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Brass bearings and bicycles

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It's actually oil. Oil soaked or oil impregnated bronze is used for bushings and bearings. In the end of a flywheel they use an oil soaked bronze pilot bushing that carries the end of the input shaft on a manual transmission.
Oilite powdered bronze is soft, but works very well as a bearing surface.
 
I have found that some acidic solvents (used), for removing calcium lime rust (CLR), tend to deposit a pinkish copper film layer on steel parts; the acid is not exposing any existing copper alloy content.

And then there is the red and yellow brasses and bronzes, and the leaded and unleaded.

A benefit of brass ball bearings on a show bike might be that they would not be a source of rust. I avoid bronze hardware on bicycles, including axle or stem washers, but use them (painted or not), sometimes even with nylon washers, for fender mounting hardware.
 
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