Quick & Easy (aka lazy) way to lube a bottom bracket ?
08-02-18, 01:47 PM
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Quick & Easy (aka lazy) way to lube a bottom bracket ?
This is not the ideal way to get new grease into a bottom bracket, but if it's working & feeling fine, is there a reason inserting the grease gun hose below the seat post area of the seat tube, and pumping new grease down the tube wouldn't work its way into the bearings over time? Go ahead and beat me up....I can take it 
08-02-18, 02:04 PM
#2
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And fill the down tube once the BB is full?
How clean is the seat tube? Pushing rust flakes, dirt etc. into the bearings isn't too helpful.
How many pounds of grease will you need to fill everything up?
How clean is the seat tube? Pushing rust flakes, dirt etc. into the bearings isn't too helpful.
How many pounds of grease will you need to fill everything up?
08-02-18, 02:18 PM
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better to pour a more deliquescent lubricant down the s.p. tube than to rely on the lurking grease trickling down at its own pace.
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08-02-18, 02:25 PM
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How clean is the seat tube Looks clean to me,
Survived the 1st volley
08-02-18, 02:37 PM
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Your idea will coat the outside of a modern sealed bracket with a thick layer of grease. It'd take a miracle for any to get through to the bearings.
Thinner lube? Phil Wood oil?
Thinner lube? Phil Wood oil?
08-02-18, 02:39 PM
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motor oil, trans oil, 3in1
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08-02-18, 02:51 PM
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08-02-18, 03:10 PM
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As others have stated, only with cup and cone bottom brackets, And then you are counting on the grease to "flow" out to the bearing surfaces adequately. The only way to know would be to lube it and then dismantle to inspect. It's obviously your bike, but I would just as soon dismantle and grease the standard way.
08-02-18, 04:17 PM
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Seat tubes are dirty. Grease doesn't flow where you want it to using gravity. Thats why it stays in the cups when you repack bearings and you dont find it in a puddle on the bottom of the bb shell.
how many pounds of grease are you willing to buy and contaminate to save what, 15 minutes?
how many pounds of grease are you willing to buy and contaminate to save what, 15 minutes?
08-02-18, 06:08 PM
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not much if any grease would "work it way in".
there is not much space for the grease to get in from the back of the cups and then it would have to go past the cups into the bearings ..... doubt that will happen without pressure and a full bottom bracket......
so you could fill the bottom bracket and seat tube with grease, and then modify a seat post, adding a schrader valve so you can pressurize the whole thing (hoping the seatpost does not fly out like a rocket, or grease starts spurting out form an egress point creating a huge mess.
or you could give up this idea (though I would like a video of the above done on any bike that is not mine) and do it right
there is not much space for the grease to get in from the back of the cups and then it would have to go past the cups into the bearings ..... doubt that will happen without pressure and a full bottom bracket......
so you could fill the bottom bracket and seat tube with grease, and then modify a seat post, adding a schrader valve so you can pressurize the whole thing (hoping the seatpost does not fly out like a rocket, or grease starts spurting out form an egress point creating a huge mess.
or you could give up this idea (though I would like a video of the above done on any bike that is not mine) and do it right
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Last edited by squirtdad; 08-03-18 at 09:53 AM. Reason: spelling
08-03-18, 06:19 AM
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Yes, several
If I could do it in 15 minutes I wouldn't be looking for a shortcut. I've done 2 before but it was pretty labor & time intensive and had trouble getting the BB disassembled. I know I need to do more wrenching to improve my speed & knowledge, but it's not that fun to me.
We could combine that video with the blow torching of a plastic dork disc and have a real BF hit on our hands 
OK, I'm convinced it's not a good idea - darn it. Thanks for the replies.
Seat tubes are dirty. Grease doesn't flow where you want it to using gravity. Thats why it stays in the cups when you repack bearings and you dont find it in a puddle on the bottom of the bb shell.
how many pounds of grease are you willing to buy and contaminate to save what, 15 minutes?
how many pounds of grease are you willing to buy and contaminate to save what, 15 minutes?
..... doubt that will happen without pressure and a full bottom bracket......so you could fill the bottom bracket and set tube with grease, and then modify a set post, adding a schrader valve so you can pressurize the whole thing (hoping the seatpost does not fly out like a rocket, or grease starts spurting out form an egress point creating a huge mess.
or you could give up this idea (though I would like a video of the above done on any bike that is not mine) and do it right
or you could give up this idea (though I would like a video of the above done on any bike that is not mine) and do it right
OK, I'm convinced it's not a good idea - darn it. Thanks for the replies.
Last edited by Deal4Fuji; 08-03-18 at 06:49 AM.
08-03-18, 09:55 AM
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Yes, several
If I could do it in 15 minutes I wouldn't be looking for a shortcut. I've done 2 before but it was pretty labor & time intensive and had trouble getting the BB disassembled. I know I need to do more wrenching to improve my speed & knowledge, but it's not that fun to me.
We could combine that video with the blow torching of a plastic dork disc and have a real BF hit on our hands OK, I'm convinced it's not a good idea - darn it. Thanks for the replies.
If I could do it in 15 minutes I wouldn't be looking for a shortcut. I've done 2 before but it was pretty labor & time intensive and had trouble getting the BB disassembled. I know I need to do more wrenching to improve my speed & knowledge, but it's not that fun to me.
We could combine that video with the blow torching of a plastic dork disc and have a real BF hit on our hands
OK, I'm convinced it's not a good idea - darn it. Thanks for the replies.
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
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08-06-18, 08:17 AM
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A faster way is not to lube it. Just use cartridge bearing type. Takes years before you need to replace if. And replacing takes less time than opening, cleaning, degreasing, regreasing and assembling.
08-06-18, 09:48 AM
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...there was a time way back when that a lot of lower end bikes like three speed Raleighs had a zerk fitting installed in the BB shell.
It's a simple modification to make, just drill and tap the small hole, and screw in your zerk for the grease gun.
Works fine to keep a cup and cone BB going, but you end up with a lot of grease in there after a while.
It's a simple modification to make, just drill and tap the small hole, and screw in your zerk for the grease gun.
Works fine to keep a cup and cone BB going, but you end up with a lot of grease in there after a while.
08-06-18, 11:08 AM
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I'm surprised nobody mentioned the old WTB/SunTour "Grease Guard" system:
https://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/sun...20-%200006.pdf
https://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/sun...20-%200006.pdf
08-06-18, 11:22 AM
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You can drill and tap a hole for a Zerk fitting in the BB shell (next time you have it apart). You'd have a better chance of greasing the bearings, with fewer pounds of grease. I believe I remember seeing this on a bike, back in the 70s perhaps.
