Cassette cleaning

[Piernas Flacas]

I dont understand why you would use any products to clean the cassette? A clean cloth and some light wiping is all it takes...

I generally do a maintenance clean with the wheel off the bike but cassette on the wheel, thread a section of cloth through, and saw back and forth using the freewheel to turn and then resist the cloth...

 

For a major service or clean, remove the cassette from the wheel, and wipe each cog clean with the cloth...

 

The risk of detergent, solvent, or stripper near the hub and freebody bearings is just too much and it becomes a massive mess anyway...

 

Old T shirts do the trick for a messy rag too... Cheap as chips..

I've used rags as well after I scrub with Kleen Green and, yes, it's the only way to get all the gunk between the cogs out. But I thought maybe WD40 would do a better job in dissolving the gunk with less quantities and elbow grease. Not that my cassettes ever get that dirty but just to save some time.

[Butterbean]

I've used rags as well after I scrub with Kleen Green and, yes, it's the only way to get all the gunk between the cogs out. But I thought maybe WD40 would do a better job in dissolving the gunk with less quantities and elbow grease. Not that my cassettes ever get that dirty but just to save some time.

But that's my whole point.. A properly clean cassette will need some cloth work anyway, so it's really not a big deal to add in an extra minute of it to spare the expense and possible contamination by chemical of very vital parts...

 

But each to his own I guess

[Piernas Flacas]

if you clean it regularly, there shouldn't be too much gunk, Also check out Namgear's products, you get them in big bottles as well - so split with some mates and Bob's your uncle.

Over the years I learnt to clean the cassette after 4-5 rides, depending on conditions, and it's relatively easy. On Sunday, though, I was tasked to clean my friend's bike and took me a few hours to get all that gunk out. Will check Namgear, thanks!

[Piernas Flacas]

My next investment for cleaning cassette's and whatever else needs a cleaning...

 

http://www.labotec.co.za/new-range-price-competitive-ultrasonic-cleaners/

Looks like it will be my next investment too! Never heard of these things, thanks!

[Sepia]

Looks like it will be my next investment too! Never heard of these things, thanks!

Not cheap! I have one and it works fantastically well.

[V12man]

My next investment for cleaning cassette's and whatever else needs a cleaning...

 

http://www.labotec.co.za/new-range-price-competitive-ultrasonic-cleaners/

little bit of dishwasher soap and water and 20 min and it will be clean - Properly clean.

 

Chains actually get a little too clean - and really need to be soaked in paraffin wax or lube afterwards for a while to get the pins properly lubricated again.

 

That said - they are great to have - problem is your mates will all want to borrow it.

Edited June 12, 2018 by V12man

[JustinS]

Not cheap! I have one and it works fantastically well.

What size would be best to clean a cassette etc?

[Psyrax]

Anyone actually used a dishwasher for parts cleaning? Well, those who don't have a spouse that will explode when she finds out what you actually have done.

[V12man]

Anyone actually used a dishwasher for parts cleaning? Well, those who don't have a spouse that will explode when she finds out what you actually have done.

I have - but you have to be careful with the detergent you use - aluminum parts don't like dishwasher detergent much for repeated use and anodizing can suffer badly.

[Dirkitech]

Hi All

 

Thought I'd share a little "yay" moment to this forum. Discovered a while back that, after removing a SRAM PG970 cassette using the chainwhip and lockring tools, all but the two smallest cogs of the cassette are held together by a tiny (1.5mm) allen bolt that you can get at on the back of the largest cog.

 

Unscrew and remove the allen bolt, and the cogs all come apart, separated by plastic (nylon?) spacers. You can then scrub them all beautifully clean away from the bike, with no fear of contaminating brake discs, getting crud in bearings etc. etc.

 

Reassembly is easy - just be careful to:

(i) Orient the spacers correctly so the hole in each spacer, through which the allen bolt has to pass, lines up correctly

(ii) Put the cogs back the right way round i.e. the sides stamped with a little capital M must be on the hub side and the ramped sides of the teeth must be on the outside

(iii) Make sure that the spline slots line up correctly - not all of them are the same size so it's easy to check

(iv) Not overtighten the allen bolt - very easy to strip the thread and/or mangle the hex

 

After that, it's the usual refitting of the cassette onto the freehub.

 

Good luck!

7 years later and your post taught me something. Thank you

[GrahamS2]

Re-purpose it. 

I keep mine in a jar / tin, and whenever I need to start a fire for braai or in my fireplace, I use an old, used up rag, that I soak in the paraffin. Perfect fire starter. 

Used tea bags left in the old paraffin work very well too.