Complete bike rebuild - what grease, lubes, fluids?

Sabot

I've been looking for complete maintenance guide on this forum, but could not find one, it might be a good idea to do FAQ regarding this subject. Ashamed to say, I have not maintained my bike (Carrera Fury '07) for the last 3 years since I got it new. I want to completely rebuild it, strip down whole lot, clean, grease and put everything back together, but frankly I don't know what products I should use. If it matters, I've done about 600 miles on it, usually in dry conditions.

As what I'm planning to do (sorry for improper terminology):

Operation lubrication
Wheel hub axle bearings
Crank hub axle
Mechs
Rear mech's gear bearings (these 2 little),
Gear cables
Pedals

I have Castrol LM Grease, from their website: "Lithium based, high melting point grease, specifically designed as a wheel bearing grease for use over a wide range of temperatures". Is it suitable for a bike and can I use it for all bearings mentioned above, including derailleur gears (it's somehow thick and sticky)? Will WD40 be fine for cables, mechs and pedals? I know GT85 was recommended but I actually have WD40

Besides, should I take care of head tube bearings (seems fine to me) and completely remove cogset? It was hell to remove it on my previous bike (i don't have a tool for that) and it turned out not to be necessary, inside was clean and greased.

Brakes
I need to bleed brakes as rear feels spongy now (Tekro Auriga). On the reservoir container it says 'mineral oil', can I use any I can get hold of, or it must be something more specific?

Chain
I've been reading guides on chain cleaning and it is recommended to use parafine and then soak in motor oil. Can I substitute parafine with white spirit and use same oil as for brakes?

Thanks for your time.

PS. One trip that started it all

T1berious

Hi,

I'm not sure if you've used it a lot over those years or not, but in no specific order.

Brakes:

Lookup the brake you've got on the web \ manufacturers website, a quick google and here's the pdf

http://www.tektro.com/04support/pdf/Auriga-English.pdf

Chains etc after 3 years you're best bet is to replace (Chain, Cassette, middle ring) depending on the condition of the cables you might need to replace them. Alot depends on how often you've been riding it and in what conditions. Citrus degreaser is what most riders use for cleaning the chain, also very good for getting gunk off rear mech jockey wheels.

GT85 = Good ,WD40 = Bad ( too thin for bike duties and not kind to bike bits so I hear )

If the rear mech needs some love and its been a few years If it was me, replace it. However if you want to strip it again i'd go to the manufacturers website and grab the pdf.

A really good place to look for general tips is the parktools website.

Hope this helps

T1b

Laurence25

Hi there i also use Castrol LM Grease for re-greasing my peddles mech bolt ect and find it grate does tho job just right

RockingDad

I use LM grease for the drive shaft slip joints on my jeep so should be fine for the Job. Seriously thought it is a general purpose high pressure / melting point grease and good for most bearing lubrication.

I use 'Gunk' for seriously heavy degreasing and on my sons abused bike it stripped the crap off the chain in a few minutes with the help of a toothbrush but for a bike like the fury buy a new one. If your going to the trouble of a rebuild like this then items that will have worn / stretched like chains, shifter cables and cassettes will benfit from replacement.

Good luck with it.

RD

supersonic

I avoid lithium grease in all static applications as it dries out and bonds metals together. It also has a habit of rotting rubber seals. Use copaslip for static joints and threads, or teflon grease.

I use a teflon bike grease for all grease applications.

I use teflon wet chain oil for all external lubing.

Brakes and suspension need specific oils inside.

GT85 is good for cable flushing, but that is about it really.

stumpyjon

Finish line White grease for all bearings etc, finish line wet lube for the chain, Mineral oil or DOT fluid for the brakes. A full strip down for me would include replacing cables and outers, new chain and possibly sprocketts. If you want to service your fork you also need suspension oil in the appropriate weight, for my REBAS I needed 5 wt & 15 wt oil, for my Fox forks it's 7.5 wt (annoyingly).

Also make sure you have the right tools for removing your cassette, bottom bracket etc. Probably need cone spanners for your hubs and unless you're lucky a pedal spanner to get the pedals off.

*AJ*

replace cables after 3 years, Give outers a good flush with WD40 or similar too..

I doubt the chain and cassette would need replacing after 600 miles TBH, its not a lot of mileage.

Macster1

Ignore!