Bearings for mule drive

[chipwitch 73]

Once again, I've encountered another jerry-rigged component on my tractor   Geesh. 

 

C125, 36" rear discharge deck.  The deck is pretty rough.  Idler is missing, shafts are frozen, blades missing and a fair hunk of sheet metal called back home by the zealous iron-oxide god.  Be that as it may, I'm only concerned about the mule drive which I intend to use for a tractor mounted tub type chicken plucker as mentioned in a previous post.  Today, I set out to turn the missing pulley and spacers for the mule drive on the lathe as I have an odd assortment of bearings on hand as well as material.  Although I'd rather use whatever bearings I have rather than buy new, I thought I'd try and use the same bearings that normally go on the mule drive provided I already had them.  Rather than look up the correct size, I pulled the flat pulley off the mule drive and examined the bearings.  It's a 6203UL!  Okay... measure the shaft... .750".     There's much I don't know about bearings, but isn't that wrong?  The bearing is nice and snug on the shaft and I can see no evidence of being bored out.  Can't even imagine that's easy to do... especially without seeing some kind of machine marks.  Can someone explain this?

 

I haven't pulled the bearing out yet to see what the pulley looks like on the mating surface.  Someone told me in a previous post that snap rings were used on some to hold the pulley on the bearing.  I see no snap ring or groove for a snap ring.  I also see nothing else holding the bearing in place.  I see no signs of a sleeve or weld beads.  Nothing that would indicate that the pulley had been modified.  Which begs the next question... could this be a flat pulley from another application?  Perhaps not even from a tractor?  I've seen elsewhere that the correct bearing is a 1630-2rs.  It looks like all I have are metric so I'll probably just wing this, but it would be helpful if someone could pass along the dimensions of the pulleys.  The flat one I have is about 1.120" wide at the OD and about .625" wide at the ID.  These will be the critical dimensions.  Next is the diameter.  Overall is about 4.125 and where the back of the belt rides is about 3.433"

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I could wing this and be okay, but I'd like to keep it close to the original design, even if I make the parts myself.  Or at least, know just how much it deviates.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,241]

There is a 6203 bearing made with a 3/4" ID and fairly common. OD is 40mm. There is also one with a 5/8" ID. Standard 6203 is 17mm ID.

There is also a 6202 made with a 5/8" ID rather than the standard 15mm ID and another with 16mm ID

 

Stens has replacement pulleys so go here

http://www.bantasaw.com/

 

The V-idler is # 104974 and the flat idler is 104975. Enter those numbers and they will come up. Click on the result and it will expand giving you the dimensions they have.

 

Napa has a replacement for the V-idler #7-05486 but not for the flat idler.

 

Garry

[chipwitch 73]

Thanks Garry.  I wasn't aware 6203 came in different shaft sizes.  Seems rather contradictory. 

 

I'm curious about something... I've been reading about other people's experience with changing bearings in these pulleys and it seems most people just swap pulley and all just as you've suggested.  Why is that?  Can't the bearings be pressed out without damaging the pulley?

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,241]

Most pulleys have a cheap bicycle bearing in them. If you follow Stens and other aftermarket suppliers they now have what they call a heavy duty pulley with a real bearing in them for popular applications. The two pulley halves are usually riveted together over the bearing and this is what I usually try to get. Next time it fails if it ever does I will drill out the rivets and replace the bearing as I keep many bearings as spares. There are flanged bushings available to reduce the 6203 17mm ID bearings down to 5/8", 1/2" and 3/8" for mounting.

 

The V-idler for the drive belt on the gear transmissions is available with a good bearing but no one lists it as a replacement for the original cheap bearing pulley. I found it by accident and one of the original part numbers turns out to be another Toro application. Anything to save a buck during manufacture I guess.

 

Garry 

[squonk 42,503]

I just replaced the bearings in the pulleys a couple of month's ago. One is a Napa / Primeline # 7-04140 which is also a 6203-RS 3/4

 

The 2nd Bearing with the 40mm O.D. is a 6203- 2RS-12 that I got off E bay for like 8 bucks with free shipping. The brgs. came out by removing snap rings and pressing them out. Cost me like $25 when I was done.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,241]

I just replaced the bearings in the pulleys a couple of month's ago. One is a Napa / Primeline # 7-04140 which is also a 6203-RS 3/4

 

The 2nd Bearing with the 40mm O.D. is a 6203- 2RS-12 that I got off E bay for like 8 bucks with free shipping. The brgs. came out by removing snap rings and pressing them out. Cost me like $25 when I was done.

6203-2RS 3/4 and 6203-2RS-12 are the same. The 12 is 12/16th's = 3/4" ID

A 6203-2RS-10 is 10/16th's = 5/8" ID

 

Different companies use their own numbering system.

 

Garry

[squonk 42,503]

Opps!! I made a BOO BOO!! ​  I used a Napa 7-04141 for the v pulley which has a OD of 1 5/8" or 1.625" and a Napa 7-04140 for the flat which has the O.D of 1.575" which is also the 6203- 2rs-12. I looked at the wrong chart I keep for the repairs I did  

Edited August 20, 2014 by squonk

[310-8 rider 0]

I have been reading these blogs for days now and have come across a great deal of helpful information, So for that I thank you all.

My question is I have a 1988 310-8 with a 42" side discharge deck (0542MS05   74435)   

 I have to replace the bearings on my "mule drive" A.K.A. "deck drive belt tensioner" on the front or the tractor. Does anyone have the part number for these pulleys or the bearings? I would like to buy just the bearing but will do whatever I can to get rid of that horrible screeching sound when I engage the blades. Thanks for any information on this.

[310-8 rider 0]

found them using the info I found on this webpage they are as follows:      I'm going to order them off eBay

1988 310-8 mule drive pulleys

V pulley - 104974 cross ref to 92-7103

flat idler - 104975

 hope this helps someone else

[123Go 1]

     Well they got me! 

  In June of 2023 I bought (2) Timken 6203 bearings for my Mule Drive at Amazon. Or so I thought?

 Today one failed & the other bearing won't last much longer with all the play it has. I really can't believe these bearings have under 2 seasons after inspecting them. Really soft steel. 

  My Mule bearings last well over a decade so Im quite sure these are part of the counterfeit bearings floating around!  (See link)

Easy repair but I'll just pay the local bearing dealer for the real deal from now on!  I hate buying junk!

 

All makers deal with Counterfeit Bearings, not just Timken.

https://www.qualitybearingsonline.com/blog/counterfeits-in-the-bearing-industry/

 

.

Edited March 29 by 123Go

[peter lena 9,085]

@123Go   thats regular stuff , know why ? thats also a  very regular CIELING FAN BEARING  ! , very easy to remove those wide rubber grease side shields , like a small flat putty knife or  flat pocket screwdriver , the whyining  noise is from LUBRICATION  FAILURE , LUCAS  X- TRA  HEAVY DUTY  CHASSIS GREASE   green  tube , 550 deg  flash point , polyurea rated , makes those bearings work  unbelievably , well, there are 12 of them in a mule drive / deck set up  / deck .wal mart  has it in stock , only a suggestion , but you already know ,  what fails , why not ELIMINATE IT ?  go greasy , pete    

[123Go 1]

Actually Pete I run the 6203-ZZ 3/4 bearings with "metal" sheilds/seals on my Mules.  Rubber deteriorates faster  now days being synthetic then your grease seeps out the cracks, so I always used the metal. Rubber from China goes bad even faster, well' actually their rubber lasts longer than their bearings do I guess it equals out?..lol  

I do see I just wrote 6203 in my prior post but its the "USA/Japan" made 6203-ZZ 3/4 I was after that arent on bearing sites. Yes the rubber is! I seen a few China metal versions of course, then again most rubber 6203-RS 3/4 bearings I see are China or Korea too now so it may be too late to do my part in saving a job here. I tried!

 

  Btw- The ZZ bearings metal sheilds remove easy for grease. I pull them & check/add grease before install. Mainly I find Asia stuff with the major grease shortages.

 They save a fortune not lubing anything they send us.

   

   

Edited April 1 by 123Go

[peter lena 9,085]

@123Go   also found the  , inner  needle bearing responds to a better grease , not a lot  , because that would sling onto the clutch face . have been using  ZNL  bearings with a  clean out and re grease , have them in my deck spindles , as well as  mule  bearings . find the near effortless rotational engagement , spin up , that PTO  lever engagement , with a  functional  detailing , starting next to battery tray , have eliminated  issues . notice washer fill in at  lever start point ? , that WAS ALL  SLOPPY PLAY ,  notice HEIM JOINT AT LEVER END ?  again sloppy play  , that was a simple die nut re threading  to fine 3/8x24 , for screw on heim joint . lots of other  improvements , lower spring pull on pto swing arm , down to  frame mounting  , eliminates  sloppy buzzing , notice how pto lever  , snugs against the  cowl  wall point ? thats all washer fill in , notice battery tender , plug in point ? how about battery ground cable to corner of engine mounting ? enhances rectifier  charging issues ?  also flange elastic nut  on flange bearing at steering column ? behind battery ?  every one of these sPots WAS A PIA , once tried / experimented  for function , was added to my other 2 horses , THE REPITITION OF A PROBLEM  is showing you the way  to eliminate  it , rotational  movement ease is  , very smooth / easy ,  no clutch screaming , make a change , test / try / detail  final stage , just how i do it  . pete