Cibi42

I just bought a 1987 bike (Nice Gardin with full Campagnolo Victory groupset), everything is in great condition, but the grease in the headset. Whatever happened to it, it now feels like someone mistook glue for grease at some point, it's not hard but super sticky, almost like the tacky glue residue under an old bar tape. Any trick for breaking it down and cleaning it that wouldn't involve some nasty chemicals?

Thanks

WGB 

Soft stick to scrape out big chunks. Place piece of clothe over stick wipe more. Soak clothe in alcohol and wipe out. Should be easy

Cibi42

Thanks
I did the first 2 steps last night, it was tough and slow and hardly removed anything. But i’ll try the alcohol method as well now

HillRider

Alcohol is a very poor solvent for grease. Use kerosene or Odorless Mineral Spirits (OMS). WD-40 is also a decent grease solvent since it is mostly OMS containing a bit of oil. Let the parts soak in it to dissolve the hardened grease.

andrewclaus

Mineral spirits may be more effective than alcohol, but alcohol is more likely to be around the house for a small job.

Try scrubbing the last bits off with an old toothbrush.

ThermionicScott 

^ I keep a big jug of mineral spirits around because I love it so much.

WGB 

I suggested alcohol as an alternative to "chemicals". I am afraid I rely on chemicals but alcohol will work just takes longer and more effort.

dedhed

There is really no good substitute for petroleum distillates.

Lemond1985

Soak the parts in diesel. Get the diesel at the gas station, should run you ~$3.00 a gallon. Bring a gas can.

I like working with diesel, it seems almost organic to me. Slightly flammable, but it's mainly just oil out the ground.

AnkleWork

Charcoal lighter fluid, lighter lighter fluid, paint thinner, WD-40...

The small yellow containers of lighter fluid are cheap, very handy, and leave hands odor free. Also great for removing tape adhesive residue, tar tracks, chewing gum, lots of stuff.

Ol Danl

I've found some grease in the BB of a cheap kid's bike, and also in the window mech. of a Honda Civic, that petroleum (kerosene) would not touch. Even left the BB soaking for weeks in kerosene. Lacquer thinner removed the stuff.

HillRider

And just what is alcohol? They are all "chemicals" and OMS happens to be an effective one, alcohol (IPA, I assume) isn't.

andrewclaus

A note to the OP: Working with flammable solvents is inherently risky. Use proper PPE, ventilation, storage, fire protection, and proper disposal of used rags.

All this is second nature to experienced shop personnel. But If you don't have experience with them, please be very careful. For instance, I learned long ago, the hard way, not to use lacquer thinner in a Styrofoam cup. Later, I learned much more in chem labs in school, then even more during my career as a firefighter.

mprince

I often use automotive brake cleaner as a bike solvent (the stuff in aerosol cans). Nasty, somewhat. But it is very effective, evaporates quickly, and does not damage paint like other solvents. Just make sure you wear eye protection as depending where you spray with the tube, it can splash back at you.

I usually get the bulk of the expired grease out with a rag/paper towel (no solvents) before using the chemicals. With most components (hubs, headsets) with cup/cone bearings this gets the majority of the old stuff out.

cyccommute 

All substances are "chemicals". Some "chemicals" do a better job than others because of their properties. The chemical mixture of grease doesn't have much in common any chemical that can be called "alcohol". It does happen to have a lot in common with the chemical mixture call mineral spirits.

"Alcohol" is a class of chemicals (). What alcohols share in common that make them a class of chemicals is a hydroxyl group attached to a carbon chain that is not part of a benzene ring. Depending on the alcohol, they can be as deadly than other "chemicals". Odorless mineral spirits are fairly benign. The risk of hazard are mostly do to contact and any other risk is relatively long term, i.e. decades. If they cause harm (and that's a big "if"), mineral spirits are known as chronic toxins.

Alcohols...especially shorter chain alcohols and ethylene glycol (a dihydroxy alcohol)...are acute toxins. Their effects show up within at least 14 days of exposure. In the case of methanol (one carbon alcohol), ethanol (2 carbon) and isopropanol (3 carbon), the effects are felt in much less than 14 days. Their effect is almost instantaneous...it's the reason some people drink ethanol. Methanol, in particular, can be toxic upon skin exposure. Ethylene glycol falls within that 14 days but it as least as deadly as methanol.

I wouldn't suggest using mineral spirits willy nilly nor would I suggest doing shots of it. Wear gloves. Use it in a well ventilated area. Avoid using it around open flame. But, in general, it's a safe mixture to use and it's far more effect...which means you need a whole lot less of it...than alcohol when it comes to grease.

Unca_Sam

Use some Oranj Peelz from Pedros. Limit contact to bare metals only.

JohnDThompson 

Grease is an emulsion of soap and oil. The solid matter you see is the soap component left behind after the oil has separated from the emulsion and drained out. If you want to avoid potentially toxic solvents to deal with this, try adding back some mineral oil and working it back into the soap. This can reconstitute the grease and make it easier to clean out with e.g. a rag.

Personally, that's more work than I am inclined to put into a job like this. I'd just use mineral spirits, nitrile gloves, a brush and a rag and be done with it.

canklecat

If you don't want to use, or don't have access to, petroleum distillates, try a pump spray oven/grill cleaner. I use some stuff from the dollar store that's advertised as a "citrus" cleaner but from the odor it's mostly ammonia and surfactants. It works remarkably well on typical bike cleanup jobs, from chains to minor greasy cleanups.

I think it's called "LA's Totally Awesome Grill & Oven Cleaner." Not even kidding. Terrible name. Pretty good stuff for a buck.

It's not caustic like compressed canned foaming oven cleaner -- I can't even be in the same room with that stuff without provoking an asthma attack. And, frankly, the dollar store pump spray stuff isn't as effective on oven/grill cleanups either. It seems to work more like the name brand simple green and orange cleansers, just cheaper.

I used to keep mineral spirits around for those jobs but the dollar store oven/grill cleaner works well enough that I use it for most oily and greasy bike cleanups now. Doesn't seem to harm the paint job either, and I'm careful to wipe it off with clean water ASAP.

mprince

I'd be careful with citrus degreaser as well as oven cleaner as both can damage anodized surfaces. For example, Chris King specifically calls out citrus degreaser in their bearing service bulletins.

Unca_Sam

Aluminum bearings?

mprince

More like headset cups.

Cibi42

Looks like I need to get myself some mineral spirit...
I didn't have alcohol on hand (not the kind to degrease bike parts with) so gave WD40 a go after removing the bigger gunk with stick and rag. Small spray, quick rub with a rag (more elbow grease in thicker layers) and it worked a charm! got myself some clean headsets again.

Thank you all for sharing your experience.

cyccommute 

WD-40 will work, it's just more expensive.

Lemond1985

A gallon of the liquid WD40 might be expensive, but it will last you for years and years. And it's far superior to the aerosol stuff.

Ronsonic 

Naphtha.

Basically a very clean, highly refined version of mineral spirits. Same stuff as found in Zippo cigarette lighters.

As non-toxic as such things get. Not harmful to plastics and paints including fine lacquer.

Works great on old grease and other goo and won't hurt anything.