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FREEDGUY 
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Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Location: South West Mich
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 Topic: Sealed Bearing ??
Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 6:07pm |
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There's a character on "another" forum that claims that a "sealed" bearing can have the rubber seal drilled to accept a "needle tip" grease gun fitting and then sealed up with a "dab" of silicone ?? Is he correct ??
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Lonn
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Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 6:11pm |
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You can slip a grease needle under the seal of a sealed bearing but I never heard of drilling a hole in the seal. I think that would distort the seal and it wouldn't seal anymore. You can pop the seal out carefully and pack a couple dabs of grease in the bearing and pop it back together but I wouldn't recommend it.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 6:20pm |
You can pop the seal out carefully and pack a couple dabs of grease in the bearing and pop it back together but I wouldn't recommend it.
I have done that on bearings that i didnt have a replacement readily available... Wash out the old grease with gasoline and then repack - install seal.... hard to get the seals out without damage as Lonn said.
Edited by steve(ill) - 16 Sep 2020 at 6:21pm
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john(MI)
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Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 7:56pm |
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Back in the day they called that ingenuity, and all successful farmers had to have it!
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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jiminnd
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Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 8:46pm |
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Used to grease needle some to get by for a day or two, not a permanent solution.
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1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner)
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Dakota Dave
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Posted: 16 Sep 2020 at 10:57pm |
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I have use a hypodermic needle with Lucas oil a very small needle like used for insulin can be stuck between the seal and race put a couple CCs of Lucas oil in it spin it a couple times and put it back on. I did my JD mule drive for lawn mower a couple years ago as a temp fix. It lasted till this year it started squealing bad again so I replaced it.
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DaveKamp
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 12:25am |
Where sealed bearings were used in mountain bike racing, we would do generally as OP noted... but it was only done for competition, not for common service. We did it because grease in the sealed bearings would become contaminated when racing on hot days (100F), and fording a deep, cold (55F) creek... the rapid change in temperature of the submerged hub would 'inhale' water into the bearings, causing them to gall rapidly. By drilling the seals, rinsing them thorougly (with mineral spirits), and then filling the bearings AND the hub cavity, there was no ingress. It required a needle-type lubricator (what you'd use to lubricate a clockwork, or a Hammond electric organ, or other intricate/delicate systems) and then lightly closed the hole with a piece of tape. We did not use silicone, as it contaminated the lubricating oil and risked developing silicone boogers in the bearing. Giving away a 3-decade-old (not-so-secret-anymore) trick... We used two-stroke engine oil...  It stayed put, and did the job well...
Just noting- there's a difference between a 'sealed' and a 'shielded' bearing. Sealed bearings are not intended to be regreased. Shielded bearings ARE. Yes, we broke the 'manufacturer's recommendations', but we did NOT break any rules of the competition.
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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LionelinKY
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 2:21am |
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I have extended the life of many non-greaseable bearings with the needle adapter for my grease gun. The bearings always got replaced later on, usually during the off-season for that particular piece of equipment.
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"My name is Lionel and I'm an Allisoholic"
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 6:07am |
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I've taken sealed bearings, removed one cover, installed into a rider deck spindle unit that had a grease Zerk. Allowed ME to add grease as required.
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Steve in NJ
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 6:15am |
A friend of mine that was a landscaper for years told me he used to drill a hole in the side of the spindle that housed a sealed bearing or two, added a zerk (or two) and was able to grease the bearing via a grease gun. I never tried it, but sounded logical to me. He said he saved a lot of spindle bearings that way... Steve@B&B
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39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife
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Phil48ACWC
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 6:19am |
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Nathan (SD)
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 6:42am |
 john(MI) wrote:
Back in the day they called that ingenuity, and all successful farmers had to have it!
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Amen
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 9:59am |
he used to drill a hole in the side of the spindle that housed a sealed bearing or two, added a zerk (or two) and was able to grease the bearing via a grease gu
Steve, i did that at the beginning of this season on my father in laws Wal Mart lawn mower.. It had a slight squeek and a couple thousands clearance.. I took out the 4 bolts and pulled the spindle unit for repair... welded unit dont come apart.. I drilled a 3/16 hole in the side of the aluminum case and taped for a small zerk.. Pumped until grease came out both ends... Still going strong 5 month later.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 10:40am |
MTD install 2 'different' spindles depending on the 'make' they're producing.. regular MTD decks get 'economy' spindles, Cub Cadet the 'good' ones. THEY have a grease Zerk...cheapies don't BUT same housing and guts....
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Ray54
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 12:20pm |
I have 1960's heavy duty IH disc 32a that uses sealed bearing with a steel seal. At least 2 or 3 hours to change a bearing. Sometimes its a all day job. A friend with the same disc got me feeling them at lunch time,if warmer than the rest, time to grease them that night. A pain to get to but possible. Drill the littlest whole and a needle point fitting on grease gun,fill with grease, clean and fill whole with gasket maker silicon. If when they fail I am out only pennies. But as far as I know none of the greased ones have failed yet.
There are at least 2 types of needle point grease fillers. One is shape like hypodermic needle the other is made to put against the ball in a standard grease fitting. The second works well in my little whole in the steel shield.
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darrel in ND
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 12:32pm |
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Back when I worked at the implement dealership, had a customer put a brand new bearing in his gleaner header. Ran about 2 to 3 hours and went out. NOT the kind of customer who would put the bearing in wrong. Long story short, we pulled some more of the same bearings out of the parts bins, carefully popped the seals out, and there wasn't enough grease in a lot of them to wad a shotgun. So then, for a while, we were popping seals out of new bearings before we installed them, and adding grease if they were scantily greased from the factory. After a while, that practice kind of went by the wayside, but I still do it on a lot of bearings that I put in my own equipment. Darrel
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farmtoybuilder
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 2:53pm |
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Yep! Try going under seal 1st! And as others said we even pop seals off new ones and check grease. I believe to much is better then hardly any!
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Ken(MI)
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Posted: 17 Sep 2020 at 7:52pm |
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As to quantity of grease, depending on the speed of operation, too much grease will cause a pretty rapid failure of a sealed bearing, one needs to remember that the only grease actually working is what is between the moving parts, it actually takes very little grease to properly lubricate a bearing, excess will only generate heat which is bad for the grease in that it will cause it to solidify when it cools, especially run of the mill chassis and bearing grease.
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LionelinKY
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Posted: 18 Sep 2020 at 2:38am |
Steve in NJ wrote:
A friend of mine that was a landscaper for years told me he used to drill a hole in the side of the spindle that housed a sealed bearing or two, added a zerk (or two) and was able to grease the bearing via a grease gun. I never tried it, but sounded logical to me. He said he saved a lot of spindle bearings that way...Steve@B&B |
I tried that once with the 38" mower deck on my JD 210 L&G tractor that I had at one time. No problem drilling through the cast housing until I hit the hardened steel bearing race. Thought it should have worked exactly half way between the 2 ends of the spindle housing but apparently not. Didn't want to drill more holes trying to find a sweet spot so I just disassembled and put in all new bearings anyway. Old bearings were still tight but growled really loud while mowing. Much quieter with new bearings.
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"My name is Lionel and I'm an Allisoholic"
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Lonn
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Posted: 19 Sep 2020 at 6:11am |
darrel in ND wrote:
Back when I worked at the implement dealership, had a customer put a brand new bearing in his gleaner header. Ran about 2 to 3 hours and went out. NOT the kind of customer who would put the bearing in wrong. Long story short, we pulled some more of the same bearings out of the parts bins, carefully popped the seals out, and there wasn't enough grease in a lot of them to wad a shotgun. So then, for a while, we were popping seals out of new bearings before we installed them, and adding grease if they were scantily greased from the factory. After a while, that practice kind of went by the wayside, but I still do it on a lot of bearings that I put in my own equipment. Darrel |
I had that problem when I bought bearings from AGCO just a few years ago. I popped a seal off one because I wanted to use it in an oil bath application and I was surprised that it only had a drop of grease in it the size of a pencil eraser. Bearings were all made in India. I checked them all and all were the same. What I should do is pop the seal on a couple CaseIH and AGCO bearings I have had on the shelf for almost 20 years, all made in the USA.
Edited by Lonn - 19 Sep 2020 at 6:16am
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FREEDGUY
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Posted: 19 Sep 2020 at 5:50pm |
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You guys keep talking about "popping" the seal (I assume the rubber membrane) to check the grease "amount", but won't popping the entire seal completely compromise the bearing ??
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 19 Sep 2020 at 6:37pm |
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its kind of like taking the cap off a beer bottle. .... the TRICK is getting it back on and snug.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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FREEDGUY
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Posted: 19 Sep 2020 at 6:47pm |
Makes some sense Steve 
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 19 Sep 2020 at 8:57pm |
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Bearings can be OPEN... like inside a transmission or final drive covered with oil / grease....... they can be SHIELDED which is a steel or plastic disc on one or both sides... or they can be SEALED which is a rubber disc that is pressed into a groove in the bearing race and keeps dirt and water out..........That is for external applications where you normally do not add grease .......... The bearing itself is very similar except for the small groove where the seal pokes in..... If you have a mower spindle that has SEALED bearings ( both sided), you can remove the inner seal on the bearings and then add grease thru a zerk.. some bearings only have ONE seal... and you can make a double into a single....... when i drilled the spindle housings and added a zerk, i could not get them apart so they may or may not have had the inner seals... i just pumped them FULL till grease ran out of the outer seal.... i guess a little pressure will blow out the seals or let them leak by.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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