Schwinn Breeze Lube

[ButtercupGal]

Hi all!

I just bought a cute little buttercup yellow Schwinn Breeze today. I put new tires on it and need to do some cleaning of the chain and gear hub and other bits. But the gears are pretty sticky and I'm not sure what's best to use... also noticed that there is a little capped hole in the hub and I'm wondering if I need to put something in there???

Thanks,
BG

[nfmisso]

Sounds like you have a bike with an internal hub gears - 3 speed ?

Yes there needs to be lubricant put in that hole on a regular basis. 30W motor oil works well - do NOT use multi-weight oil. For the first time, fill it until it runs out the hole where the shifting mechanism comes out of the hub. It will leak for a while. Ride the bike around, and shift up and down through all of the gears many many times.

This should free things up and make everything nice and smooth. If it does not; the hub needs to be rebuilt.

For the wheel, BB and headset: I recommend that you take them apart, clean everything with isopropyl alcohol, and repack the bearings with boat trailer wheel bearing grease. As the hub sounds under lubricated; everything else probably is too.

[ButtercupGal]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Yup, internal 3 gear it is!

It's a cute little bike and I think it'll be great for tooling around town, but I didn't realize how much work it needed until I got it home and took it apart. The lady I bought it from said that it was a '68 - '71 and that it had been a "decoration" on her front porch for the last ten years! The chain and hub are pretty crudded up and need some serious attention. But with the new tires and a little touch up paint it will be completely rideable!

Thanks again!
BG