Hesston 540 bearings

So anyone ever changed bearings on Hesston 540(should be the
same as a Hesston 740, 840, MF 1744, CaseIh 8430, and several
New Idea models). While I?m into I?m going to go ahead and change
all four bearings on the carrier roller and the bottom main drive
roller(that?s he one with the large cog and is bad). The cog has a gib
key that manual shows taking a pry bar and forcing it out while
knocking the cog in towards the baler. Is that the best way to remove
to cogs? What about the bearings themselves. I?m assuming they
have a locking collar on them that you?ll probably have to take a
hammer and chisel to. Any advice or suggestions? All four bearings
was about $165, I didn?t think that was to bad. And yes, I?ve got some
hay under water now....
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Casey, the locking collars may come off by turning them with a punch, or they may have to be cut with oxy/acetylene torch. The bearings will for sure have to be cut with a torch. You first have to cut the retainer,then cut a notch in the outer race so the balls will come out. Once balls are out, the outer race will fall out. That leaves the inner race still on the shaft. There is no way I have found to get a puller on it, so it has to be cut off the shaft. You want to cut at a 'tangent' to the shaft. If you try to cut parallel to the shaft, it will just blow back on you. If you are fairly good with a torch, you can cut the inner race without harming the shaft since the race is thinner that the shaft and melts first. I hope this makes sense. I have changed several bearings on those balers, mostly 530, but they are the same as the 540. About all of those self aligning bearings have to be cut off with the torch.

Call me anytime if you have any questions.
Garry-336- three nine nine-875three.
 
Might have to give you a call tomorrow. I?ve got very little torch
experience and I don?t know if my mechanic buddy has one or his
experience with one. He didn?t like the idea of having to cut them out.
Anyway to maybe use an angle grinder?
 
More likely to damage the shaft with an angle grinder and I don't think you can reach far enough with one to cut all of the inner race. My dad did this kind of thing for 60 some years and taught me. Getting the torch adjusted for good cutting is a big part of it as well as a steady hand. I wish I could make a video, especially of how to cut the inner race. You have to cut across the outer diameter(edge) of the race. The torch head will be parallel to the body of the baler, not perpendicular to it. It will take several small cuts to split one side of the race, and sometimes a knock with a chisel to cut any slag etc. Sometimes I have had to cut both sides of the race to get it loose from the shaft.

Google the word 'tangent' and look at an image of a tangent line coming across the edge of a circle. The tangent will be the way the torch cuts. It took way longer to type all of this that it does to cut the bearing off. Once you unbolt the outer bearing retainer, you can have the bearing off in 5-10 minutes( and be left with a hot shaft!)

Garry
 
Cut the outer race off then lay your torch flat against the shaft and cut the inner race in two places you?ll have to adjust your torch angle a bit to cut through the race without gouging the shaft
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Houston had a pretty good idea with those tapered gib keys, never had a gear slip or come loose once the key was drove in.
Yes with a pry par pulling out on the key smack the gear in with a good sized hammer. Once you get the key out you'll probably still need a 3 jaw puller to get the gear off.
Those bearing have a locking collar that has a allen head set screw that keeps it from coming loose, clean around the outer surface of the collar to find the hole with the set screw in it.
If you not comfortable using a torch you may want to find someone to do that job for your.
Make sure you clean any hay out of the baler and have some water handy in case any of the grease in the bearings flares up.
You don't want to burn your baler up cutting a bearing out.
 

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