Thanks for the replies. Good idea about V block. I also didn’t give the race replacement much thought. That would be a challenge as well. Just seems a waste not to “just“ replace the bearings, but it appears to be a much larger task than I envisioned.You would need a thin wall impact socket. I believe I use a 12 point 1-1/2" deep well socket here but it has been a few year since my last rebuild of one these as I can get Oregon 82-325 spindles as low if not lower then the parts alone. You also need a long punch and heavy to drive out the bearing cups and Approiate OD sized socket to drive the cups back in. And of course wheel bearing grease. EP2.
For each spindle you would need:
481024 upper seal (35UC05)
481025 lower seal (Rotary 13523)
481022 taper bearing and cup set, 2 each (L44649/l44610)
And possibly the spindle shaft 43589 and the nut 481035, Reason being the threads on the lower side gets damaged from mowing.
From a shop view point it is less time consuming and more profitable to install the after market spindles.
View attachment 65399
I’m not sure what you mean by “pulley bolt”? The belt pulley is held in place by a tapered collar, which uses two 1/4”x1” bolts to attach it to the pulley.The usual method is to take the pulley bolt off first while holding the blade then pull the spindle out leaving the blade on the spindle
Unless they bearings are heat shrunk into the housing ( heat the housing & chill the bearings ) there are only so many times you can replace the bearings before there is too much wear and the bearing will not be held secure enough in the housing
As for the blade retainer, they self tighten in use particularly if you do not keep the blades sharp
I often have to cut the heads off after which they will undo with my fingers .
Round things need to be held in a pipe clamp or between a pair of V blocks
It just Bert throwing something out without even looking up the mower. Assuming things will get you into trouble at times. This is why I normally need the equipment actual model number so I can look it before responding. Just too many designs to remember everything.I’m not sure what you mean by “pulley bolt”? The belt pulley is held in place by a tapered collar, which uses two 1/4”x1” bolts to attach it to the pulley.
Not only grade 8, but fresh new grade 8. I twisted both of mine off removing the right spindle last week. But mine are the originals and about 20 years/1200 hours old. I’m sure they’re a little fatigued. I’m working on making a YouTube of it in an effort to save somebody a little frustration.It just Bert throwing something out without even looking up the mower. Assuming things will get you into trouble at times. This is why I normally need the equipment actual model number so I can look it before responding. Just too many designs to remember everything.
Those same screws are used to remove the pulley pressing out the tapered collar. Personally I recommend those 1/4" cap screws be grade 8 rated. Even then those collars can be a little stubborn about coming out.
Guilty as chargedIt just Bert throwing something out without even looking up the mower. Assuming things will get you into trouble at times. This is why I normally need the equipment actual model number so I can look it before responding. Just too many designs to remember everything.
Those same screws are used to remove the pulley pressing out the tapered collar. Personally I recommend those 1/4" cap screws be grade 8 rated. Even then those collars can be a little stubborn about coming out.
Well if you have to run a bead on these races to extract it there is NO WAY a mower shop is doing that to rebuild one. And in my opinion, thats a bad design/engineering to make a spindle that bearing replacement takes that level of skill and special tools.No information is because these jobs are done by skilled fitters who know
To remove tapered races the easiest way is to run a bead of electric weld fully around the middle of the race
When it cools the race will contract & drop out.
Again std practice in engineering workshops because doing it this way does not damage the housing
Installing is done by chilling the race & heating the housing
Workshops who do a lot of them will have CO2 pellets for the chilling because it will come out shrunk and DRY
If you put it in your freezer it must be in a sealed plastic bag with as much air as possible removed
When I do steering races on my vintage motorcycles I make a steel drift to install them with and chill the race on the drift so it haas big thermal mass so heats up slower .
I use the same set up for a few mower spindles where the bearings are a light press interfearance fit or tighter
This is the difference between throw away domestic mowers & long life commercial mowersWell if you have to run a bead on these races to extract it there is NO WAY a mower shop is doing that to rebuild one. And in my opinion, thats a bad design/engineering to make a spindle that bearing replacement takes that level of skill and special tools.
I am surprised your shop used to rebuild spindles (original poster). If OEM spindles cost $250 each, consider aftermarket ones. I realize you are rebuilding yours. I tried to rebuild expensive spindles on a Wright Stander I used to have and gave up, everything was seized up. Need a bearing press to get them out. Anyway, nothing wrong with swimming upstream sometimes for the challenge, experience, and cost savings.This is the difference between throw away domestic mowers & long life commercial mowers
Great Dane for instance has spindle bearings being replaced annually or at 100 Hrs which ever came first
One of the reason why mower companies switched to the wrong style of bearings ( deep groove balls ) is because they are cheaper to buy & install
On top of that every time you knock them out you take a bit of the housing out with them so after X bearing replacements it is new housing time .
A proficient shop with knowledgable mechanics would have done exactly what I suggested originally & shortened the spacer to take up the wear in the bearings then slipped in a spacer under the blade if needed to make up the difference in blade clearance .
That is the difference between a real mechanic and a parts swapper with no formal education or trade certification who are allowed to be called "technicians" which you will find in 99% of the mower shops .
Not meaning to sound rude but you seem to have little idea about what is good sound engineering practice
Good is seldom easy
And I do this regularly and I am a mower repair technician who runs a mower repair workshop for a living
If the tapers have been fitted properly then the thick end is inwards and sitting on a shoulder or retaining ring
If you want to chomp your knuckles with a hammer & punch then you get a big diameter punch, grind a long tapper on one edge so it can sit flat against the side of the housing then grind a step into the tapered edge so it can locate on the small protruding lip of the race
You can also use a long nail punch with a notch cut on the end to locate onto the race
I have even see a long cold chisel cut in a similar way
However all of these run the risk of damaging the lip that the race sits on which is why the bead of weld has been used for about as long as electric welding has been around.
In a workshop situation where the gear is there ready to use it is a 30 sec job
It takes longer to go to the corner and wheel the welder to the mower than it does to lay the bead and before you wheel the welder back you will hear the tinkle of the race hitting the floor .
And it is a lot faster then mucking around with hammers & punches
Bert,This is the difference between throw away domestic mowers & long life commercial mowers
Great Dane for instance has spindle bearings being replaced annually or at 100 Hrs which ever came first
One of the reason why mower companies switched to the wrong style of bearings ( deep groove balls ) is because they are cheaper to buy & install
On top of that every time you knock them out you take a bit of the housing out with them so after X bearing replacements it is new housing time .
A proficient shop with knowledgable mechanics would have done exactly what I suggested originally & shortened the spacer to take up the wear in the bearings then slipped in a spacer under the blade if needed to make up the difference in blade clearance .
That is the difference between a real mechanic and a parts swapper with no formal education or trade certification who are allowed to be called "technicians" which you will find in 99% of the mower shops .
Not meaning to sound rude but you seem to have little idea about what is good sound engineering practice
Good is seldom easy
And I do this regularly and I am a mower repair technician who runs a mower repair workshop for a living
If the tapers have been fitted properly then the thick end is inwards and sitting on a shoulder or retaining ring
If you want to chomp your knuckles with a hammer & punch then you get a big diameter punch, grind a long tapper on one edge so it can sit flat against the side of the housing then grind a step into the tapered edge so it can locate on the small protruding lip of the race
You can also use a long nail punch with a notch cut on the end to locate onto the race
I have even see a long cold chisel cut in a similar way
However all of these run the risk of damaging the lip that the race sits on which is why the bead of weld has been used for about as long as electric welding has been around.
In a workshop situation where the gear is there ready to use it is a 30 sec job
It takes longer to go to the corner and wheel the welder to the mower than it does to lay the bead and before you wheel the welder back you will hear the tinkle of the race hitting the floor .
And it is a lot faster then mucking around with hammers & punches