# Vermeer 252 pillow block bearing problems



## Humpstump (Nov 4, 2010)

hello everyone...glad to be a part of this forum..just found it...looks great! I've been grinding stumps since 2004, now on my 2nd grinder, purchased another SC252 as the first worked out well for me. My only real issue, with my first machine and my 2nd machine (which now has 555 hrs), is my pillow block bearings crapping out at about 150 hours. Is this normal? Im pretty good about keeping sharp teeth, and if anything I have over greased my bearings in the past...but do stick close to the manufacture recommended lube schedule. Anyone use different bearings other than those sold by Vermeer...they are about $250 for all 4, and Vermeer is 80 miles from me....just hopeing to get something better for less. I just installed Dodge bearings (trying something different)...and after 10 hours I can tell they are not going to make it! Suggestions are greatly appreciated...thanks and stay safe!


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## TreeClimber57 (Nov 5, 2010)

Humpstump said:


> hello everyone...glad to be a part of this forum..just found it...looks great! I've been grinding stumps since 2004, now on my 2nd grinder, purchased another SC252 as the first worked out well for me. My only real issue, with my first machine and my 2nd machine (which now has 555 hrs), is my pillow block bearings crapping out at about 150 hours. Is this normal? Im pretty good about keeping sharp teeth, and if anything I have over greased my bearings in the past...but do stick close to the manufacture recommended lube schedule. Anyone use different bearings other than those sold by Vermeer...they are about $250 for all 4, and Vermeer is 80 miles from me....just hopeing to get something better for less. I just installed Dodge bearings (trying something different)...and after 10 hours I can tell they are not going to make it! Suggestions are greatly appreciated...thanks and stay safe!



I have a welder who works for me part time for me (he works in a machine shop as well about 20 miles away). 

He replaced a pillow bearing on the 252 (which we broke removing to put a Multi-Tip on - somebody had put loctite on it and it would not come out even with heat - shop press was pushing on it and torch on it.. finally it simply gave way). He simply bought one at a local bearing supply location (made in the USA.. and think it was around $60 - but that was one.. so not really a savings just that it was close by and we got same day). It is exactly the same size and dimensions - in fact you could not tell the two apart and runs fine. It really is you get what you pay for I guess.

If you have a bearing supply, take the old one to them and have them match it. They likely will have one in stock.


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## tomtrees58 (Nov 5, 2010)

they go ever year or 150 hrs


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## ozzy42 (Nov 5, 2010)

TreeClimber57 said:


> I have a welder who works for me part time for me (he works in a machine shop as well about 20 miles away).
> 
> He replaced a pillow bearing on the 252 (which we broke removing to put a Multi-Tip on - somebody had put loctite on it and it would not come out even with heat - shop press was pushing on it and torch on it.. finally it simply gave way). He simply bought one at a local bearing supply location (made in the USA.. and think it was around $60 - but that was one.. so not really a savings just that it was close by and we got same day). It is exactly the same size and dimensions - in fact you could not tell the two apart and runs fine. It really is you get what you pay for I guess.
> 
> If you have a bearing supply, take the old one to them and have them match it. They likely will have one in stock.





Yeah,there is not too many parts on a vemeer grinder that can't be purchased elsewhere. You just have to figure out the original part # instead of vemeer's.
I have found bearings ,belts and filters from other suppliers.
Some maybe the original part ,but without V's name and price on them.
I would imagine the same is true of other makes.


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## lone wolf (Nov 5, 2010)

Same problem here what it tells me is the is the bearings are to small to handle the load and it was designed poorly . But they will ever admit that!


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## stumper63 (Nov 5, 2010)

Hey Humpstump,

Not sure what you got going on with the bearings. I've been running a 2003 252, got 4212 hours on it, same engine, just to give some perspective. I'm the only operator.

Just changed my cutter wheel bearings yesterday, got just over 700 hours on that set, I average between 550 to 750 hours. That's on the cutter wheel. The jackshaft I get about 900 hours.

I grease 6 pumps into cutter wheel bearings at end of evey day just before putting her on the trailer, with bearings still hot from running, draws grease into bearings thoroughly. Jackshaft gets two pumps per bearing.

Perhaps you may be over-tensioning the cutter wheel belt? I tension mine about one complete turn of the adjustment bolt beyond what it takes for the belt not to barely slip, you get the feel and ear for it soon enough. Then it seems I only have to re-tension about every 40-50 hours, takes two minutes, did it this week. Usually only have to tighten adjustment bolt about 1/2 turn.

I tried getting after-market bearings from our local bearing supply, McGuire bearing, but the pillow blocks were way thinner material, looked pretty cheap, and they said that was all they had or could get. They were something like $24 each. I opted to stick with Vermeer since it's quite a hassle to replace bearings all the time. I would be interested in where TreeClimber57's friend got identical bearings from for $60. Vermeer now wants $86 for a cutter wheel bearing, $60 sounds better to me.

Anyway, you should be getting way longer life out of your bearings. Doesn't seem like a design flaw to me, but probably a tensioning issue. Hope this helps.

Stumper63


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## Humpstump (Nov 5, 2010)

thanks Stumper...you helped me realize I must be doing something wrong??? Not sure what it is yet. I am the only one using my machine as well. I do not abuse it in my opinion, but I do get after it pretty good. I do not have auto sweep and basically cut as much as the motor / torque can handle. I can't believe my problem is overtightening the cutter wheel belt though. Been there, done that early on with my first machine back in 2004. After that lesson, I have always used the torque wrench and set it properly the first go round.....very slight squeek when engaged, and the belt will slip if put in a bind or under and very hard load, but other than that I only rarely hear a slight whine or slip. If the whine or slip continues, I tighten it...but I usally only go 1/2 turn on the adjustment bolt, and that does the trick for a good 35 - 40 hours or so as you mention....Im getting 500 hours on the cutter wheel belt, I'd assume that is ok? 6 pumps of grease sounds massive to me, Vermeer recommends 2 per 10 hrs....Is that 6 per cutter wheel bearing? But who am I to say, you are getting much better life than I. Do you use Vermeer grease? Here is a thought / and or question....I noticed years ago, my teeth never wore out evenly...every other angled tooth would wear out at different frequencies...and the straight tooth wore very slowly. I started years ago, changing every other set as they would wear. If I changed set A, C, and E..this time....I'd change set B, D, F the next time....I'd change the straights every couple changes of the others...this seemed to work well....I'd always cut pretty good and fast...and becasue I was changing 1/2 teeth about every 8 - 10 hours...i never really slowed much. Could this be my problem...some sort of uneven pounding on the bearings? Just purchased Yellow Jackets, and excited about giving them a shot. Thanks again for all the advise from you all...sorry to sound like such a dummy...but really nobody around hear that seems to know much about stump grinding. I enjoy it and make decent money at it...but cutting down on maint time and cost would be nice!


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## stumper63 (Nov 5, 2010)

Well it sounds like you're tensioning the belts right, maybe it's lack of grease. I know what Vermeer's recommendations are, but it never seem like enuf grease to me, with them being down in the dirt. Actually, I purge the bearing opposite the belt until I just see grease starting to come out, sometimes that's 8 -10 pumps. The belt side bearing gets six pumps, any more and grease comes out into belt area and fouls the belt.

Cutter belts last a long time, your 500 hours is good. 

I don't think the tooth rotation would affect the bearings that much. I have no set pattern, just replace when dull. I am running a Sandvik wheel for the last 1900 hours, but had about same bearing intervals, maybe a bit better with the Sandvik wheel, but I at least got 500-600 hours on the cutter wheel bearings with Vermeer Pro Series teeth.

Stumper63


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## Humpstump (Nov 5, 2010)

thanks again...you have much more time on a grinder than I do...I'll keep on keeping on, and trying a couple different things and see what if anything gets better for me. I purchased my first grinder used with 400 hours, I put about 1000 more on it and sold it. Then got a brand new one in late 08 and have put 555 on it since then....so really only done about 1600 hours total for me. Even though I think Im a pro, I guess im still a rookie compared to some of you guys. thanks again...really enjoy looking around this forum...cool stuff for sure


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## tomtrees58 (Nov 5, 2010)

my 630b is a little bigger but 150 hrs is about it:bang:


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## TreeClimber57 (Nov 6, 2010)

stumper63 said:


> I tried getting after-market bearings from our local bearing supply, McGuire bearing, but the pillow blocks were way thinner material, looked pretty cheap, and they said that was all they had or could get. They were something like $24 each. I opted to stick with Vermeer since it's quite a hassle to replace bearings all the time. I would be interested in where TreeClimber57's friend got identical bearings from for $60. Vermeer now wants $86 for a cutter wheel bearing, $60 sounds better to me.



I am not sure where to find them in USA, as I am in Canada.

He purchased from Canadian Bearings.. in Barrie, but they are in many cities across Canada.

http://www.canadianbearings.com/publicWeb/content/company/profile.aspx?Lang=en

What you need to find is North Amerian made bearings vs offshore.. and ones made to same specs (to handle same type of load and abuse). There are other commercial applications that can take equal to or greater abuse then grinders put on them, so bearings should be available.


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## kevlarwiz (Jan 22, 2013)

*Bearing fix and options*

Hello everyone! I came across this thread when one of my customers was telling me about a solution he found for his pillow block bearings going out on his grinder. He had a 252 and the pillow block bearings from Vermeer were going out all the time becuase he used it every day. From what he told me it takes some time to take it all apart and replace the bearings. The top bearings are a 1-1/2 pillow block bearing. Inudstry numbers for that bearing are UCP208-24 and the bottom bearings are 1-1/4 and the industry number for those bearings are UCP207-20. These bearings are just like the ones that come from Vermeer and they will last just as long as the factory ones. I guess this is fine for someone that doesnt use his machine often. These bearings are single row ball bearings and they are just not strong enough for the demand this machine puts out. What he found is that if you change the bearings over to a Type-E pillow block bearing then the bearing life gets extended a lot. He went from changing them every 3-6 months to every 2-3 years. The Type-E bearings are double taper roller bearings (two taper roller bearings back to back) and they are the strongest pillow block bearings made in those two shaft sizes. They are what the machine should have come with but I believe they didn't because they are more expensive. But if you use your 252 a lot the price difference is not an issue. The industry number for the 1-1/2 is 19321108 and the number for the 1-1/4 is 19321104. He told me that the 1-1/4 has the same bolt pattern as the factory bearing so you can just change it out. The 1-1/2 bearing on the other hand has a slightly different bolt pattern and you will have to modify the 252 to take it. I was told it does not take much work to do the change. I hope what I have found out helps some people. We do sell them on our website or you can get them from any bearing supplier. Please don't feel that you have to get them from me. The info is more to help people. My store is thebigbearingstore. Thanks!


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## lone wolf (Jan 22, 2013)

I found that a lot of it has to do with the alignment or how square the the pulleys are to each other,also as mentioned too tight of a drive belt also. Feel the bearings after running it they should not be hot they should run mostly cool if hot somethings out. Better yet check them with a heat gun and post the numbers.


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## stumper63 (Jan 22, 2013)

Hey Kevlarwiz,

Can you get your customer on the forum and have him explain what was needed to fit the 1.5"? It looks to me that the distance between the mounting bolts is about 7/8" greater. But would be nice to know how he got them to fit because I've always been looking for a better bearing too.

stumper63


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## CalTreeEquip (Jan 27, 2013)

kevlarwiz said:


> Hello everyone! I came across this thread when one of my customers was telling me about a solution he found for his pillow block bearings going out on his grinder. He had a 252 and the pillow block bearings from Vermeer were going out all the time becuase he used it every day. From what he told me it takes some time to take it all apart and replace the bearings. The top bearings are a 1-1/2 pillow block bearing. Inudstry numbers for that bearing are UCP208-24 and the bottom bearings are 1-1/4 and the industry number for those bearings are UCP207-20. These bearings are just like the ones that come from Vermeer and they will last just as long as the factory ones. I guess this is fine for someone that doesnt use his machine often. These bearings are single row ball bearings and they are just not strong enough for the demand this machine puts out. What he found is that if you change the bearings over to a Type-E pillow block bearing then the bearing life gets extended a lot. He went from changing them every 3-6 months to every 2-3 years. The Type-E bearings are double taper roller bearings (two taper roller bearings back to back) and they are the strongest pillow block bearings made in those two shaft sizes. They are what the machine should have come with but I believe they didn't because they are more expensive. But if you use your 252 a lot the price difference is not an issue. The industry number for the 1-1/2 is 19321108 and the number for the 1-1/4 is 19321104. He told me that the 1-1/4 has the same bolt pattern as the factory bearing so you can just change it out. The 1-1/2 bearing on the other hand has a slightly different bolt pattern and you will have to modify the 252 to take it. I was told it does not take much work to do the change. I hope what I have found out helps some people. We do sell them on our website or you can get them from any bearing supplier. Please don't feel that you have to get them from me. The info is more to help people. My store is thebigbearingstore. Thanks!



Nice Kevlarwiz! Thanks for the numbers.


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## holemaker (Feb 3, 2013)

*Grease and quality.*

I run the Baldor/Dodge bearings on every piece of equipment I can. A few things about high quality pillow block bearings you may want to know. 

1. Don't over-grease them!!! this is very important. What happens when you over-grease a bearing is that you literally push the seals out of them. The Baldor/Dodge bearins are sealed. When the seal is "broken" or pushed out then the bearing will let dirt and moisture into the bearing surface, causing them to fail prematurely. I only grease my bearings when then start to make a slight amount of noise when rotating the cutter wheel by hand with the machine off, and then only give them enough to quiet them down. Using this simple technique, I made the main load pillow block bearings on my drilling rig last for approx 20,000 hours and still counting. (yes you read that right, 20,000 hours) 

2. The ammount of preasure against them is nearly irrelevent. The bearings on the rig have a tremendous ammount of pressure against them. They are holding ALL of the power that a 6 cylinder Perkins diesel can put out! There is no good reason why these bearings should fail in 500 hours on a stump grinder if taken care of properly. They take a serious beating on the rig and keep right on spinning smoothly. Also, just as a point of refference, the rig has 4 belts that drive a 3-stack hydraulic pump that runs the whole rig. Those 4 belts have roughy 6-8 times the holding power of the belts on the vermeer sc252. And they are cranked down tight enough that you could almost play a tune on them. These bearings are on a 1 1/4" shaft. Also, another place we have pillow block bearings on the rig is the winch. The winch has a 1" diameter shaft and is subjected to well over 2,000 lbs on a fairly regular basis. Those bearings are still the original bearings put on in 1975!!! 

3. The angle of the shaft is also nearly irrelevent as the purpose for pillow block bearings is to make up the difference of not being able to get things perfectly aligned. The shaft hole through the center of the bearing allows for a lot of angular movement. In my experience, it really doesn't matter if the shaft is a few degrees off. The bearing surface on the inside of the pillow block is meant to handle a load in a lot of different angles, just so the main load is not side to side. 

4. The quality of the grease is a huge key factor to making the bearings last! I personally use and very highly recommend the Amsoil E.P. Moly grease. It works great in this application. The moly in the grease helps make it extremely slick and also coats the bearing surfaces. The moly also protects the bearings in a "run dry" situation, meaning that the bearings are still slick even if the grease has dried up or worked it's way out of the bearing. Though I do not recommend running them dry for any length of time. 

I appologize for the lengthy post, but feel it is important to get the information out to my fellow equipment owners/operators. I hope this helps all of you in your quest for less maintenance and better proffit.  I am currently working on retrofitting a Lombardini diesel engine in place of my old 20 hp Honda on my vermeer sc252. I replaced the bearings on the grinder shortly after I bought it and put the Baldor/Dodge bearings on. The bearings on the jack shaft were a simple direct replacement. The bearings on the grinding wheel took a small amount of grinding to make them fit. I will get the part numbers for these bearings later this week and will get back to you with them. 

Have a great day and happy grinding


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

*pillow block bearing part numbers*

I finally made it back in to IBT to pick up my belts and got the part numbers for the pillow block bearings that I am using on my equipment. 
They are as follows...

1 1/4---- P2B-SC-104
1 1/2---- P2B-SC-108 

These bearings are not cheap... But they are very high quality.. they run approx. $125 a piece..

The main belts coming from the engine to the jackshaft needed to be replaced.. the belts I got are the carlisle brand. The reason I use those belts is because they don't need as much tension to keep them from slipping for those that are worried about having too much tension on the crankshaft..
The part number for the belts is...A65 super II.. the IBT part number is 00865004484.

I hope this helps everyone out.


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## lone wolf (Feb 27, 2013)

holemaker said:


> I finally made it back in to IBT to pick up my belts and got the part numbers for the pillow block bearings that I am using on my equipment.
> They are as follows...
> 
> 1 1/4---- P2B-SC-104
> ...



Are the bearings all the same dimensions and do they bolt right on like stock ones or do you need to modify?


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

The 1 1/4 bearings are a direct replacement. The 1 1/2 need a small amount of modification to the 252. You will need to grind about 1/4 inch out around the shaft to make it clear and place a washer or two under the bolts that hold the bottom belt cover on. The bolts are the ones on top of the hinged piece.


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## lone wolf (Feb 27, 2013)

holemaker said:


> The 1 1/4 bearings are a direct replacement. The 1 1/2 need a small amount of modification to the 252. You will need to grind about 1/4 inch out around the shaft to make it clear and place a washer or two under the bolts that hold the bottom belt cover on. The bolts are the ones on top of the hinged piece.



My lower cutter wheel bearings run cool the top jackshaft bearing run hot I have tried too many times to get them in parallel and I cant get them any better. Do any of your bearings run hot? What do you think this is?


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> My lower cutter wheel bearings run cool the top jackshaft bearing run hot I have tried too many times to get them in parallel and I cant get them any better. Do any of your bearings run hot? What do you think this is?


The jaskshaft bearings will run hotter because they are spinning faster. My bearings fairly warm, it does not hurt the dodge bearings as long as you use a good quality grease. The bearings are an extremely hard metal. Just make sure the grease is rated for the temperature that the bearings will operate at.


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## lone wolf (Feb 27, 2013)

holemaker said:


> The jaskshaft bearings will run hotter because they are spinning faster. My bearings fairly warm, it does not hurt the dodge bearings as long as you use a good quality grease. The bearings are an extremely hard metal. Just make sure the grease is rated for the temperature that the bearings will operate at.



Cant help but think it is side loaded or something my buddys rayco ones dont get hot.


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> Cant help but think it is side loaded or something my buddys rayco ones dont get hot.



It's nearly impossible to side load the jackshaft.


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## lone wolf (Feb 27, 2013)

holemaker said:


> It's nearly impossible to side load the jackshaft.



Do you have a infrared temp gun?


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> Do you have a infrared temp gun?



I do, but I've never checked them with it. I would guess that my jackshaft bearing run around the 150 to 185 degree range, depending on the time of year.. as long as they are under 300, I'm not worried about it.


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## lone wolf (Feb 27, 2013)

holemaker said:


> I do, but I've never checked them with it. I would guess that my jackshaft bearing run around the 150 to 185 degree range, depending on the time of year.. as long as they are under 300, I'm not worried about it.



I'm going to check mine while grinding and see what I have. Under 300 and they wont cook is that accurate? Ideal would be under 200?


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> I'm going to check mine while grinding and see what I have. Under 300 and they wont cook is that accurate? Ideal would be under 200?



Correct. Under 300... With the good grease. I will get the part number for it a little later today when I get back to the shop. The cooler you can run them the better.. so if you can hold them under 200 that would be great. But the more grease you pack into them to try to cool them down will only make them hotter as there is then more resistance inside the bearing..


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## lone wolf (Feb 27, 2013)

holemaker said:


> Correct. Under 300... With the good grease. I will get the part number for it a little later today when I get back to the shop. The cooler you can run them the better.. so if you can hold them under 200 that would be great. But the more grease you pack into them to try to cool them down will only make them hotter as there is then more resistance inside the bearing..



Problem solved I grease the hell out of them every time I use it that explains why my buddy who don't take care of his is cooler! I cant believe that the grease is bad for it if you use too much? How does that work exactly? Just the friction drag from too much grease heats them up huh? I would think it would spin out quickly.


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## holemaker (Feb 27, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> Problem solved I grease the hell out of them every time I use it that explains why my buddy who don't take care of his is cooler! I cant believe that the grease is bad for it if you use too much? How does that work exactly? Just the friction drag from too much grease heats them up huh? I would think it would spin out quickly.



I know this is a long read, but this is copied straight from the Amsoil website describing their product (GVC). 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
AMSOIL Synthetic High-Viscosity Grease (GVC) is a lithium-complex-thickened grease blended with premium ISO-320 synthetic base oils. This grease is fully compounded with additives providing EP protection, oxidation resistance and rust and corrosion protection. AMSOIL High-Viscosity Grease is shear stable, maintaining its viscosity and consistency in the presence of mechanical activity. It also stays in place by resisting water washout. During high-temperature operation, AMSOIL High-Viscosity Grease’s thickener system remains intact and the high-viscosity base oils resist thermal breakdown, providing a thick film for good boundary lubrication protection. AMSOIL GVC adheres to critical components in severe conditions to provide problem-free operation, resulting in increased uptime and reduced repair and maintenance costs.

APPLICATION
AMSOIL Synthetic High-Viscosity Grease is excellent for use in heavy-duty industrial and off-road applications where equipment operates under adverse conditions, including exposure to environmental elements, slow, heavily-loaded applications and shock-loading conditions. AMSOIL High-Viscosity Grease is formulated to excel in wet applications requiring excellent water resistance and in high-temperature applications up to 177ºC (350°F) in continuous service and 204ºC (400°F) in intermittent service. The lithium-complex thickener system and high-viscosity base oil provide top performance in hostile environments and heavy-duty industrial or offroad applications where typical multi-purpose greases may not perform up to standards.

AMSOIL High-Viscosity Grease is compatible with many other types of greases. However, it is recommended that when changing greases the equipment be cleaned of the old grease when possible or flushed with a liberal amount of the new grease while the mechanism is in operation. Closely monitor the system for any inconsistencies. Any grease compatibility questions should be referred to your AMSOIL representative or AMSOIL Technical Services.

APPLICATION MAINTENANCE
Maintaining a clean work environment is important when equipment greasing is performed. Wipe grease fittings clean prior to injecting grease to prevent contaminant ingestion. Maintain bearing housings one-third to onehalf full of grease. Prevent over-greasing as this can result in excessive heat buildup. Supplement standard grease maintenance by periodically cleaning and packing housings with fresh grease on an established maintenance schedule.

PERFORMANCE FEATURES
•High dropping point (exceeds 260°C ( 500°F))
•EP additives and high-viscosity base oil for boundary lubrication protection
•Resists thermal and oxidation degradation
•Resists water washout


I personally use this grease in most of my equipment and highly recommend it. I have tried a lot of different greases and this one holds up to the test.

I would recomend finding your local Amsoil dealer for purchase of this. If you have problems finding one locally, I am a dealer for them as well and would be more than happy to assist in any way possible. I am hoping to get a website up and running soon. 

I hope this helps.


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## lone wolf (Feb 28, 2013)

holemaker said:


> I know this is a long read, but this is copied straight from the Amsoil website describing their product (GVC).
> 
> PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
> AMSOIL Synthetic High-Viscosity Grease (GVC) is a lithium-complex-thickened grease blended with premium ISO-320 synthetic base oils. This grease is fully compounded with additives providing EP protection, oxidation resistance and rust and corrosion protection. AMSOIL High-Viscosity Grease is shear stable, maintaining its viscosity and consistency in the presence of mechanical activity. It also stays in place by resisting water washout. During high-temperature operation, AMSOIL High-Viscosity Grease’s thickener system remains intact and the high-viscosity base oils resist thermal breakdown, providing a thick film for good boundary lubrication protection. AMSOIL GVC adheres to critical components in severe conditions to provide problem-free operation, resulting in increased uptime and reduced repair and maintenance costs.
> ...



Sounds good I wonder if it is as good as they claim is all.


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## holemaker (Feb 28, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> Sounds good I wonder if it is as good as they claim is all.



I just got off the phone with their tech line and there is a grease that is better than that one. It's part number is GPOR2CR. It has the moly in it where the one I linked before doesn't. Moly will impregnate into the steel and make it extremely slick. They recommend this grease for pillow block bearings in heavy duty off road equipment.


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## lone wolf (Feb 28, 2013)

holemaker said:


> I just got off the phone with their tech line and there is a grease that is better than that one. It's part number is GPOR2CR. It has the moly in it where the one I linked before doesn't. Moly will impregnate into the steel and make it extremely slick. They recommend this grease for pillow block bearings in heavy duty off road equipment.



Good tip I will look into this.


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## stumper63 (Feb 28, 2013)

"The 1 1/4 bearings are a direct replacement. The 1 1/2 need a small amount of modification to the 252. You will need to grind about 1/4 inch out around the shaft to make it clear and place a washer or two under the bolts that hold the bottom belt cover on. The bolts are the ones on top of the hinged piece."

Holemaker, so if I understand correctly the Dodge bearings move the shaft over a little bit toward the operator so that the end of the shaft would rub against the belt cover, that's why the cover needs to be spaced out a couple of washers?

Also, when you say to grind out about 1/4" around the shaft is that location where the shaft goes into the belt guard? And again, is that because the bearings raise the shaft a little? Mounting bolts line right up?

I'm due for bearings pretty soon so would like to upgrade if they hold up longer than Vermeer's. I've got about 550 hours on these bearings right now.

Also, the factory jackshaft belt type/length is an A64. Did you have to go with the A65 for any particular reason? Did you try an A64 first? Reason I ask is that my 252 has a 35hp Vanguard engine on it now and with the bigger engine it comes really close in the full up/full to side position to hitting the gas/oil tank cover when the belt gets a little stretched, so I would like the engine to stay as close to the cutter wheel, which a shorter belt will accomplish.

Thanks for the help

Stumper63


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## holemaker (Mar 1, 2013)

stumper63 said:


> "The 1 1/4 bearings are a direct replacement. The 1 1/2 need a small amount of modification to the 252. You will need to grind about 1/4 inch out around the shaft to make it clear and place a washer or two under the bolts that hold the bottom belt cover on. The bolts are the ones on top of the hinged piece."
> 
> Holemaker, so if I understand correctly the Dodge bearings move the shaft over a little bit toward the operator so that the end of the shaft would rub against the belt cover, that's why the cover needs to be spaced out a couple of washers?
> 
> ...



The dodge bearings do not shift the shaft to the side. It has to stay lined up tge same as it is or the cutter wheel could hit the guard around it. It raises the whole shaft a little bit. Need to grind where the shaft goes into the belt guard. The washers are used to space the bolts themselves from going in as far or they would contact the belt as it comes around the top of the cutter wheel pulley. The bolt holes lined right up for me. I use an impact to tighten them with to make sure they don't slip around at all.


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## stumper63 (Mar 1, 2013)

Holemaker,

OK, so I think I have it now, the bolts that need to be spaced are just the two that hold the hinged cover in place, correct?

Glad to hear they will bolt right on and the shaft isn't moved over any. I was looking at the spec's and comparing them with the factory and the housing looks a little longer, maybe 1/8", but could be ground off to fit. 

Did you get a chance to think about my belt question in the last post?

Thanks so much,

stumper63


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## holemaker (Mar 1, 2013)

stumper63 said:


> Holemaker,
> 
> OK, so I think I have it now, the bolts that need to be spaced are just the two that hold the hinged cover in place, correct?
> 
> ...



That's correct on the bolts. Good luck grinding them down. I tried that too and the case is extremely hard steel as well. Somewhere between studite and carbide as far as hardness.. 

On the belts, you can adjust the length to be whatever you need it to be. I'm retrofitting a Lombardini diesel onto mine. If you need shorter belts, use them.. I can't see your machine from here to say exactly what you need for length on them.  but I would definitely use the carlisle belts. I typically get about 8 years or so worth of life out of them on the rig. They hold better and they don't stretch much once you het the initial run in on them. I would guess by the time you grind one or two stumps they would be run in and then there is very little need for adjustment after that. I replaced the 4-banded belt that goes to the cutter wheel with a carlisle belt shortly after I bought the machine, ground out 2 small stumps and the belt was fairly loose. I tightned it back up and haven't adjusted it since. That's been a few hundred hours ago. I took the covers off when I tore the machine down and that belt was still tight.


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## holemaker (Mar 25, 2013)

*Lombardini/Kohler*

I know this is slightly off topic.. but I want to get the word out as far and fast as I can.. DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM KOHLER!! The new Lombardini engine that I bought ran great.... for about 20 minutes.. then turned into a runaway diesel and puked it's guts out the exhaust.. and Kohler is trying everything they can to snake their way out of replacing it..


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## CalTreeEquip (Mar 25, 2013)

holemaker said:


> I know this is slightly off topic.. but I want to get the word out as far and fast as I can.. DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM KOHLER!! The new Lombardini engine that I bought ran great.... for about 20 minutes.. then turned into a runaway diesel and puked it's guts out the exhaust.. and Kohler is trying everything they can to snake their way out of replacing it..



You should start you own threat with this info.


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## CalTreeEquip (Mar 25, 2013)

"Thread" not "threat".


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## holemaker (Apr 30, 2013)

AMSOIL Grease Comparison Testing - YouTube

This is a video produced by Amsoil demonstrating the pound out resistance of several different very popular greases. While we don't do much pounding on the pillow block bearings, they do still take some impact..


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## lone wolf (Jun 18, 2013)

Well the damn Vermeer 252 bearings are knocking again! i only have a few months on them . I think it is time to try the tapered roller bearings. If anyone that just did this switch is reading this, can you advise me?


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## imalogger (Jun 18, 2013)

lone wolf said:


> Well the damn Vermeer 252 bearings are knocking again! i only have a few months on them . I think it is time to try the tapered roller bearings. If anyone that just did this switch is reading this, can you advise me?



I'm just curious, how much are you greasing those bearings? One of the quickest ways to ruin a bearing is over-greasing. I read an article in a farm mag a while ago about bearing failure is directly related to greasing. Too little is not good, but too much is just about as bad - you blow your seals out... They said bearing failure went up a lot after cordless grease guns came out and ppl got over zealous with them. i think often one or 2 pumps is sufficent unless youve got bushings and in that case its good to "flush" them. I believe one of the ways a lot of bearings get ruined is even if ppl wipe the zerk, they neglect to look at the end of the gun tip. The tip often picks up junk from around the last zerk. Ever tried sealed bearings? I've been pretty impressed with the longevity high quality sealed bearings. Just my .02


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## lone wolf (Jun 18, 2013)

imalogger said:


> I'm just curious, how much are you greasing those bearings? One of the quickest ways to ruin a bearing is over-greasing. I read an article in a farm mag a while ago about bearing failure is directly related to greasing. Too little is not good, but too much is just about as bad - you blow your seals out... They said bearing failure went up a lot after cordless grease guns came out and ppl got over zealous with them. i think often one or 2 pumps is sufficent unless youve got bushings and in that case its good to "flush" them. I believe one of the ways a lot of bearings get ruined is even if ppl wipe the zerk, they neglect to look at the end of the gun tip. The tip often picks up junk from around the last zerk. Ever tried sealed bearings? I've been pretty impressed with the longevity high quality sealed bearings. Just my .02



I was greasing them all the time then I tried new bearings and did not grease much, still a problem, man am I getting tired of this machine eating bearings up!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think it is the way it is made with the ball bearings not tapered?


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## ApexTreeService (Jul 12, 2013)

Have never replace or greased my upper bearings. Have owned machine since 2003. Just replaced my cutter wheel bearings yesterday for the second time since owning the machine. Last time was 4 or 5 years ago. Never greased them either. First time I replaced them, bought new cast pillow block/bearing (UCP208-24 ) complete cause they were cheap. $15 now days on the net. Had to cut 1/8 steel spacer to put between block and Vermeer frame. Can't remember why I did this, but probably so cutter wheel shaft would not rub on belt housing. This time around, I reused the same cast housing, rotated (hammered) (easy) the bad bearings out, had one spare bearing insert from 4-5 years ago, bought another locally for $15. Then I just wire wheeled the cast housing where the bearing rotates into, tapped in a zerk fitting where there was not one before, and reassembled. We'll see if occasional Amsoil grease makes a difference in these. By the way easiest way to get the inner race off the cutter wheel shaft is to torch it. First if the bearing is intact, start by torching (Oxy-Acetylene metal cutting head) the roller balls out of the bearing (one minute process) so you can get the pillow block and outer race off, leaving only the inner race still pressed on the shaft. The you can have that torched off in literally two minutes. If you don't have a torch, go buy a portable unit from Harbor Freight for $80 or whatever they are. If you were to run/skim your hand along the pressed on race, that is how you want the actual flame to cut the race off. So heat the steel on the race at the end of the shaft, and start cutting with the oxygen and cut away the race until you see the shaft exposed, then move on to more of the race. So the flame will never be directed toward the shaft like this ----o (which works too, but can pit the shaft, but rather like this ____o , do this on one side (30-60 sec.) then the other side and race falls off. No damage, no grinding, no prob.


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