Ok, so I cleaned the bearing to my yyf whip which is a couple months old and it still seems like its dirty. I think the solution might be to lube it but I can’t get to some lube for a couple of days. Will it be ok if I lube it a couple of days late? Thanks guys
You can run a bearing dry for quite along time. Also if you feel it’s dirty still, give it another acetone rinse and use the paper cleaning method! Cheers!
First:
How often are you lubing your yoyo? A drop on a shielded bearing can last a couple of months, easily.
Second:
How are you cleaning your bearing? My thoughts are that you are not cleaning your bearing correctly. Cleaning a bearing involves removing the bearing from the yoyo, removing the shields(if they exist) and then using some sort of solvent to break down and remove any lubricants as well as lift other contaminants so they can blown out. We’re not talking about some sort of exotic stuff in regards to solvents. This is all stuff you can get at a hardware store. I prefer acetone, some prefer mineral spirits, while others prefer lighter fluid. Electrical contact cleaner I find to be inconsistent. Some people are using Simple Green with good results so I’m anxious to try it.
Lube is usually not the solution, it’s usually something done to prolong bearing life and quiet bearings.
thanks for all of the information. I haven’t really ever used lube on my bearing before. I cleaned my bearing by using a paint thinner. So I put the bearing in a glass jar with the thinner for about 10 minutes and then took it out to dry. I did take take the shields off and they are still off at the moment. Thanks
OK, good. You’ve maybe cleaned your bearing properly. Don’t worry about leaving the shields off. I prefer the shields on, but it’s not a big deal either way.
The stock bearing in a WHIP can be crappy sometimes. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you don’t. The Champions one gets a CenterTrac and those are good. The regulars have a regular YYF SPEC bearing, and unfortunately I’ve had bad results with those bearings for the most part, but the one in my WHIP is fine.
Even so, stuff can happen.
Here’s what lube will do, and don’t take this as a negative, at last not the negative parts:
Lubrication is to prevent wear and prolong bearing life. It needs to be used VERY sparingly. Lubrication will reduce spin times, which is why you want to use only a very little. If done properly, the impact is microscopic, at least if you use thin lube. The choice to lube, run dry or do something else(I use Dry Play) is entirely YOUR choice.
I will say that lube will also quiet noisy bearings. Dry Play will make a distinct “wizz” sound and may or may be on par with the volume level of a dry bearing. Dry will usually be your loudest option.
You have to compare the pros vs. the cons to see what works best for you.