Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion

Westman

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
Just a matter of time before my rear adjusters start locking my rear wheels again since I didn't put oil/grease seals on the wheel side of the assembly(s). I cleaned up my old adjusters and purchased two 1/2"x5/8"x3/4" bronze oillite bushings for $3.75 ea. These slid perfectly into the raceway of the adjusters. No drilling out was necessary. I epoxied the bushings and oil/grease seals on both sides. I used JB Weld epoxy, the kind that sets in 5-6 hrs in case I messed up and needed to wipe off excess, etc. 5 minute set time on most epoxies leaves little room for error that's why I went with the longer setting stuff. I'll set these aside to dry and then re-install in a couple days. We will have three different methods to arrive at a fix. Civic, using ball bearings. Briantii using needle bearings and the bronze oilite bushings I'm using. With sealed bearings/bushings, I expect all three methods to produce good results (fingers crossed). My method may be shorter lived depending on how long the bushings hold up. There will be a 1/4" gap inside the raceway between the seal and the bushing on one side. I'll fill that up with CV2 grease before inserting the axle. That should give the bushing another source of lubrication besides the oil impregnated in the bushing (Oillite). I'll report back once I get these installed and throw in a scale measurement as well. Peace...
 

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slomo

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
How does oil get inside a bronze metallic bushing?

slomo
 

civic

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
You know maybe all we need is just a seal on the other side and that is it. A good lube and your done for a while.
 

Briantii

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
You know maybe all we need is just a seal on the other side and that is it. A good lube and your done for a while.

That’s what I’m really starting to wonder myself. For now my setup is still doing great and I’m not touching it, but I’d be tempted to try just an extra seal next time.
 

slomo

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
It said honing and sharpening an oilite bearing is NOT recommended. It removes the pores that hold the oil. Failure will occur. So wear and tear from a mower will leave that bearing dry.

slomo
 

Westman

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
Mowed my lawn for the third time since going to needle bearings a few weeks ago. No problems at all UNTIL I sprayed down the top of the mower, not the undersides. Water must have entered the wheel side needle bearing where I have no seal. It locked up the rear wheels solid, just like it was originally. I moved the mower back and forth a dozen times and was able to get the rear wheels unstuck and back to "normal". I have since mowed the lawn again and everything is ok. I think this helps prove the wheel side grease/oil seal is a must in order to avoid what happened to me. Without that additional seal on the wheel side, avoid any kind of wet situations, etc. When the weather gets cooler, I/m going to try and press that wheel side needle bearing in a quarter inch so that I can get a seal in there. If successful, I'll stay with the current configuration. If not, I'll get two more needle bearings and stay with that instead of oillite bushings. Since the bearing got wet and I was able to get it loose again, it seems like it's rolling more free in reverse than it was originally. Maybe I'll leave everything alone and see how far this goes. News at 11...
 

Westman

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion

civic

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion
Mowed my lawn for the third time since going to needle bearings a few weeks ago. No problems at all UNTIL I sprayed down the top of the mower, not the undersides. Water must have entered the wheel side needle bearing where I have no seal. It locked up the rear wheels solid, just like it was originally. I moved the mower back and forth a dozen times and was able to get the rear wheels unstuck and back to "normal". I have since mowed the lawn again and everything is ok. I think this helps prove the wheel side grease/oil seal is a must in order to avoid what happened to me. Without that additional seal on the wheel side, avoid any kind of wet situations, etc. When the weather gets cooler, I/m going to try and press that wheel side needle bearing in a quarter inch so that I can get a seal in there. If successful, I'll stay with the current configuration. If not, I'll get two more needle bearings and stay with that instead of oillite bushings. Since the bearing got wet and I was able to get it loose again, it seems like it's rolling more free in reverse than it was originally. Maybe I'll leave everything alone and see how far this goes. News at 11...
Westman, did you use felt? If not it is an easy mod w/o disassembling everything.
 

Westman

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  • / Can't Pull Mower Backwards - HRR216VLA to bearing conversion

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