Vermeer Model 605F baler bearing repair question

My brother has a Vermeer Model 605F baler. A bearing has gone out on one of the 3½” belt tightener rollers. How is the bearing removed? The book shows a retaining bolt with a large hex recess, but there is very little clearance between the roller and the side wall of the baler—not enough to remove the bolt or bearing. There are two holes in each side wall up close to the upper idler rollers. Can the belt tightener rollers be pulled up high enough to access the bolt and bearing through the appropriate hole?

Should this repair be done with a bale in the chamber to move the roller most of the way up to the top?

Is the bearing removal and replacement straightforward, or are there tricks to it?

The illustration in the baler manual (105400-A24) does not provide enough detail for me to figure out how to do the job.

Thanks,

Pat

I had a 504 but the method should be the same.

This is the rollers on the lid, or clamshell,
right?

No hay in chamber. open clamshell all the way.
Set safety latch. If it is like the safety on
the 504 you close a valve to keep the oil locked
in the cylinders. I never have liked that
system so rigged a steel bar to hold the
clamshell, but in the present case you won't be
under it for long. Get in the bale chamber with
a strong chain with grab hooks on one end. You
loop the chain over a cross bar and then around
the moveable roller in the clam shell. Then get
out of the chamber and slowly lower the
clamshell first removing the safety bar if you
used it. This will take the tension off the
belts. It's been a while since I had the 504
and I may not be explaining it well so you may
have to experiment. The clamshell must be left
in position so that the ends of the rollers are
exposed at the bottom of the clamshell.

That's the easy part. The bearings are held in
place by a Allen screw which I think takes a 3/8
inch Allan wrench. They are hard to get out. I
have always pulled the baler to a shop. They
had to heat the end of the Allen screw enough
break the rust loose. Do both bearings while
you have the roller out. The mechanic would
slam the shaft on the concrete floor to knock
the bearing out on the opposite side, then turn
it over to get the first bearing out. Getting
the new bearing in required some beating with a
large deep socket against the race.

The belts should be left loose enough to get the
roller out, but tight enough so the shaft with
new bearings installed can be more or less laid
on the belts and lined up easily to put the
screw back in.

KEH

Thank you. I will pass this information on to my brother.

Pat