Tips for cleaning a frameset/old Campy parts?

[Avincent52]

I'm getting my full-Campy Serotta back on the road and I'm looking for both advice and tips.
The good news is that the bike is pretty clean. There's a little bit of road grime here and there on otherwise very clean and intact paint.
The Campy components are a little dull but not deeply tarnished. Probably the biggest negative aesthetically is that the spokes don't look great.
The bearings all spin freely, brakes and derailleurs work like they should. Glue on some new tubulars--in the mail--and I'd trust it for a 50-mile ride on a purely mechanical level.
I'm figuring I'd like to get the bike rideable, but mostly for sunny days and good roads, but also well-preserved.

Two questions:
1) How much should I clean/disassemble the bike? Do I really need to repack the bottom bracket and the headset, or its it more sensible to leave it be.
Should I take off the clamp on front derailleur and the brakes or just clean around them gently with a toothbrush.
Back in the day, I didn't worry about that too much because Campy small parts were as easy as a walk to the local bike shop. Now if a bearing or a lock ring hits the floor and skitters away, it's a production.

2) What are the cleaning products of choice nowadays? I recall using auto paste wax and Simichrome and I'll bet there's something better.
Thanks in advance.

[FlashUNC]

If you're going to ride it, I wouldn't strip the parts and just give it a nice bath. Pop the wheels off and give everything a good scrub down as is.

If the bearings spin free and fine in the BB and headset, I don't see a reason to pull either of those other than to satisfy any OCD tendencies about greasing those areas. But even then I think that could be overkill if its all working as intended.

Personally, I've found lemon Pledge is a nice finish to wiping down the frame. Picks up the gunk and has a nice smell to boot.

[AngryScientist]

i like a "quick detailer" auto spray for wiping bike frames down with. good for automotive finish, so good for bike paint too.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/images/uploads/watermarked/ultimate-qd.jpg

WD-40 is great for wiping down metal components, including spokes for minor corrosion removal and shine up.

if you've got the time and know-how, if it were me, i'd pull apart the headset and BB and regrease them. uld grease really has a tendency to harden up and dry out, new stuff really brings old bearings back to life. bike specific stuff not necessary - a big tub of mobil-1 or valvoline synthetic grease are great for bike stuff and cheap.

[Hindmost]

"...spokes don't look great."

Spokes most likely are stainless steel and can be brought back to like-new with a little careful cleaning and polishing. Rags, most any cleaner, Mother's Aluminum Polish if needed.

Depending on condition, there is something to be said for removing derailleurs and brake calipers and immersing in solvent to clean the inner bits. Once dried they can be lubricated and wiped down.

[Avincent52]

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen. And for telling me what I want to hear.
I've got some of that same Quick Detailer in the basement.

The issue with the bearings isn't so much the skills as the tools.
I might just check the BB and see. If the grease is fine, I'll probably let it go.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Campagnolo make *special* grease back in the day? I"m sure I can find a NOS two-ounce tube of it for, day, $743.26 on Ebay.

Fortunately, my brake hoods are in good shape and I think I can get by with a judicious re-wrapping of the bar tape--white Ambrosio Bike Ribbon.

[FlashUNC]

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen. And for telling me what I want to hear.
I've got some of that same Quick Detailer in the basement.

The issue with the bearings isn't so much the skills as the tools.
I might just check the BB and see. If the grease is fine, I'll probably let it go.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Campagnolo make *special* grease back in the day? I"m sure I can find a NOS two-ounce tube of it for, day, $743.26 on Ebay.

Fortunately, my brake hoods are in good shape and I think I can get by with a judicious re-wrapping of the bar tape--white Ambrosio Bike Ribbon.

Any modern grease will be fine. I prefer Pedros in those headsets and SQ bearings, more because its easier to wipe off/clean up than the green Campy or Park Tool stuff.

Just don't be skimpy with it. Grease is your friend with those things.

[Avincent52]

Hindmost
I'm wondering if there isn't something weird.
IIRC I built the front wheels myself and had a shop do the rear wheels.
I want to say that I supplied all the spokes--DTs or Robergels or whatever was the thing at the time.
The fronts have a light coating of grime, while the rears seem pretty deeply tarnished. Wondering if they're not something besides stainless.

The rims, btw, are Mavic GP4 tubulars. A clement Kevlar CX on the back and a Vittoria GP on the front IIRC.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

[Hindmost]

Wow, we are going way back.

Robergels iirc (Trois Etoiles?) were likely steel with zinc (galvanized) plating. The DT's were the first high-quality stainless spokes. Look for logos on the spoke heads.

The zinc plated spokes can oxidize and the steel underneath can rust. 0000 steel wool and WD 40 carefully applied (elbow grease) can make them look pretty good. They will rust again so wipe them down periodically with WD 40 or detailer.

[Hindmost]

I recall using auto paste wax and Simichrome and I'll bet there's something better.

Simichrome was/is pricey and imported. Mother's Aluminum Polish is the equivalent and a small tub is affordable.

Both of these work best on bare, polished aluminum and other metals that are slightly oxidized. On anodized aluminum they are a bit of over-kill, maybe not necessary.

[dolface]

You can pick up a tube of Simichrome on ebay for <$10.00 http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIMICHROME-POLISH-1-76-ounce-Bakelite-Test-Car-Brass-/390454607494?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae8e87e86

[choke]

Mother's Aluminum Polish is the equivalent and a small tub is affordable.I used to use Mother's until I tried Flitz. IMO it is a huge improvement.

[texbike]

The Campy components are a little dull but not deeply tarnished.

What era Campy? I've had great success soaking 60s/70s/80s era Campy parts in Simple Green (the full strength stuff) for several minutes (10ish) and using a toothbrush and other small detailing brushes to remove unwanted grime and grease. Follow that with a good rinse in water to remove any leftover Simple Green and give them a shot of lite lube where needed. The parts come out with that nice, original soft Campy glow. A shot of carb cleaner will remove nasty, dried-out and caked-on grease in BB/HS cups and hub bearing surfaces (wipe out the grease with paper towels and rinse off the parts). Follow the hub cleaning with a bit of Simichrome to bring back the shine on the hubs. Steel wool works great on spokes. I've used these methods on a couple of project bikes and have been very happy with the results.

Good luck with your project!

Texbike

[oldpotatoe]

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen. And for telling me what I want to hear.
I've got some of that same Quick Detailer in the basement.

The issue with the bearings isn't so much the skills as the tools.
I might just check the BB and see. If the grease is fine, I'll probably let it go.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Campagnolo make *special* grease back in the day? I"m sure I can find a NOS two-ounce tube of it for, day, $743.26 on Ebay.

Fortunately, my brake hoods are in good shape and I think I can get by with a judicious re-wrapping of the bar tape--white Ambrosio Bike Ribbon.

Still do but just white Lithium. Go to the hardware and get a tub for about $5, I mix with another of blue boat grease..that mixture(pretty light blue) lasts forever BUT if you wish, and I do with Campagnolo only bearings, use the Campag grease. I have about 2/3 of a 1000 gram tub..

[Avincent52]

It's pre-index Record/Super Record, circa 1984. (No titanium BB, and non-drilled brake levers, but other than that full Super Record. Just bought a non-fluted, engraved 170 crankset about which I am psyched.)

https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/t31.0-8/11406737_10205977405186585_2662624677013044019_o.j pg

Thanks, everyone, for the great advice.
I remember how frustrating it was to clean the bike back in the day. You'd be almost done and a pterodactyl would swoop down and poop on it, and you'd have to start all over.

On a serious note, is Simple Green safe on paint?
The drivetrain isn't horribly gunked up, so I'm thinking I might leave it on the bike rather than risk the integrity of the vintage Regina SL (!) chain.

[Avincent52]

deleting a double post.

[Hindmost]

Tooth brushes, Q-tips, rags, time.

Nothing wrong with cleaning chain/chain rings on the bike. Best is you have a repair stand and one of those dummy axles or clamp-on pulley for cleaning the chain--remove rear wheel, mount chain on dummy axle, and go to town with solvent and tooth brush.

[DHallerman]

For sheer cleaning of painted frames and metal parts, cleaning to remove road muck, I've found that Glass Plus and a clean rag do wonders.

Then yes, polish frame with auto stuff, and polish bare metal with that different kind of polish.

But get them clean first.

Dave, who says it seems that non-glass objects benefit from this supermarket-bought liquid that isn't hard on hands either

[Fatty]

I like these a lot better than steel wool.
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/888561P/scotch-britetm-hand-pad-7447-pro-048011-64926-9-6x9-avfn.jpg?boundedSize=310
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MIndustrial/Abrasives/Products/~/Scotch-Brite-7447-PRO-Hand-Pad?N=7581709+3294234190&rt=rud

Easy to cut to the size you need.

[m_sasso]

For sheer cleaning of painted frames and metal parts, cleaning to remove road muck, I've found that Glass Plus and a clean rag do wonders.

Then yes, polish frame with auto stuff, and polish bare metal with that different kind of polish.

But get them clean first.

There is a large difference between wax and polish!

Wax is basically a coating designed to seal pores and protect a surface providing wear and corrosion resistance.

Polish is an abrasive designed to cut and remove the original surface and expose a new surface be it paint or alloy which should then be protected with a wax or sealer of some type.

Chose carefully, one protects the surface the other removes the surface. Use appropriate solution and materials for your restoration and unless your paint is scratch or swirl damaged avoid the polish on the paint.

[oldpotatoe]

Start with a baseline. That is, take it apart, down to bare frame. Clean all, new bearings, BB bearings, hub bearings, HS bearings. Take ders apart(easy, BTW), use a toothbrush and clean, lube innards of all..

Pledge works great cleaning and protecting, BTW...I use WD-40, tooth brush, rags..maybe some small bits in a sonic cleaner if ya got one. Oil the freewheel, clean the cogs off the body...basically take apart, clean/lube/put back togther. new cables and housing..

But did this more than once in the shop. People bring a bike that was gifted or had been in the basement for how long..'make it rideable' and pretty. Including parts, sometimes a $400++ type project, labor and parts but lotsa fun, IMHO. Easy to work on old Campag stuff.

[texbike]

Start with a baseline. That is, take it apart, down to bare frame. Clean all, new bearings, BB bearings, hub bearings, HS bearings. Take ders apart(easy, BTW), use a toothbrush and clean, lube innards of all..

Pledge works great cleaning and protecting, BTW...I use WD-40, tooth brush, rags..maybe some small bits in a sonic cleaner if ya got one. Oil the freewheel, clean the cogs off the body...basically take apart, clean/lube/put back togther. new cables and housing..

But did this more than once in the shop. People bring a bike that was gifted or had been in the basement for how long..'make it rideable' and pretty. Including parts, sometimes a $400++ type project, labor and parts but lotsa fun, IMHO. Easy to work on old Campag stuff.

Agreed! I like to have a baseline service and know that all of the bearings have fresh grease along with fresh tires, cables, bar tape, chain (if needed), and brake pads. I have a 1972 PX10 in the queue waiting for this treatment now.

Texbike