Shimano PD-M970 bearing service

[Britishbane]

I'm attempting to service the bearings in my left pedal. Before scratching the shit out of the pedal and lock bolt it'd be helpful to know which way to loosen the lock bolt (#2 in this tech doc: http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830608620.pdf).

So, if I'm looking directly at the pedal spindle, with the pedal body further away from me than the spindle, which way am I turning the lock bolt?

[Too Tall]

I'm attempting to service the bearings in my left pedal. Before scratching the shit out of the pedal and lock bolt it'd be helpful to know which way to loosen the lock bolt (#2 in this tech doc: http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830608620.pdf).

So, if I'm looking directly at the pedal spindle, with the pedal body further away from me than the spindle, which way am I turning the lock bolt?

Counter clockwise.

[Britishbane]

Roger that. I thought so, but wanted to make sure after my first, inconclusive, attempt. Will put more muscle into it.

[Bssc]

not fun to work on if you have never overhauled a pedal even worse if water got in and rusted things

vise and padded jaws are a god send or a panavise

[Britishbane]

not fun to work on if you have never overhauled a pedal even worse if water got in and rusted things

vise and padded jaws are a god send or a panavise

Good minds...I used a bench vise with improvised pad and it came apart with almost no effort. Interior grease was a brown color, hinting at rust although things didn't look too bad in there. Everything is all together again but movement is still rough. I'll take it apart one more time, if theres no improvement perhaps they're toast. 3 years use isn't too bad for a 220lb'er I guess.

[Too Tall]

Good minds...I used a bench vise with improvised pad and it came apart with almost no effort. Interior grease was a brown color, hinting at rust although things didn't look too bad in there. Everything is all together again but movement is still rough. I'll take it apart one more time, if theres no improvement perhaps they're toast. 3 years use isn't too bad for a 220lb'er I guess.

You can't kill those pedals. Old trick, repack them with simichrome and go for a ride around the block. Disassemble, clean and repack with Phil Wood solid grease. Betcha they will be fine.

[GrantM]

The repack trick is to fill the axle hole in the pedal body with grease,
and when you thread the axle assembly back in the body, all the grease
will be forced out through the bearings, and all the old stuff comes out,
bingo, you're done.


-g

[Britishbane]

The repack trick is to fill the axle hole in the pedal body with grease,
and when you thread the axle assembly back in the body, all the grease
will be forced out through the bearings, and all the old stuff comes out,
bingo, you're done.


-g

Well, being lazy I've not gone back for round two. ^^^ This sounds much easier than my first attempt. So, no need to fully disassemble the entire axle assembly, just dump grease into the pedal void and put the axle back in?

[Too Tall]

Well, being lazy I've not gone back for round two. ^^^ This sounds much easier than my first attempt. So, no need to fully disassemble the entire axle assembly, just dump grease into the pedal void and put the axle back in?

Exactly right.

[Applesauce]

Well, being lazy I've not gone back for round two. ^^^ This sounds much easier than my first attempt. So, no need to fully disassemble the entire axle assembly, just dump grease into the pedal void and put the axle back in?

Yup. Pretend that the spindle assembly is a cartridge. Make sure it's clean and adjusted, and fill it with grease and slam it back together. Part of the awesomeness of Shimano pedals.

[Nathanrtaylor]

They can be torn down to the individual ball bearings, but the clean and repack trick works most times. I've overhauled some really crunchy SPD pedals that had play between the pedal body and the spindle and taken them completely apart to make sure the cones or cups weren't cracked.

Most cases they weren't cracked or damaged, but cleaning them completely and re-adjusting the bearing preload removed the play in the spindle.

Regardless of whether I tore them completely apart or not, the final step is always packing the pedal body with grease and screwing the spindle in. Just make sure you screw it in really slowly so you don't pop the seal out of place when the grease comes squishing out.

[Britishbane]

They can be torn down to the individual ball bearings, but the clean and repack trick works most times. I've overhauled some really crunchy SPD pedals that had play between the pedal body and the spindle and taken them completely apart to make sure the cones or cups weren't cracked.

Most cases they weren't cracked or damaged, but cleaning them completely and re-adjusting the bearing preload removed the play in the spindle.

Regardless of whether I tore them completely apart or not, the final step is always packing the pedal body with grease and screwing the spindle in. Just make sure you screw it in really slowly so you don't pop the seal out of place when the grease comes squishing out.

Thanks for the hand holding everyone. This is tonight's project (saw the Walkmen in concert instead of getting this chore done last night). In my last attempt I took the pedal apart, down to the individual bearings. I guess I just didn't apply enough grease - plan is to inundate that sucker this time around. No play was evident prior to or post first attempt, the pedal is solid - just crunchy.

[Nathanrtaylor]

Thanks for the hand holding everyone. This is tonight's project (saw the Walkmen in concert instead of getting this chore done last night). In my last attempt I took the pedal apart, down to the individual bearings. I guess I just didn't apply enough grease - plan is to inundate that sucker this time around. No play was evident prior to or post first attempt, the pedal is solid - just crunchy.

Crunchy could easily mean that the cups and cones are too tight. Try backing off the lock nut at the end of the spindle a tiny bit and doing the same for the upper (outer?) cone, which is also a nut. 1/8th of a turn can mean the difference between too tight and crunch and silky smooth. Too loose and you get play in the spindle. These things are basically really tiny versions of Shimano cup and cone hubs and should be adjusted the same way.

[jamesand]

Crunchy could easily mean that the cups and cones are too tight. Try backing off the lock nut at the end of the spindle a tiny bit and doing the same for the upper (outer?) cone, which is also a nut. 1/8th of a turn can mean the difference between too tight and crunch and silky smooth. Too loose and you get play in the spindle. These things are basically really tiny versions of Shimano cup and cone hubs and should be adjusted the same way.

Just a heads up - this is a tricky adjustment without the Shimano pedal tool (in my experience). Look before you leap, BritishBane. This tool does a nice job holding everything in place.

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/produ...-tool-7143.jpg

[omnigrid]

xtr pedal needs some attention.
dumb question: will any overhaul grease do well for pedals?
or do you guys have a particular type of grease for such applications?
I read something somewhere about certain greases deforming rubber seals
and whatever grease shimano puts into these pedals is super awesome...
dura ace grease, maybe?

[Britishbane]

xtr pedal needs some attention.
dumb question: will any overhaul grease do well for pedals?
or do you guys have a particular type of grease for such applications?
I read something somewhere about certain greases deforming rubber seals
and whatever grease shimano puts into these pedals is super awesome...
dura ace grease, maybe?

My guess is yes. I used Phils. Worked fine.