Spindle Bearing Removal & Install

[grinchsr 626]

What is the recommended process for removing and installing bearings in the housings of a 48 inch deck?  Did a search but can't seem to find info

[daveoman1966 3,745]

Are your working on an older DOUBLE-D deck, or a newer model that does NOT use the Double-D spindles?

.

Edited March 11, 2021 by daveoman1966

[grinchsr 626]

Newer style 5/8.  I probably should have mentioned that 

[squonk 41,040]

Press out the shaft. Heat the aluminum housing with a torch and then whack the housing on a metal bench with the opening for the bearing facing the bench. The bearing will fall out. 

 

Warm the housing and freeze the bearing to reinstall. It will just about fall in.

[grinchsr 626]

Thanks   I have  a torch so now I have a reason to use it.   I was going to drive them out with a brass punch.  

[peter lena 8,584]

grinchsr,  if you are looking for a recommended bearing lubricant , LUCAS  RED AND TACKY AND LUCAS HEAVY DUTY GREASE , WALL MART AT 5 $ A TUBE , have not had a related failure or noise from any bearing I have  used this in . basically those 6203  bearings fail due to high heat run off, with a 550 + flash point this grease will not fail . if you check pto and deck bearing temp after use , they are very hot , replacing bearings is a good opportunity to prevent a future noise failure . just my own experience, pete 

[grinchsr 626]

Thanks Pete   I just started using the Lucas and I am sure I will not be going back to cheap grease.  The bearings are good I need to swap the housing for the usual rot issue

[peter lena 8,584]

grinchsr,  done a number of decks , regularly lube mine down , totally stops rust , pete

 

[grinchsr 626]

I forgot to ask which type of torch?   Propane  - acetylene or oxy-acetylene?   Oxy is probably too hot?

[squonk 41,040]

You can use oxy. But you just want to warm the housing. Gotta be careful.

[daveoman1966 3,745]

In 30+ years of working on these, I've never had to use a torch of anykind.  I'm not saying to NOT use torch method, I've just never had to.  This is my method...as best I can describe it.  Of course, this method is about the same for those spindles NOT incorporating a Woodruff key as in this pic.   

[grinchsr 626]

Thank you gentlemen    Two schools of thought which I will consider.   Maybe a combination of both.  

[grinchsr 626]

GOT IT   Used a combination of both schools.   I am converting a few housings I have which have 3/4 inch ID bearings to 5/8 ID.  All my decks have 5/8 shafts

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

On 3/11/2021 at 1:33 PM, peter lena said:

recommended bearing lubricant

 

On 3/12/2021 at 7:42 AM, daveoman1966 said:

30+ years of working on these

 

My new spindle assemblies arrived yesterday and I was surprised to find BLUE GREASE oozing from the top bearing.  Do we know what kind of grease Toro uses on these?

 

Is it a polyurea high temp like this?

 

Or maybe a Lithium base like this?

 

 

 

I've always used the "Red N Tacky" which is Lithium based,  so I have some concerns perhaps you gents can help to clear up.  

 

I do NOT want to just shoot some R&T in there and risk some adverse reaction between two differing chemistries.  I also do NOT care to disassemble them, remove all the BLUE and replace with RED unless it's STRONGLY recommended to do so.  I would much rather switch one of my guns to the same blue grease.

 

These are NEW spindle assemblies 111726.  Is it SAFE to ASSUME that there is adequate grease in them for 'first run' ?  In other words, for the upcoming mowing season?

 

What would Peter and Dave (and anyone else) do?

 

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[peter lena 8,584]

jeff the fact that its a specific rated hi temp grease ,is your answer,  that should easily stand up in those spindles , the polyurea grease is for more angular open type gearing.  that lubrimatic grease is rated for 520 deg max heat , obviously  I  cannot verify what you have in your spindles . can your supply source verify what type of grease it is ?   the mobil lithium hi temp is rated for 280 deg, not exactly hi temp. find out what you have in there, pete   

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

6 hours ago, peter lena said:

jeff the fact that its a specific rated hi temp grease ,is your answer,  that should easily stand up in those spindles , the polyurea grease is for more angular open type gearing.  that lubrimatic grease is rated for 520 deg max heat , obviously  I  cannot verify what you have in your spindles . can your supply source verify what type of grease it is ?   the mobil lithium hi temp is rated for 280 deg, not exactly hi temp. find out what you have in there, pete   

 

Thanks Pete!

 

I doubt the supplier has any clue as to what grease is in them.

 

And even though they are supposedly OEM Toro,  I don't think I could talk to anyone there who would have a clue either.

 

I wonder if the manual for the 78360 deck recommends a grease?

 

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up cleaning them out and using the R & T grease.  It's a pain but I'll lose sleep over mixing grease.

[Lee1977 6,648]

On 3/13/2021 at 12:02 PM, grinchsr said:

GOT IT   Used a combination of both schools.   I am converting a few housings I have which have 3/4 inch ID bearings to 5/8 ID.  All my decks have 5/8 shafts

They are not 5/8" they are 17 mm the top is 5/8" at the nut. the bearings are 40 mm  OD and 17 mm ID and 12 mm thick bearing number is 6203 2RS I don't remove the inside shield anymore and they last just as long.

Converting 3/4" to Metric you will need the metric spacer between the bearings. 

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

1 hour ago, Jeff-C175 said:

I wonder if the manual for the 78360 deck recommends a grease?

 

All it says is "#2 multipurpose lithium grease"

 

Not very helpful!

 

I think I'm going to clean them out and install the red n tacky

 

22 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

They are not 5/8" they are 17 mm the top is 5/8" at the nut

 

So there's a step in the shaft then, I'll look for that when I take them apart to clean out the unknown grease.

[Handy Don 12,167]

Red n Tacky is a #2 lithium grease!

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

Just now, Handy Don said:

Red n Tacky is a #2 lithium grease!

 

Yes... but I don't know what's in there now.  And don't want to mix incompatible chemistry.

[peter lena 8,584]

actually that re grease is very easy , if any bearing has the side rubber shields , do not manhandle them , using a 3" pocket screwdriver , carefully remove the shields , starting at one spot , they will curl out on their own. carefully wipe out grease , and replace with known hi temp grease , lucas 550 deg , does it. carefully replace shields , thats it ! no more hi pitched whine , and quite running , also did the same on my PTO MULE BEARINGS , same 6203 bearings. this typically freaks out purists, take 2 new 6203 bearings , install one untouched , and the other re greased  with hi temp lucas , do it on your pto mule drive for ease of access and replacement , tell me how it works out , when the drive heat wipes out the untouched bearing , and generic grease . done this on all my related bearings now , no noise , no failures , and smooth easy operation , JUST MY EXPERIENCE, PETE 

[peter lena 8,584]

jeff, never had an issue with any of the remaining original grease , which was very minimal , imagine no noise or failure . pete 

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

1 minute ago, peter lena said:

that re grease is very easy

 

I know... it's just that these spindles are brandy new and don't really care to have to disassemble them and re-grease.  But ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

22 minutes ago, peter lena said:

PTO MULE BEARINGS , same 6203 bearings

 

Interesting, never looked at the mule bearings!  The idler says " 6203 3/4 RS JAPAN PAC " and the other " 6203LU TAIWAN TPI "

 

I'll give that a try!

 

[peter lena 8,584]

same bearings , easier experimental trial , what i did , pete