Headset bearing question

[therockgod]

I want to replace the rusted headset bearings in my project bike. There's no bike shop nearby so I have to order online.Can anybody tell me what size/type this is?

 

[jerrykr]

those look way better than a lot of them I have re-used.
I would pack them with a good grade of grease, including in the bearing cups, and put the forks back in the head tube.
just my 2 pennies..........

 

[therockgod]

Cool. That sounds alot better than ordering the wrong size I'll do that. Thanks. Hey,it says yr in "DFWland". What part? I was born and raised in N. Richland Hills

 

[ozzmonaut]

I agree. I would refer to that bearing as "nice". Once you degrease it, it will look almost new. As long as there isn't scaling rust (rust that has built up in clumps or is beyond surface rust, and the cage isn't bent or balls aren't falling out, then you're fine. I had trashed bearings that were missing balls, so I took some from another trashed bearing to replace those, greased, installed, and rode.

 

[Walker]

give them a vinegar bath for several hours, then see how they look.

 

[jerrykr]

Southlake, next to Keller and NRH, grew up in Gainesville.

 

[scrumblero]

give them a vinegar bath for several hours, then see how they look.

+1

 

[therockgod]

Thanks all. I'll drop em' in vinegar today and pick up some grease too.

 

[Outlaw90]

clean um up grease them and throw them back in... :mrgreen:

 

[Lucky Strike]

How to the races look? The cups and cones. I would never, ever, reuse those. And soaking precision machined parts in a mild acid is a no go as well. Ball bearings are super cheep. I mean. Really, really, inexpensive. find a bearing shop. Here in Houston I go to Houston Bearing. get the replacement balls. Pop the old ones out of the retainer, and put in the new ones.

If your cups and cones are usable doing this will preserve them. Not doing this will ruin them in short order.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm a pessimist, but these simple steps may help you preserve a rare old bike for future generations.

Also, I think a Wald 4080 head set is what you could use to replace the whole mess. Not too expensive either:

http://www.amazon.com/Wald-Headset-4080 ... B000AO5FPG

 

[Wolf]

[And soaking precision machined parts in a mild acid is a no go as well*]

+1

 

[therockgod]

How to the races look? The cups and cones. I would never, ever, reuse those. And soaking precision machined parts in a mild acid is a no go as well. Ball bearings are super cheep. I mean. Really, really, inexpensive. find a bearing shop. Here in Houston I go to Houston Bearing. get the replacement balls. Pop the old ones out of the retainer, and put in the new ones.

If your cups and cones are usable doing this will preserve them. Not doing this will ruin them in short order.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm a pessimist, but these simple steps may help you preserve a rare old bike for future generations.

Also, I think a Wald 4080 head set is what you could use to replace the whole mess. Not too expensive either:

http://www.amazon.com/Wald-Headset-4080 ... B000AO5FPG

wow,yeah thanks. that's not much more than the grease would cost. I'll add that to my order,I was going get my tires from them too!

 

[clamdigger]

It's just a ball bearing set for a bicycle fork,not an axle bearing for an Indy race car. Clean everything with WD40 and a toothbrush. wipe it with an old cotton T-shirt and repack it with wheel bearing grease and it should be fine. The Wald set is good too. Depends on the bike. On mine the bearing cups were too wide to press all the way in and the nice chrome nut on top was the wrong id for my stem.

 

[socal_jack]

Lacquer thinner eats that varnished up old grease real nice. Might be salvageable.

 

[Jpromo]

I love this product for just about anything. I leave bearings and hub parts in over night and everything just wipes off with no harm done to the parts. I leave chains in there from the time I disassemble the bike to the time it's going back together. Clean painted parts with it, dip a toothbrush and clean grease off hub shells, dirt, really anything. It doesn't harm any surface either. </advertisement>

Just my experience.

 

[Skwerly]

What I do, is spray a few squirts of Brake Kleen on them, and then vigorously rub with a rag. Bearings shine like new in an instant, and it doesn’t take very much of that stuff! Then I apply Moly grease and I’m off.