Cleaning the hub

[wheezy]

Hi All,

My hub has a permanent layer of oily black muck on the rear sprocket and adjacent casing. Can I give this a scrub with hot water and diluted degreaser, or is there a risk that it might get inside? I've been wiping it away best I can, but I want it looking pristine.

Thanks in advance

[geocycle]

I have to admit not being very 'hub-proud'. However, I can't see why you can't wash it with whatever you want as long as you don't use high pressure near the seals. The drain hole should be water tight enough for cleaning.

[wheezy]

I think I may have made things worse by using a wax based lube on the chain. Thanks to the oil that seems to constantly weep onto the chain via the sprocket, the resultant black gunge looks worse than just a bit of oil.

It may be time to clean the chain down as well, and start again with a conventional lube.