.

repechage

Different petrified oils, wax and grease respond to different solvents.
remove the tires.
outside effort, suitable protection
Cotton rags, a nylon bristle wood brush and lacquer thinner.
one could start more modestly, but one and done.

stevel610 

Yeah, if I use a screw driver I wrap it in a rag. Then use q-tips in solvent.

Charliekeet

I drove through that area once a few years back - very cool topography as you say. In Mill Hall, there's an excellent BBQ place called Curt's Smoking Ribs. Man, was that good - was a snowstorm, and stopping there was an excellent unplanned stop!
Google Maps

Paul J

We moved to Berks County in 86 from Wisconsin which required me learning how to climb hills. Funny story, we moved here in January and late spring I'm on a spirited club ride where I sat on the front pulling the group through the valley. As we turned to climb out of the valley my lack of climbing skills came to play as I rocked back and forth on the mile long climb. Everyone rode away from me, several minutes one of the fellows came back down the hill thinking I must have flatted! :-)

We now live it the Lancaster County which may have some of the best riding in the country. Tons of little farm-to-market roads to be ridden and a population use to people riding bicycles as it is a standard mode of transportation with the plain Mennonite community.

Schreck83 

You can post up to 5 times per day to get to 10 posts. Then you can post photos.
I like old plastic gift cards, popsicle sticks and cheap plastic paint scrapers to remove old gunk.

Ruby56

I love to use those exact items that you use to remove gunk. Except, I use them to clean bird feeders! Seriously, what do you use to wipe off what's left. Someone suggested mineral spirits.

repechage

In California "mineral spirits" is now emasculated. So is paint brush cleaner.
"paint" thinner was once ok, now not really useful for even cleaning a chain.
There is acetone (and it might be cut with water too)
Lacquer thinner. (in quarts only now)
Denatured alcohol is off the shelves.
I understand, but there are few choices.

way back there was Chevron 325 solvent. obtainable from the Chevron service station, 5 gallon containers.

BFisher 

A useful alternative to solvents is an orange oil type cleaner. Blackjack Tar and Asphalt remover works pretty well, and it is safe to get on hands and such. Once the grease and grime is removed, you can simply wash off the residual oil from the cleaner with regular soap and water. My main tools are plain old rags and q-tips. An old worn out hacksaw blade can be made into a very handy scraper for hardened surfaces like bearing races. Simply grind it to the desired shape.

nlerner

I didn’t realize that solvent was gendered. Or maybe that’s just in Southern California.

SurferRosa

Have you tried lemon juice? Mix an ounce of lemon juice with with a dash of chili powder, pinch of gun powder and a quick splash of oven cleaner. Do a shot of tequila and suck a whipped cream canister while that fully immersifies. Brush on the contaminated hub race and smell for effectiveness. Scrub with the rubber from an old shoe. Wipe clean with white cotton briefs and do another shot.
​​​​​​

nlerner

Do I take off the cotton briefs before using them?

SurferRosa

Dumb question. Of course! I can't guide you through the whole thing, man!