Aeolian Motor Troubles

[mrvic2]

Thank you all for your help, I'll try to get it done when i can. I do have one more question though, and that is the subject of regreasing it. I'm mostly talking about what to use to regrease it but also how to get the grease out of the other spring barrel without forcing the spring out. I know that the first thing to do to get grease off is to soak it in gas, but would that work without removing the cover of the spring barrel(or, would keeping the spring barrel open while soaking it in gas be a bad idea?).

[JerryVan]

...would keeping the spring barrel open while soaking it in gas be a bad idea?

Yes. Potentially a very bad idea. Don't use gas.

Others will chime in with methods of cleaning that don't require spring removal. If I want to clean a spring, I remove it. You don't need to use gas, (gasoline), and you probably shouldn't. Any solvent will do, and will be less volatile/flammable. Some folks use diesel fuel. I tend to use lacquer thinner. Whatever you use, do it outdoors and leave the rags outdoors when you're done. As to removing springs, if you're going to try repairing the broken one, it's got to come out. Not much more trouble to remove the second one as well. It also gives the opportunity to inspect the condition of the outer end attachment hole.

[Inigo]

Yes, and some mechanical action for cleaning the spring along with a cotton rag impregnated with the cleaner agent is better... Until you pass your fingers along the spring coils and you feel it and see it clean, soft steel, with no adhered rests of graphite or whatever. The same applies for the inner parts of the barrel.

[mrvic2]

Okay, so I've got it all cleaned off & bent into shape. I have a few questions now.
1. What grease should I use? I've heard praise to a great called "molybdenum" but what's your go too?
2. How should I apply it? should I put the spring back into the barrel first or do it while it's out?
3. How should I go about getting the spring back into the barrel?

[Lucius1958]

1. Moly or lithium are both ok (YMMV).
2. Usually, put the spring in, then the grease.
3. VERY CAREFULLY. You'll need a bench vise, a couple of blocks of wood (notched), some heavy gloves, safety glasses, and elbow grease.

- Bill

[mrvic2]

Okay, I'm back and I'm almost ready for reinstalling, i have one concern though. It is basically impossible to get a few very small globs of the old grease off of the tight middle part of the spring. Would it be harmful to leave these on?

[JerryVan]

Okay, I'm back and I'm almost ready for reinstalling, i have one concern though. It is basically impossible to get a few very small globs of the old grease off of the tight middle part of the spring. Would it be harmful to leave these on?

It would do no harm. Can you scrape them off with a knife, perhaps?

[mrvic2]

It would do no harm. Can you scrape them off with a knife, perhaps?

That's what I'm attempting to do. It gets difficult when you get to the middle