Alright, so just around two weeks ago I had gotten a brand new 888. I immediately replaced the responsive bearing with the larger unresponsive bearing (haven’t memorized the technical terms). After a few throws, it felt like it needed oil already. Ever since I got the yo-yo, I’ve needed to oil the bearing 3 or 4 seperate times! I am using the YoYoFactory Performance Oil to do it.
Currently, the bearing is still in that state - not letting the yo-yo spin longer than a minute. It seems like the bearing is getting dirty, as there’s always stuff in it when I open the yo-yo up. But why? The yo-yo is only two weeks old. Am I putting too much oil in it? Did I already ruin the bearing?
Adding more lube will make it more responsive/slower. Sounds like you may be loading it on. I’d suggest cleaning it, soak it in acetone for 10 minutes and spin dry, and see how it feels clean.
like sniffy said… clean it and re-lube it. Only put a minuscule droplet of lube one it. Drop a drop on the table or on an index card or something and use a needle too add less than a drop. You’re putting wayyy too much lube on it. Less lube wont sound as good or seem as “smooth”, but it will be enough. Also are you using cotton or 50/50 string? Cotton string tends to fray and the particles that come off can get clogged up in the bearing. I’ve had that problem, but it seems unlikely considering it happens after a couple of throws… still its possible.
The more lube you put in the bearing the more responsive it will be. What you should have for inresponsive play is a very lightly oiled bearing, just enough to protect it from moisture and decrease the noise but not enough to add response. As mentioned by sniffy and throwrw, you should give it a cleaning either in acetone or something that works as a good degreasing agent and let it dry.
Don’t be afraid to try other oils in the bearing also. I have several made for yoyos but also some brands I’ve picked up from the local hobby store that are very thin and work well. Best way I’ve found to apply lube to maintain unresponsive play is exactly like throwrw suggested, don’t drop the lube in right from the bottle but use a pin or toothpick to apply it little by little. Remember that you have to take the shields off to do this and apply the lube to just a few of the balls in the bearing. If you add a bit too much don’t run to start over but just play the yoyo and it will break in and be just fine. Of course if you add to much though and find that your spin time is awful or the yoyo is responsive clean the bearing and start over.
What I’ve done in the past is to clean my bearing, put it in the yoyo and give it a throw. I see roughly how long it will spin with a dry bearing and I try to get the same time out of it after I lube it. This gives a good basis for comparison so you know if you have added too much lube.
And don’t be afraid to try out different amounts of lube, the bearing isn’t as delicate as you think.
Good luck and come back if you have any more questions.
Hmm… Okay well I’ve just put the bearing in acetone for about 10 minutes, took it out, dried it manually, and put it back in the yo-yo. After I threw it, however, the yo-yo was fairly loud and spun quite slower than before. Is this to be expected?
If so, what would be the next step? Is it necessary to lube it immediately? Also, I do have a question about bearing shields. When lubing an unresponsive bearing, is it required to take the shields off? I’ve seen people saying to dab a drop of lube on the surface of the shields, and others saying to take off the shields and drop lube on a few of the ball bearings. Which method is recommended?
Sounds like the bearing is either starting to lock up or needs a more thorough cleaning. The increased noise though is to be expected as lubes will decrease the sound of the bearings again the race. You can try using another type of cleaner such as a degreaser or even using water and dish soap which will remove any particles but you have to make sure you dry the bearing very, very well.
Sometimes acetone dries so fast that the debris that is causing the problems is still left behind. Using dish soap and water gives the debris time to move from inside the bearing into the water and soap solution. I would suggest though after you do this you make sure again to let it dry out well and lube it sparingly to avoid rust.
Lol no. I didn’t add any lube yet. I just filled a bottle cap full of acetone and let the bearing sit in it. But I will try your suggestion. Would I need to put it back in acetone after washing it in soap and water?
When cleaning a bearing, I like to shake it in a bottle or plastic film can. That way if there is debris in there it can get out too. If it’s really dirty, or if I’m being really picky, I might switch out the solvent and do it twice.
good method in cleaning, the motion should help to flush the bearing clean. If using acetone though make sure you are using a chemical safe container. Acetone is not safe with all plastics so be careful. You definitely don’t want acetone in your eyes.
