Degreaser for unknown plastic gears

S

sysrq

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What kind of degreaser gets used on unknown type of plastic gears such as the one found in TSDZ2 or BBS02? It has been said that any degreaser intended for plastics has to be tested before ruining the gears. Using washing liquid and water can get the one way bearing wet even with taping it up so that is out of the question.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of discussions on the internet about decreasing plastic gears apart of wikihow page recommending isopropyl alcohol which can damage some types of nylon gears. Some say non-chlorinated brake cleaner can be used but it seems too risky.
 
Mineral spirits would be my first choice - but you bring up a good point regarding one way bearings if they are in use. You would want to keep any solvent from entering something like that.
 
AHicks said:
Mineral spirits would be my first choice - but you bring up a good point regarding one way bearings if they are in use. You would want to keep any solvent from entering something like that.
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This page says isopropyl alcohol can cause severe effect on nylon.
https://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/
I guess it's a nylon gear since the acetal (Derlin) is said to be more shiny.
Isn't white spirit too oily?
GT85 leaves traces of PTFE so the fresh grease might not cling sufficiently enough.
Would risking with acetone be advisable since this page says compatibility is excellent?
https://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/
 
Good question. I'd probably just blast it with chlorine free brake and electrical cleaner myself, and roll the dice.
 
Mineral spirits (paint thinner) is a pretty mild solvent that I have never seen attack anything - and it leaves -0- residue.
 
Yamarlo said:
I went for 10 Cst pure Silicone Oil. Lower viscosity meens less drag, but i had small problems with leaking. Nothing wild but next time i would go for minimum 20 Cst. I also added PTFE for less friction in the gears.

Silicone oil seems common for plastic (nylon) gears. I found a source with more information about compatibility of different kind of oil for different materials and a guide which oil und additive to use.

https://ecllube.com/resources-for-engineers/


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Regarding the nut, i used a plier to hold /lock the nut and turned the axle from the other side of the motor with a wrench.
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When choosing a degreaser, make sure of the optimal, non-aggressive composition. Corrosive components often lead to "boiling" of plastic: the surface bubbles, deforms, deteriorates. Even ordinary acetone is sometimes very toxic and caustic. Lubricant often remains on plastic gears, which reduces friction between parts and prevents wear on the moving mechanism. Lubrication plays an important role in the design of the device, but does not allow broken parts to stick together, so it must be removed without leaving any residue.
 
If in doubt I use WD40 for cleaning of grease. Had never trouble in decades.
 
Used to know an old man that sharpened chainsaw chains for a living. He always dropped them in a 5 gallon bucket of cleaner for a day or so to get the gunk off of them. Someone asked him what kind of solvent he used. He pointed to a squeeze bottle of Joy dishwashing soap on the shelf. My guess is that would not bother the plastic parts either.
 
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