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Warning: Those "sealed" cartridge bearings might not be as clean as you think
I spent 2 years replacing bottom bracket bearings every 3 months on my commuter bike, thinking cheap bearings were just junk. Then a old timer at a co-op in Portland showed me how to pop the seals and repack them with marine grease, and the set I "rebuilt" is still smooth after 8 months. Has anyone else found that most cartridge bearings come with barely any grease from the factory?
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angela_dixon1mo ago
Did you find the marine grease made a big difference over normal grease?
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That 3.2mm hex key trick for popping the seals changed everything for me. I timed it once - factory grease took 37 seconds to start feeling dry on my finger, but after repacking with Lucas marine grease it still had that tacky film after 6 months. The real eye opener was finding the bearing races were actually polished smooth on those "garbage" bearings, they just starved for lubrication. Makes you wonder if bike companies spec low grease just to sell more replacement parts.
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