grease and bearing question

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pelican

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May 2, 2009
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I only have some multipurpose grease. Can I use it on my steering bearings, fork tubes, and axles? It says multi-purpose synthetic: wheel bearings, transmission, etc on the can.

Also what's the best way to get the steering bearings out? I've been tapping and beating on them for about 2 hours, and they haven't moved. The distance piece on the mk3 doesn't leave much room to get in there.
 
Hi Pelican
I use Castrol EP grease, which is a multi-purpose with pressure additives.
The head bearings are sealed for life ball bearings if they are standard, or they are on my MK2A, so they only need grease for assembly purposes. The bearings will remove if you get a bar in that you can angle over. Try and support the headstock.
A shrp wack rather than tentitive taps is better. A lttle heat may assist, gently applied. Maybe they got locktited in there.
Your grease should be fine.
Stu.
 
I just use some Phil Wood waterproof bicycle grease. To be honest, it's all I had on hand so I just used it on the neck bearings (Timkin), axles, ect. I've been using that grease for years in everything and of course, bicycles.
 
I went to the local NAPA store at the request of my auto mechanic who rides a scoot as well.
When I restored my 72 combat I used a blue colored marine synthetic grease.
I purchased it in tube style like you use in a grease gun and manually packed
the bearings etc....
Marine grease is waterproof and doesn't heat up and melt off.
1,000 miles later, 3 trophies ,and allota hey nice bike and still going strong.
Marshal :D
 
If you have an arc welder you can weld a couple beads on bearing races and they almost drop out when they cool.
 
Cookie said:
If you have an arc welder you can weld a couple beads on bearing races and they almost drop out when they cool.
Click to expand...

Doing that can certainly work with standard cup and cone or tapered steering bearings.
However the '72-on [edit: should read '71-on] Commandos have non-adjustable sealed ball bearings which require no maintenance and can be practically everlasting, provided water hasn't managed to get past the seals, so are best left alone unless any roughness is felt in the bearings. Unfortunately any ball bearing will be damaged if the centre spool is hammered against in order to remove (or attempt to remove) it, so if that has been done, the bearings can be considered scrap!
 
I know I changed forks and frames a couple times but I really don't recall those bearings. If they are sealed and the grease does't harden more power to them.
Boy am I senile. reading that again my bikes were earlier and would not have had that type.
 
It is possible to lever up the edges of the rubber bearing seals and add a little more grease.
 
I was kinda scared to try it, but the heat worked!! You were right about banging. The bearings were rusted in. Had to use a crowbar and my 7lb mini sledge hammer. Definitely something I don't want to do again! Cleaned it up and installed a new i.d. plate. Now I just have to get the new tapered bearings in :wink:
 
If you wipe the outer bearing and the steering head with wool grease (lanolin) the bearings will press in easier and will come out easier in years to come. It protects against rust also. But it's not a bearing grease and melts easily.
Graeme.
 
i've never seen this type but usually putting bearings in the freezer for a while helps.
 
Cookie, next time you have to press a bearing in, try a small amount of wool grease. Magic stuff.
It looks like brown grease, but has a waxy texture,( below 35 degrees C)
 
Now that's interesting, I bet my Kiwi wife would know what that is. I've just been doing the usual heat on the part, cold on the bearing, and maybe some WD 40 forever. Every now and then somebody gives me a tip that makes things easier. I'll look for it next time.
 
update... new bearings went in very easily. Time to move on to the next project... fork rebuild or iso's (which I'm dreading).
 
pelican said:
update... new bearings went in very easily. Time to move on to the next project... fork rebuild or iso's (which I'm dreading).
Click to expand...

Fork rebuilds are easy. Getting new bushings that are the correct size was the hard part for me as it took me 3 tries to get a set that fit properly.
 
Coco said:
pelican said:
update... new bearings went in very easily. Time to move on to the next project... fork rebuild or iso's (which I'm dreading).
Click to expand...

Fork rebuilds are easy. Getting new bushings that are the correct size was the hard part for me as it took me 3 tries to get a set that fit properly.
Click to expand...

I remember your issues with the bushings. Was it that you just couldn't get the bushings in the tubes? Did you ever see about heating up the tubes and getting the bushings in past the part that didn't wear and see if they fit then?
 
swooshdave said:
Coco said:
pelican said:
update... new bearings went in very easily. Time to move on to the next project... fork rebuild or iso's (which I'm dreading).
Click to expand...

Fork rebuilds are easy. Getting new bushings that are the correct size was the hard part for me as it took me 3 tries to get a set that fit properly.
Click to expand...

I remember your issues with the bushings. Was it that you just couldn't get the bushings in the tubes? Did you ever see about heating up the tubes and getting the bushings in past the part that didn't wear and see if they fit then?
Click to expand...

First I had one fork tube which the OD was too large. Must have been made on a Friday or a Monday. The second issue was I had a set of lower bushes that were larger than the original OEM set I had on hand (I bought a seal kit as I needed seals, new top hats ect). Newer, larger lower ones were packaged by Domiracer. I also had a pair of top hat bushes that were funny. Everything is sorted now and I'm a bloody expert at these forks since I tore them apart about 5 or 6 times in one week.

I could get the bushes in the tubes but one side (larger fork tube) kept sticking so I just returned the forktubes for a different set and everything was ok. Now they sre smooth as silk.
 
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