HOW TO CLEAN BEARINGS || RC Tips & Maintenance

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Anyone else jam out to some tunes while wrenching? 🎶

[@OscarRodriguez-nr9rn]

Ryan Harris I always do... It's like working on your hot-rod in the garage or shop.

[@stuffandthings4026]

It helps me clam down and not rush whil wrenching

[@thecman26]

Always!

[@trentmarlowe7655]

Yep

[@andrewgarcia8190]

All the time! I put on Pandora and then start wrenching away!!

[@pappyman179]

I just wanted to say that I'm not into RC cars, but I've been refurbishing shaft bearings in a similar way since before you were born [literally]. I gave your video a like because you presented the information in a clear, correct and pleasant way, sorta like Bob Ross. ;-) For those that have not done this before, let me assure you, it makes a world of difference and can often give you a couple more years of use for things like squirrel-cage fans, squeaky motors, skate boards, bicycle pedals, crank, wheel and neck bearings etc.. It can also breath new life into junkyard motors and shop tools and things, saving you lots of money. A great technique and tool to have for your whole life. Back in the day we used to use freon, trichloroethylene or M.E.K. and you almost didn't need to blow them dry, but that is nasty stuff before we knew about cancer and the ozone layer. Alcohol is a safe and cheap way to do it and not ruin the the atmospere; good choice. Best of luck on your channel, I'm off to find the next random KZbin rabbit hole to fall into.

[@pappyman179]

Another tip, for really old, dirty bearings where grease has solidified, or just lots of nasty gunk on them, you can use a cheap citrus-based household degreaser for the first few rounds. After washing, dump the wash-can into a colander (over the sink), rinse them with the faucet and all the dirty water goes down the drain. Use the alcohol for the final rinse. Less alcohol vapors, less chance of fire, less alcohol to dispose of properly. The citrus is cheaper and makes a pleasant smell for the girlfriend (who will think you clean your house or something). Citrus has natural sugars, so you have to get a proper rinse before drying. That's why I rinse with water [dissolve the sugars], follow with some kind of alcohol to displace the water and then spin or blow dry to get the alcohol out. If you don't own a compressor, you can put a thin cloth over a vacuum-cleaner hose so that it sucks it into the hose an inch or two, which makes a small bowl to drop the bearings. Stir them around for a minute or two and they'll get dry pretty quick. Pro tip: put a fresh bag in the vacuum in case you screw up and the bearing get sucked into the vacuum. You can also use a coffee filter or blue shop towel (risky), but white paper towels will get sucked into the vacuum every time.

[@RyanHarrisRC]

PappyMan thanks for stopping by! I learned from my dad when I was a little guy. He also grew up using M.E.K. but warned against it for health reasons. Fun fact: the pliers used here are older than myself and possibly my dad as well haha

[@pappyman179]

Awesome. When I was 8 years old, I inherited a pair of wire-cutting pliers with a 1/2 inch-thick wrapping of friction tape on the handles. I was told that those pliers belonged to my grandfather who worked with the Roebling Wire and Rope company. Apparently my grandpa was an electrician and general worker that helped to build the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, CA. My family formal dining table was handed down to my mom by my grandma and she said that grandpa used to cover that table with blueprints until the wee hours -- while 'arguing emphatically' (as she would say) with one of the Roebling brothers about how the bridge should be constructed and properly maintained. Sadly, after cherishing (and using) those pliers for well over 3 decades, a burglar took them away forever. Cherish your memories. :) I love seeing dads and kids passing down knowledge and taking the torch for the next generation. It gives me hope. P.S. The friction tape was there for high voltage insulation because they didn't have plasti-dip, or plastic tape back then. Pro tip: decades-old friction tape is a sticky black horrible mess that only crunchy gojo can peel off your skin. ;-)

[@pappyman179]

You were so kind to reply, so I subbed you for nostalgia reasons. Back in the '80s I hand-made an RC car, but it used a huge nitro-methane / castor oil engine (with glow plug) from a huge model plane. It would clear 60-70 IRL miles per hour and you could light up both of the 2" spongy rear tires at any speed with the flip of your finger. It used a brass band curved around the flywheel and attached to a servo for the brakes. I drew the chassis shape by hand on a sheet of 1/4 aircraft aluminum and cut it out with a moto-tool and cutoff wheel. I wasn't a very good driver, and in those days the trucker's CB radios were on the same frequency as the controller, so the servos would go spastic when a passing trucker keyed his mic. You can not imagine how badly that chassis rolled up and over itself when it hit a parking curb at 60+ mph. It looked like a rolled cinnamon roll. Oddly, the shock-mounted servos, batteries and all the parts in the rear were never damaged. I can't say the same about the front wheels and axles for obvious reasons. I did that again a few times with both a delrin and poly-carbonate hand-made chassis. Different failure modes, but all had the same outcome -- get out the pen and draw out a new chassis design. After 3 collisions-of-death, I finally admitted that I was a better engineer than I was a driver and the final 5/16 aluminum chassis was built and I sold the working car to a friend without me ever driving the final design (for obvious reasons).

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Sounds like a lot of work/ fun haha I will leave the engineering to the pros and I will stick to racing and maintaining :D

[@LulzRoyce]

Bearing maintenance is the bain of my existence. I just always buy new ones.

[@originalkontrol]

As always, great video. Your attention to detail is great. I needed to see how to remove those shields! Thanks!

[@dpc-bski343]

I just wanted to thank you I’m just an amateur and I’ve been watching your videos to learn from a pro. It’s hard to find someone that takes the time to make videos that are willing to show a step by step process and you’re the only one that takes the time to show your tips, tricks and secrets step by step the way you do. Someday I hope I’ll be able to have the skill and the money to buy the the cars and equiptment to race with you . I can’t afford to race and where I live they’re aren’t any tracks but I learn a lot from you. Thanks again! Keep winning races! And please keep posting the races you’re racing in so we all can enjoy watching them!

[@kmzai]

Instead of denatured alcohol you can use citrus cleaners as they works perfect for removing dirt and thick grease

[@Ben_Howard]

Ultrasonic cleaner is great cleaner! (The precision guys say it pits the metal, but for RC it’s not a concern) however don’t fill the whole bath with denatured alcohol, as it has a low flash point. You can use a beaker or glass jar, make a rubber base (old rc tyres) and place that in the bath of water. That’s the basics but it works brilliantly. Plus the ultrasonic cleaner is great for cleaning other parts.

[@therccollaborative9524]

I like how you explain that the grease is slower but increases the life of the bearing (implied). Using Oil does make the bearings faster;however. requires allot more maintenance and does not protect the bearing as well so I prefer to pack with grease which makes the bearing smoother and highly reduces wear while resisting moisture and dirt better. I believe if you wanted to run oil instead of grease I would keep 2 or 3 full sets of bearings on hand so you can swap them at any point and clean/re grease them in your off time. This will allow you to keep maintenance up while preventing having to stop and maintain your bearings every time you touch them. I would feel obligated to clean them each time I feel they are gritty which takes more time and this could be an issue when racing. Running them gritty wears the bearings out really fast. If I had more money to invest in bearings I would totally do this because I could benefit from the faster oil without worrying about immediate maintenance. How often do you end up cleaning your bearings? After each main race event? Or can you go longer?

[@chetclark8666]

The Rc Collaborative Jeremy Hopkins wondering the same thing. How often are you doing this Maintanence?

[@dustinspallone6659]

Awesome video! Was just doing this yesterday cleaning my bearings for Springs this weekend.

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Nice! Good luck out there Dustin 👍

[@AlexorNah]

Dustin Spallone I’m going to give you my bearings from my PR car to do lol.

[@christopherguzzi1316]

Great advice. I admire the attention to detail. I'm certainly not made of money, but for less than a buck a bearing, I just throw them away and replace with new.

[@JeffSmith-eq3kc]

One thing to look at would be NLGI-1 bearing greases. If you're looking for pure speed, no, but if you want some measure of longevity and speed then it's worth a look. There's a product made by Gennel that's a very light NLGI-1 bearing grease. It essentially turns into oil when the bearings are running but it gives you a bit of protection.

[@benpetz6816]

Very good topic Ryan. I made a research a couple of years ago which oil is the best for bearings with low drag and it came out that Aeroshell fluid 12 shall be one of the best. It is used for aircraft instruments gimbal bearings etc. Unfortunately it is hard to get and also the price has raised a lot in the last years. I found also out that a few RC companies which sell small bearing oil bottles have these oil in the bottle but different labeled of course. Just for the information. Keep racing.

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Good to know! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@andrearosotti8925]

Very interesting video!! Your tips video are very cool and interesting at the same time. What about a tip video on tire and insert choice and preparation? (except for gluing since it already exists)

[@RyanHarrisRC]

It's something on the table for sure. I am getting more comfortable with info myself first, then I will share with you 👍

[@RevIt66]

Hi Ryan, this maybe just a lazy trick, but i find it works on my old bearings.. I've always dodged removing seals, big fingers and knowing WD40 removes grease as well as water and dirt, just from playing with big cars all my life, i use it to clean the bearings complete, seals and all, of course with dirty bearings you need to repeat a few times like the alcohol, but with the WD and some working i find you can get them pretty decent, then just blow off, wipe then work the oil in past the seals, usually let them sit with the oil on top and it will soak in. I don't replace many bearings doing this, can usually get them spinning nicely, unless they are really shagged, lol.

[@jakebish2719]

Ryan- have you done a video on ceramic bearings? If not will you? Whats your thoughts on ceramic vs. All others, including hybrids? Thanks man love your channel.

[@jakWiize]

This was great with some solid production quality. Thanks man. Also… I was looking this up to wash new bearings for my Tamiya 🤣 that I picked up to replace those damn bushings.

[@cagelexi8954]

Amazing video!! Try this. Use lighter fluid to clean it, soak and spin after, then light it when your done. I learned this method from Gentry Stein (the world champions yoyoer). 👍

[@flintTC]

Ryan first let me say your videos are good and informative. In an older video you mentioned you used the Trinity Ceramic bearings on your B6. How do you like them so far? Have you tried any other brand of ceramic bearings? Thanks

[@customdrums]

I do a similar cleaning the oiling for my longboard bearings using a citrus cleaner. Makes them fast and spin for ever.

[@TheZombieRebel]

Recently subbed, found you while trying to see if lake park ever reopened. Best looking rc videos on youtube. 👍

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Hey thanks man! Lake Park is an awesome track! Find them on Facebook to stay up to date on race times 👍

[@t3floz]

Great video! Do you think it’s worth it to clean bearings instead of just buying new? New should be pretty cheap and even tough we clean out bearings they can have taken a small amount of damage from the dirt that has been in there while the bearing was spinning

[@roberttannenbaum6779]

I need to jam sum tunes while wrenching on all my cars just cause it seems to make the time roll by an b4 you know it your done I use ceramic bearings an just hit them when I rebuild diffs an I just hit them with oil an it seems to keep then rolling smooth on my 1/8 buggies kyoshomp9 thankx for the information an good videos that you take your time to help out others who may not know

[@estebanyee3784]

Hi, we use thin Grease on bearings. Work great on dirt track.

[@rcanimalsarizona5327]

If you come to arizona, you will have to teach me to drive with the stadium truck, I just built it after racing a b5m fac lite for 3 years, you are a legend

[@DerekTan]

Thanks for sharing! Could you also share how to clean the rubber shield? Any chemical to be used to clean the dirt on the shield? Thanks

[@GregDaGoblin]

Back in the day seemed they all had those tiny C shaped clips, whether they were sealed or not. Man I had a bunch of those spring off and go flying. Once the bearing is open my favorite way to clean them was stick it on a shaft or a pencil or something and blast it at an angle with a spay can of electrical contact cleaner. It'll spin the bearing super fast and sling everything out. Plus it dries fast and leaves practically no residue.

[@samuelriverajr8495]

That oil you suggested good for bashing? Doing the bearings on my X-Maxx and trying to decide on the oil/grease ..

[@bellstangrc7799]

Awesome video!!! Thank you for the info, you have great videos and i also like the maintenance stuff!!

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Thanks for the feedback man 👍 Good luck out there!

[@chrisbrowne8997]

What would you recommend for the average guy just running a basher type buggy every now and then I can see this process being necessary for a racing application but seems overkill for general running is using a bearing holder spray tool and spray acceptable

[@Roger-nu2ec]

Great video! To reduce drag is it worth doing on new bearings as they come with grease and replace with a light oil?

[@Jo90Lives]

As another option try using Brake Cleaner (I use Wurth but anything in a can is OK). It breaks down the grease and blows the dirt out with the force from the can. I generally soak mine in WD40 for about 15-20 mins before which also softens any dirt or material in them. It leaves the bearings clean without having to remove steel cages (would still remove rubber ones) as well as evaporating away and leaving nothing to have to clean out. After oil the bearing as you have done with a light synthetic oil (mineral just degrades the bearings over time). Decent well kept bearings will last some time.

[@MrAbsolutesoul]

Hi Ryan Great video, how are you disposing the used denatured alcohol?

[@Hybridhatch]

Hello Ryan, I was wondering, do you oil/lube your brushless motor bearings? I am starting over again with electric after a 22 year break, last I remember with brushed stock motors they had a bushing and we cleaned and oiled the motor after each race day, do we do the same with bearing'ed brushless motors? Thanks for any input.

[@joshreeves9673]

Soke them in wd40 over night. The dnatured alcohol will dry up the grease? As wd40 will thin the grease. Used to do this to my skateboard bearings on skateboards when I was a kid

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Nice! WD40 is a magical spray that's for sure 👍

[@joshreeves9673]

Ryan Harris please make a video on differential adjustments.

[@sandyradsek2058]

Great video. Referring to your monthly rebuild comment in the video, what other things are you doing to your car during a rebuild?

[@andreasjonsson8075]

You can combine oil and grease as well. I rub my bearings with grease over the seal as well. To seal it of from dirt even more

[@aaronstutzman6431]

Love the videos. Well thought out and put together. Keep it up

[@tint661]

I use the compressed gas that you used to blow the dust off your computer keyboard. It works just as well. Dust off is the brand name they sell in my area.

[@jdbecker1240]

Great videos Ryan keep it up. Where the bearings you used steel or ceramic?

[@floriszuidema7068]

Awesome video Ryan! Gonna give my bearings of my second hand 8th scale buggy I just picked up a good clean this way ✨ don't think there's anything as satisfieing as the feel and suddle sound from clicking in rubber sealings again in bearings :P

[@1187steele]

Thanks love the quality of your work hope you do more !

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Thanks! I'll keep the videos coming for sure man 👍

[@ryanherrera9171]

I did this when I was in TC, years ago. But I was racing then, now is just for fun.

[@brandonvazquez154]

yea another setup tutorial keep up the good work Ryan

[@joshzimmer9016]

Gotta have the beats jammin well your wrenchin ! Love the vids man you have helped me so much with all the vids ! When are you Coming to Canada !

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Canada... I don't know haha Maybe one day 👍

[@joshzimmer9016]

Check out Otterville raceway on youtube you know you have Ontario on your bucket list ;) thanks again for all the help !

[@jungyul2005]

Great vid. What's your thought on ceramic bearing? Thanks.

[@RyanHarrisRC]

They are great too! Not a must have by any means, but if you're going to replace worn out bearings it might be worth a shot!

[@PerryCodes]

Especially in the transmission/drivetrain.

[@jaesrcworld3953]

Great video, very informative

[@inlinesix333]

Great video, but don't forget the safety glasses when blowing chemicals out of stuff with compressed air.

[@jesseortega8598]

Awesome tip Ryan !

[@georgedeligeorgos2827]

Can I use acetone for cleaning differentials and bearings? I have many liters from acetone.

[@JustinGreenRC]

Nice process. Sadly I see myself being forced into 17.5 and 13.5 Racing... but looks like I’ll be buying all the good stock stuff in the future. For sure bearings!

[@rcx8971]

What's that suppose to mean

[@1dirtovalracer]

Hey Ryan quick question for you. I may have ask this question before but what kind of compressor are you using? I'm looking for one that small and portable and it has good pressure. I just not sure what kind of Buy.

[@mechanicmike2858]

Cool video great info thanks for making but I was kinda hoping more info on tuning a ESC like the last on that I might add help me out a lot by the way this Friday I managed to get pull off a1st dubble sweep. 👍👍👍

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Congrats Mike!

[@voyager33mw]

I have some 3 in 1 electric motor oil. Would that work to re-oil the bearings?

[@rcsendandblast1579]

Hey there awesome vid man. I appreciate what you do big time ✌️👍. What other cleaning/ cleaners work that are similar to what you have there. Will alcohol work/ basic solvents like WD40. I got my first car and need to fix a squeaky bearing. I sure hope the squeak is not coming out of the rear end. Thank you for the video tutorial😎👍✌️

[@scotty__dont]

Ryan, I just got back into the hobby. I bought a set of ACER bearings, and I opened damn near all of them without finding one packed with grease. They all just had liquid oil in them. They are ceramic bearings. Are these companies now prepping them like you do when they sell them? So maybe you don't have to go through all of this with a new set? What are your thoughts?

[@chunx374108]

Are you still using denatured alcohol to clean your bearings

[@andrewgarcia8190]

Dude all your videos are awesome! Great tutorial! Can’t wait for your next video!

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Thanks for the love Andrew :D

[@Karl23extreme]

What's your recommendation in battery pack intervals on when you should service an on-road rc car? Like cleaning/re-lubing the bearings and gears, taking the whole chassis apart etc.

[@kevinklein1806]

Thank you sir for posting this.

[@mazmorbid5840]

Yet another great video, thanks Ryan ! I use Shellite here in Australia, not sure if you guys have that over there ?

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Cool! Can't say I have used that stuff before, but whatever gets the job done right? lol

[@mazmorbid5840]

It evaporates very quick, we used to run in our motors in It, back in the day when Schumacher CATs and Optima MIDs ruled the track ;)

[@og2h4m78]

I enjoy the tip videos a lot

[@hawkeyelikesbikes]

Hi Ryan, love your vids and chilled friendly presentation style. With practice sessions and I'm assuming weekly racing, how many hours runtime would this equate to between cleans?

[@RyanHarrisRC]

Hey thanks! Not sure on specific runtime... I get about 1 big race a month ( 2-3 day event ) and a couple club races before I do a tear down. They last longer the more you keep them clean 👍

[@hawkeyelikesbikes]

Ryan Harris thanks. Sounds like about 3-5 hours I'm guessing? Looks like I''m due for a strip and clean then. Cheers.

[@tristanherboth459]

Great information thank you Ryan.

[@1776freddie]

I have some whittz ceramic bearings,should I take the seal off before cleaning these.they have a metal seal then a c clip

[@bobbymalta73]

Hello Ryan so you Put only 1 drop of bearing oil inside each Bearing it Is anough?

[@anythingcars1389]

Can you use like WD-40 or normal rubbing alcohol to clean them?

[@JosephStampfl]

Using a shop magnet to pull the bearings out is a good way to avoid sticking your hands in the cleaning solution if you don't have gloves - or if you don't want to use gloves.

[@nicksassany6446]

Be careful not magnetis the bearings the they'll draw metals from the soil

[@craigmay8888]

Ultra sonic jewelry cleaner works really good for cleaning bearings

[@wbhandy]

Tip: you don’t need to worry about denatured alcohol on your skin. It’s actually an ingredient in some kinds of skincare. It’s one of the safer solvents, and a good choice for stuff like this.

[@mcgeemcgee3539]

Can you use sewing machine lubricants to oil bearings?

[@BrianW2979]

Can you use isopropyl alcohol instead of denatured alcohol?

[@h-jg7730]

Breakcleaner + fire + new oil 🔥😂 If no compressed air is at hand 👍

[@tint661]

You can use the product that you use to blow the dust off and out of a computer. Dust off is a name brand.

[@hannibalshop-ups6598]

Thanks for the video Ryan. I have a couple of questions. How do you handle smaller bearings? What about one a with metal on both sides? Will any other alcohol work, like rubbing? Thanks, keep up the great work.

[@OscarRodriguez-nr9rn]

Awesome. Thanks for the video!

[@SamuraiBlues5]

i know i am abit late to the party... but are there any solvents that i can use instead of alcohol? Like, acetone?

[@gcarrico28]

Ryan, what do you use for compressed air? My big one in my garage is too big to lug down into my basement workshop, I need something smaller (and quiet).

[@RyanHarrisRC]

I have a pancake compressor that I use for track days, painting, rebuilds etc.

[@rctrax7787]

A keyboard cleaner can of air for computers might work.

[@e.v.frederick3598]

What king of oil for cleaned bearings

[@macmacman2]

great video please more like this

[@andyrichey1192]

Thank you for sharing great info

[@Balaboti]

Ryan Harris, just curious, why do I seldom see full ceramic bearing being used?

[@rcracer3235]

what about using an ultrasonic cleaner?

[@ScottzillaRC]

Great information, thanks for sharing!!

[@williamseemann2673]

Ryan, I love that hat! I have the same exact one, I think...lol does it say 27 time Champion on the back?

[@williamseemann2673]

Supreme can be hard to get sometimes 😪 🤣

[@williamseemann2673]

BTW, yes, I guess I'm 3yrs late to this particular party 🥳 🤪🤣

I use thick grease into my bearing, even if the bearing is slower , dirt , mud , water WILL NOT go into the bearing because the grease block it ! Oil will burn and dirt will go again in ! For bash 100% use grease and not oil :)

[@justdoinit88ray50]

RCDuck's Wht kind of grease??

[@tint661]

I watched some other guys suggesting to take the seal out of the bearing and carefully cut some of the seal material off to create less drag. I will have to see if taking the heavy grease out of the bearing and replacing it with bearing oil will work also. I didn't like the fact that cutting some of the seal opens your bearing up to getting dirty and in time wearing the bearing out quicker.

[@Cyco-Dude]

if you cut the seal, you may as well just use metal shielded instead.

[@BonesFPV]

@@Cyco-Dude problem is you can’t get a metal seal off without destroying it.

[@jameswhitehead6758]

How frequently do you clean your bearings?

[@henryliu8518]

any alternatives for denatured alcohol? what about methylated spirits?

[@Stefan1978GER]

Still RC Channel or unintentional ASMR? Thanx for info about the bearing sealed things, didnt know it.

[@rodrigomincoff7822]

My serpent srx8 has metal sealed bearings, is there any maintenance to do on those?

[@lawrencewinter]

Ryan, love the channel, Can we get some love (and airtime) for nitro onroad cars, especially those with a two speed. Manufacturers are ignoring us and we are a fairly significant group. This is the bread and butter of RC and we need to garner some momentum to get manufacturers to bring out at least one good nitro onroad basher each. Love the content bro

[@freddievflores9276]

What type of oil you use on bearings?

[@stankovic7150]

Is it better to use good quality grease instead using oil? Oil will go away and grease gona stay inside. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@BMfins]

If there new and you just run them for a pack it seems to make them spin just fine.

[@ernestoperez901]

How often should a twice a month racer clean the bearings?

[@chadmotorider]

Hi. I love your videos. If I buy the $50 set of "speed bearings" they have medal shields on both sides. Do those high price bearings have grease in them? Should I try and get the medal shield off or can I just oil the bearings?

[@WaschyNumber1]

Hello, What is the diameter of the balls inside the 608 bearings? 🤔 Everywhere they write only the outer dimensions not the steel ball diameter.

[@3-danything977]

This is a great video man thanks and i sub

[@TexasMomma1776]

what other oils can u use?

[@TheJMRCEnthusiastEmporium]

Here is another option...thank you.

[@wadedavis9344]

Love the videos. But put bearings in before you pour in cleaner. No splash. And get a cheap magnet to remove...