one.man.band
ArboristSite Guru
Saving about $50 bucks by maintaining pulley bearings:
Inspecting condition tension pulley bearing:
Involves removing belt from tension and idler pulleys.
If you ‘don’t fix it ‘till it’s broke’ …..most folks say you will get a definitely get a chance to do just that when it does go. But, unless you are very ,very ,very , lucky, it will not happen in your driveway.
1.) Spin the pulley by hand as fast as you can.
2.) Listen to the sound.
3.) If the sound , sounds like (zzzzzz ) an spins very fast….. the grease has dried out, or it has insufficient amount of grease.
4.) If the bearing sounds like (click, click, click) it is worn a flat spot or dirt has adhered to a roller ball and the grease has dried out, or it has insufficient amount of grease as its cause.
5.) If the bearing spins slowly, makes little or no sound at all. All is well.
Since you have the belt off anyway you may as well repack the bearing at this time.
Wrong way: Most folks repack bearings by leaving the seals on and puncturing a hole to fill them with grease. Or they may puncture a hole in the seal to remove the seal before filling with grease and then seal hole with silicone.
Right Way: Use a dental pick tool (similar to what dental hygienists use) that you buy at a drug store. A mechanics pick is usually too thick for this. Use this tool to gently, pry under the urethane seal starting from bearing center race. There is no need to puncture the seal at all. The seal will lift off very easily. Remove the seal from the other side.
Time to clean bearing. The bearing WILL have surprisingly little grease inside.
First with a rag. Then with a few short shots of brake cleaner spray (non-chlorinated). Or better yet, throttle body/carb cleaner. Throttle body cleaner contains some kind of oil residue. Wash all traces of grease from the balls and bearing carrier.
Inspect the balls. Look for pits or discolored rust spots, etc. Check carrier for the same. Check race for the same.
Spin bearing and listen again for grinding sound. If it grinds, its not clean enough yet.
Buy some good quality high temperature class 2 grease (synthetic maybe), in a tub or tube.
Pack as much grease as you can into the balls and carrier while spinning the bearing. Suggest about 75% full.
Clean off the seals, then lightly squeeze then into place.
Now you know why the bearings fail. Lack of the proper amount of grease.
The whole process of cleaning and repacking takes 10 minutes.
If you decide to buy a new pulley. If it were me, I’d still pack it with known high quality grease. Most new pulleys that I have taken apart, come packed with only about 20% grease of unknown quality.
hope it helps someone.
-OMB
Inspecting condition tension pulley bearing:
Involves removing belt from tension and idler pulleys.
If you ‘don’t fix it ‘till it’s broke’ …..most folks say you will get a definitely get a chance to do just that when it does go. But, unless you are very ,very ,very , lucky, it will not happen in your driveway.
1.) Spin the pulley by hand as fast as you can.
2.) Listen to the sound.
3.) If the sound , sounds like (zzzzzz ) an spins very fast….. the grease has dried out, or it has insufficient amount of grease.
4.) If the bearing sounds like (click, click, click) it is worn a flat spot or dirt has adhered to a roller ball and the grease has dried out, or it has insufficient amount of grease as its cause.
5.) If the bearing spins slowly, makes little or no sound at all. All is well.
Since you have the belt off anyway you may as well repack the bearing at this time.
Wrong way: Most folks repack bearings by leaving the seals on and puncturing a hole to fill them with grease. Or they may puncture a hole in the seal to remove the seal before filling with grease and then seal hole with silicone.
Right Way: Use a dental pick tool (similar to what dental hygienists use) that you buy at a drug store. A mechanics pick is usually too thick for this. Use this tool to gently, pry under the urethane seal starting from bearing center race. There is no need to puncture the seal at all. The seal will lift off very easily. Remove the seal from the other side.
Time to clean bearing. The bearing WILL have surprisingly little grease inside.
First with a rag. Then with a few short shots of brake cleaner spray (non-chlorinated). Or better yet, throttle body/carb cleaner. Throttle body cleaner contains some kind of oil residue. Wash all traces of grease from the balls and bearing carrier.
Inspect the balls. Look for pits or discolored rust spots, etc. Check carrier for the same. Check race for the same.
Spin bearing and listen again for grinding sound. If it grinds, its not clean enough yet.
Buy some good quality high temperature class 2 grease (synthetic maybe), in a tub or tube.
Pack as much grease as you can into the balls and carrier while spinning the bearing. Suggest about 75% full.
Clean off the seals, then lightly squeeze then into place.
Now you know why the bearings fail. Lack of the proper amount of grease.
The whole process of cleaning and repacking takes 10 minutes.
If you decide to buy a new pulley. If it were me, I’d still pack it with known high quality grease. Most new pulleys that I have taken apart, come packed with only about 20% grease of unknown quality.
hope it helps someone.
-OMB
