Getting down to the core, and cleaning up a bit...

Just took a whole lot of things apart, and cleaned and prepared things to start going back together.  Here are some annotated shots of the process:
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 Tools...

Parts washer...

 Using the parts washer... heated solution is streaming out of the brush/wand... 

There is a runoff bucket for things that need to soak.

 Overall shot of the mechanic shop area...

 Ever have to use a chain whip?  This tool helps you to remove the cassette from the rear freewheel hub, so that you can get it all cleaned up.

 Here the bike has just basically gotten a degreaser sponge bath here.  It is all cleaned up and ready to be wiped over and inspected.

 I went over all the critical parts, like the shock wipers, and things are looking great.

 Seals rings and crevices cleaned up & out, means we are about done.

 Put the chainguard back on there to finish drying.

 The cassette breaks into a few pieces, but this is a really easy thing for anyone to do.  You just need a chain whip, and the specific cassette tool bit.

 I will get some cleaned up photos in the next posting.