Hustler idler pulley .bearing replacement

[1bbford]

Hello, I have a 2009 Super Z, XR7 60" deck, I replaced one of the deck idler pulleys (assembly), a few weeks ago with an aftermarket replacement. The pully was in good shape so that had me thinking, could I just replace the bearings for less than an assembly? which leaves me with 2 issues. I took the old bearing part number 6203 c3 (by NTN) and ordered a new one, replacement size should be 17mm x 40mm x 12mm, however, the OD is much larger, the old bearing looks like it is 17mm x 34mm x 12 mm. The bearing part number on the new assembly is 6203 LU. The local bearing dealer asked me to verify if it was 34 or 35mm, which led to issue #2. I went to remove the bearing using a vice and a large socket to support the pulley's lip around the bearing and another to press the bearing out with a hammer, the bearing will not move at all. My press is down and at this point I am more curious about the bearing than saving the pulley. It is not spot welded in place, is it possible the edge is rolled on both sides to prevent the bearing from moving? The other 2 idlers spin forever but are starting to make noise, there is a metal plate under the seal that would prevent me from adding grease. I was hoping someone has seen this before and had a suggestion or two.

 

[mechanic mark]

Are you using water to clean deck/mower after use? Always use complete OEM Hustler replacement parts/idler pulley assemblies instead of going cheap. If you use non OEM Hustler parts you will be creating more problems down the road. If you are using water, it will cause bearing failure even on sealed bearings by removing grease & causing bearing failure.

https://hustlermowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hustler_Super_Z_PM.pdf

HUSTLER 602821 - IDLER 6.0" RIVETED - HUSTLER genuine Part Number 602821

HUSTLER IDLER 6.0" RIVETED - Hustler part 602821. We are an expert HUSTLER Gold Dealer selling Genuine OEM parts at wholeseller prices. Hustler 602821

www.hustlerlawnmowerparts.com

You will need 2 of these pulleys.

HUSTLER 602743 - IDLER 10.0" RIVETED - HUSTLER genuine Part Number 602743

HUSTLER IDLER 10.0" RIVETED - Hustler part 602743. We are an expert HUSTLER Gold Dealer selling Genuine OEM parts at wholeseller prices. Hustler 602743

www.hustlerlawnmowerparts.com

You will need just 1.
$160 plus tax & shipping is not bad for your heavy duty 12 year old mower. Thanks, Mark

 

[bertsmobile1]

A standard 6203 is 17 x 40 x 12
The "C" designations are the ball diameters.
In a C3 grade the balls are a poofteenth smaller to allow for crush when the bearing is installed with an interfearence fit .

Now idlers on everything apart from EU made ones are constructed with a captive bearing
Your 34mm measurement is the diameter from the edge of the lip to the edge of the lip of the pulley halves, not the edge of the outer race .
To replace the bearing you have to split the two halves of the bearing apart by drilling out the rivets / spot welds .
The bearing will now fall out
This is also why the bad bearing will not push out .

I have done it & occasionally I send some to the local Mens Shed for the old codgers to do when they fell like it
It is an easy job but very big job and when the halves are back together it needs to be balanced as well particularly is you have welded them together

If they are spot welded then when you join them together again you have to rotate the halves so the holes on one side ar 1/2 way between the holes on the other side then do a lap weld on all 40 of them ( 20 each side )
A right royal PIA of a job but down here some idlers go for better than $ 200 ( Aus ) and usually are not stocked locally so you have to wait for them to be ordered from the USA or pay airfreight to get them here .

 

[StarTech]

Oh the joys of being a tight wad...I got customer that will spend 3x the price of a new part at times. But if you don't count the few hours it takes to do this then have at it. But for us in the business of repair we charge for it takes to do stuff like this.

Also for a few dollars more you can get the upgraded pulleys.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Usually replacing a bearing is a last ditch effort.
OTOH there are a lot of mowers that were once imported down here rebranded with a local name but no longer are so there is no local parts support and lots of mowers I can not identify.
Usually I would just find the nearest size stock pulley even if it means making a new gelt retainer because that is quicker & easier than spliting & rejoining a pulley.
But I do offer the customer the option of selling them a bearing and giving them back the old pulley.
A couple have done it
Most won't do it again.
The Mens Shed used to take in troubled kids & teach them to do stuff with metal & wood so they still have a big box of pulleys to refurbish & they do a good job including repainting & they get a "donation" from me for each one they do.
But that depends upon who is there to do the teaching & who is there to be taught so some times they will be chasing me for stuff to repair & other times stuff sits there for ages.
Well after all Mens Sheds is a charity

 

[SamB]

Oh the joys of being a tight wad...I got customer that will spend 3x the price of a new part at times. But if you don't count the few hours it takes to do this then have at it. But for us in the business of repair we charge for it takes to do stuff like this.

Also for a few dollars more you can get the upgraded pulleys.

Drilling those pulley rivets isn't an easy task,as some of them are heated and bradded down in one operation. This hardens and tempers the rivet as well as makes sure it is tight because of the metal shrinkage when the rivet cools. It's also much quicker (and quieter) than bashing them down cold. I tried the bearing only replacement once. Only once.

 

[1bbford]

Are you using water to clean deck/mower after use? Always use complete OEM Hustler replacement parts/idler pulley assemblies instead of going cheap. If you use non OEM Hustler parts you will be creating more problems down the road. If you are using water, it will cause bearing failure even on sealed bearings by removing grease & causing bearing failure.

https://hustlermowers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Hustler_Super_Z_PM.pdf

HUSTLER 602821 - IDLER 6.0" RIVETED - HUSTLER genuine Part Number 602821

HUSTLER IDLER 6.0" RIVETED - Hustler part 602821. We are an expert HUSTLER Gold Dealer selling Genuine OEM parts at wholeseller prices. Hustler 602821

www.hustlerlawnmowerparts.com

You will need 2 of these pulleys.

HUSTLER 602743 - IDLER 10.0" RIVETED - HUSTLER genuine Part Number 602743

HUSTLER IDLER 10.0" RIVETED - Hustler part 602743. We are an expert HUSTLER Gold Dealer selling Genuine OEM parts at wholeseller prices. Hustler 602743

www.hustlerlawnmowerparts.com

You will need just 1.
$160 plus tax & shipping is not bad for your heavy duty 12 year old mower. Thanks, Mark

Thanks for the reply, I blow the dust off and wash at the end of the season.

 

[1bbford]

A standard 6203 is 17 x 40 x 12
The "C" designations are the ball diameters.
In a C3 grade the balls are a poofteenth smaller to allow for crush when the bearing is installed with an interfearence fit .

Now idlers on everything apart from EU made ones are constructed with a captive bearing
Your 34mm measurement is the diameter from the edge of the lip to the edge of the lip of the pulley halves, not the edge of the outer race .
To replace the bearing you have to split the two halves of the bearing apart by drilling out the rivets / spot welds .
The bearing will now fall out
This is also why the bad bearing will not push out .

I have done it & occasionally I send some to the local Mens Shed for the old codgers to do when they fell like it
It is an easy job but very big job and when the halves are back together it needs to be balanced as well particularly is you have welded them together

If they are spot welded then when you join them together again you have to rotate the halves so the holes on one side ar 1/2 way between the holes on the other side then do a lap weld on all 40 of them ( 20 each side )
A right royal PIA of a job but down here some idlers go for better than $ 200 ( Aus ) and usually are not stocked locally so you have to wait for them to be ordered from the USA or pay airfreight to get them here .

bertsmobile1 thanks for the reply it has been helpful, none of my pulleys have rivets, but looking at one of the sides it does appear to have many very small spot welds, explaining the appearance of smaller bearings. That being said it is not practical to change the bearings.

 

[1bbford]

Oh the joys of being a tight wad...I got customer that will spend 3x the price of a new part at times. But if you don't count the few hours it takes to do this then have at it. But for us in the business of repair we charge for it takes to do stuff like this.

Also for a few dollars more you can get the upgraded pulleys.

StarTech I'm being a tightwad? thank you, it seemed to me replacing an old bearing with a quality bearing on a good pully made sense. With the informative comments made by others, I have realized that the welded/ sandwich design it no longer does. Yes I did replace one with an aftermarket (I'm assuming ) it was one of several parts that a neighbor gave me, he had the same model but traded it (engine issue). It's also possible it is an original Hustler part, same appearance/ construction, the same brand of bearing, however, the bearing part number ends with LB, but with no actual part number I don't know. My local dealer has screwed me over, not greasing on services, flipping the cupped washers on the blades, left the oil drain loose, not letting me know that my drive belt was missing chunks, telling me I had the wrong part numbers (that were correct) on parts the previous owner had left for me (and had bought from them), overcharging time for an annual service, just to name a few. I appreciate and respect anyone in the trades that does quality, honest work, I'm also retired so if it takes me 2 hours to do something "those of you in the business" can do in 1, so be it, experience tells me it will correct when it is done and why I asked for assistance here.

 

[StarTech]

The riveted versions were never meant to be repaired. And Hustler does have a better pulley to replace these which is a commercial grade one piece pulley. It is only about $3 more.


As for tightwad comment it was meant to put things in prospective as when you charge $80 per for labor you can't charge the customer for 2-3 hrs work and reinstalled an used pulley. All that time would have to be written off costing the shop a profit and the possibility of still having to install a new pulley and belt. For a DIYer it is fine to waste time that otherwise could be used for more profitable endeavors.