V
Victor
Guest
While swapping out a Shimano XT derailleur from a 2000 model year mountain bike, I noticed that the
pulleys had hardened dirt in the vicinity of the seals. While trying to clean this stuff out with a
toothpick, I noticed that the dirt was trapped in between the pulley and a rubber "seal" that
surrounds the bearing enclosure. The pulleys do not spin freely at all, at least not in the same
manner that I have observed on other of my derailleurs - recent comparisons include a brand new
Shimano 105 and a used Shimano STX. In the past, I have applied a drop or two of Triflow in the
vicinity of the bearing enclosure periodically thinking that this would actually make it to the
enclosed bearing surfaces. Words like "sealed" and "ceramic" appear on the pulley, for further
reference.
My questions, then, are how does one do the following:
1) clean the pulley assembly so that the pulley spins relatively freely on its bearings
2) periodically lubricate the bearings, if this has any meaning for "sealed" bearings.
My understanding of the term sealed is that seals exist, but the bearings are subject to injection
of foreign substances, be they for good or bad.
Thanks for your assistance, Victor Weinstein
pulleys had hardened dirt in the vicinity of the seals. While trying to clean this stuff out with a
toothpick, I noticed that the dirt was trapped in between the pulley and a rubber "seal" that
surrounds the bearing enclosure. The pulleys do not spin freely at all, at least not in the same
manner that I have observed on other of my derailleurs - recent comparisons include a brand new
Shimano 105 and a used Shimano STX. In the past, I have applied a drop or two of Triflow in the
vicinity of the bearing enclosure periodically thinking that this would actually make it to the
enclosed bearing surfaces. Words like "sealed" and "ceramic" appear on the pulley, for further
reference.
My questions, then, are how does one do the following:
1) clean the pulley assembly so that the pulley spins relatively freely on its bearings
2) periodically lubricate the bearings, if this has any meaning for "sealed" bearings.
My understanding of the term sealed is that seals exist, but the bearings are subject to injection
of foreign substances, be they for good or bad.
Thanks for your assistance, Victor Weinstein