MTD greasable spindle

JeremyR · Jun 14, 2018

I was given a left for dead cub cadet rider. Was able to get it going fairly easy. Now I'm working on the deck, the bearings are shot. the spindles have
grease zerks, however the bearings are sealed both sides. How does the grease get in there? The new ones I'm installing will only be sealed on the
outside.

circus · Jun 14, 2018

Must be time to clear out the junk cause I was just given a dead 18hp Murray Ultra. After being quoted $1000 for a couple small parts to fix my Ariens, it was nice investing only $20 to get the Murray going.
The grease won't get into your sealed bearings. No harm done except wasting grease.

steve_in_mo · Jun 14, 2018

You may want to check idlers and belt routing
before concluding the deck bearings are shot.
Sealed bearings last quite a long while.

Steve@Advance · Jun 14, 2018

Might be better to go with single shield instead of sealed.

As soon as the grease goes through the bearing a real good chance the seal will pop out.

The shields are a little harder to pop, and do allow some grease to flow by, but still they can be pushed out with too much grease.

JD Seller · Jun 14, 2018

Your worrying about nothing. LOL The JD spindle bearings have had seals for over 20 years now with grease fittings. The grease goes right into the bearing on the side against the grease. You need to think about how a LIP seal works. The seal is to keep grease IN the bearing not out of the bearing. The lip is angled with the shaft edge towards the balls/rollers. So when you put pressure on the grease fitting the grease lifts the lip of the seal and goes right into the bearing. Nice thing about them being this way. You do not have to worry about which way you install them. Also the seals hold the grease next to the balls/rollers when at speed.

When greasing blade spindles your only supposed to give them one or two pumps of grease every oil change. Not every use like an old corn picker or some thing. LOL I get to see a lot of ruined drive belts by fellow greasing them every week. Plus greasing them until they see grease. So they blow the seals out and then over grease what is left.

T.R.K. · Jun 14, 2018

The idea is more sinister than what has been proposed: The reason there are seals on the bearings is that very few owners even own a grease gun any more. Even fewer owners still actually use it on occasion. Lots of kids have grown up not knowing how to maintain anything, even the car they drive.

The idea is to give the bearing some kind of 'reasonable' service life (Think lasting through the warranty period.) without any maintenance whatever. If the owner is one who greases his stuff, Then they have provided him a place to happily put grease.

Actually, one mower manufacturer I deal with who has not had greaseable spindles in the last 10 years that I've been familiar with their product is now saying to put a little grease in the housing when you rebuild the spindle. They are saying at their Service Schools the grease conducts heat away from the bearing and thus it lasts a bit longer.

Russ from MN · Jun 14, 2018

It's to keep people from over-greasing them! A good sealed bearing will run as long as one that is greased in many cases, especially a high speed application.

Texasmark1 · Jun 15, 2018

I have been on both sides of the bridge on the subject. My take is that if you have a zerk and the OEM intended for you to use it, he would have installed the bearing set with only the outer side sealed and a pressure relief port somewhere to keep from blowing the outer seal.

I have been into several and sealed bearings do fail...last case was just last year, a 2005 ZT with sealed and no zerk; had 2 out of 4 binding and grinding and I don't wash it and keep it in a garage. Used to be my wife's toy for when she wanted to get out and get some fresh air.....not to embarrass me....aka neighbors mouthing off about me being lazy requiring the wife to mow-de-lawn. Mowing is one of my enjoyments.

JGayman · Jun 15, 2018

> It's to keep people from over-greasing them! A good sealed bearing will run as long as one that is greased in many cases, especially a high speed application.

My old 175 Hydro had sealed bearings and they only last one season - despite regular greasing. When I changed them I removed the inner seals from the upper and lower bearings so grease could get to them. 20+ years later and I was still on that same set of bearings.

JeremyR · Jun 16, 2018

Here is what I done. New 6204 sealed bearings, popped one side out. Greased spindle until grease came out the bypass hole. $22 for 4 bearings or $100 for one spindle (timed blades on the deck). Deck should last awhile longer. I do concur that the average guy that just mows grass would ride it to dies, and go buy another mower. Let alone own a grease gun.

SARG · Jun 16, 2018

I was told decades ago that the grease in a spindle with sealed bearings serves as a heat sink........ Was that baloney?

Texasmark1 · Jun 16, 2018

Right answer. Wink!

Texasmark1 · Jun 16, 2018

Yes. If it were, where would the heat be dissipated? As it is, the outer race is already connected to the balls and it is pressed into the steel/alum
spindle. Positive conduction path. That's your sink, course if they are working properly friction is at a minimum and you don't need to worry about a
sink. (opinion).

MTD greasable spindle

JeremyR

Member

circus

Member

steve_in_mo

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

JD Seller

Well-known Member

T.R.K.

Well-known Member

Russ from MN

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

JGayman

Member

JeremyR

Member

SARG

Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Similar threads