Bearing removal/install NH 54A bale thrower

lastcowboy32

Well-known Member
Now that I have my knotter operating well, I guess we're making bales so fast that the thrower can't keep up. (Kidding...sorta)

We checked the big rollers at the ends of the thrower belts. Two of them had bad bearings. Also, the little rolling pin rollers in the middle seem to need bearings.

I decided to just pull all of them and do all of the bearings..

I got all the bearings off the big rollers. I need to do a little shaft cleanup and such. And I know how to reinstall.

The little rollers in the middle?

I'm thinking how to plan and do that.

Anybody done these? Any lessons learned to share?
mvphoto98803.jpg
 
Here is a little "pay forward"

This setup worked wonders for getting the flywheel off.

A little penetrating oil, a little time.

Loosened the center bolt just a bit...then hit the center bolt with a three pound hammer. When it moves, loosen the center bolt some more...add more oil...add more whacks...

Way easier to pound the shaft out of the flywheel than to try to pull the flywheel from the shaft on the baler itself. Tried that before.

Even if I was just doing one bearing or the pulley...I think the time to remove the whole roller and do this, is less than trying to leave the roller on the baler and pull it
mvphoto98804.jpg


mvphoto98805.jpg
 
For the one in your picture remove the shaft with the inner race on it. Run a weld bead of 7018, around the inside of the outer race, in the groove the balls run in, and it will likely fall out when it cools. Otherwise just reach through from the other end with a longer piece of rod/shaft, once the shaft is removed, and drive them out.

This post was edited by Jim.ME on 10/26/2022 at 07:30 am.
 
(quoted from post at 07:27:06 10/26/22) For the one in your picture remove the shaft with the inner race on it. Run a weld bead of 7018, around the inside of the outer race, in the groove the balls run in, and it will likely fall out when it cools. Otherwise just reach through from the other end with a longer piece of rod/shaft, once the shaft is removed, and drive them out.

This post was edited by Jim.ME on 10/26/2022 at 07:30 am.

Good idea. What about a MIG? We have a little MIG in our shop, I would have a much easier time putting a bead in there with the MIG.

So the procedure would be... get the threaded shaft out.

Use a socket or something to pound the center out of the bearing on both ends. Strip both bearings down to the outer race... then weld a bead in the race.

Should drop out at that point...Or be easier to punch out.

Alternatively...

If I could clamp the roller, I thought about cutting or at least scoring the race with a sawzall and a short, sharp metal cutting blade.

Maybe I'll try both and compare.
 
MIG should work, 7018 stick will shrink more IMO. That method works where the center has gone like that one has or if you want to cut the inner race to get it out. Cut the inner race with a torch if you are going to do that, don't screw around pounding on it to break it out. There may be a shoulder or raised dimples in the roll bore to stop the bearing at a given depth. You don't want to beat on it and drive it over the stops and lose the depth stop. I would just take a rod (a bit smaller than the hole in the inner race if you have to work through one that is intact), longer than the roll, to the other bearing, and drive it out. If the inner race is gone like the one in your first picture you can use a bigger diameter rod to drive the intact bearing out. I have changed bigger bearings than those in round baler rolls right in the field with a sledge and long rod, no heat. Don't over think it. Good luck using a sawzall blade on a bearing race.

This post was edited by Jim.ME on 10/26/2022 at 10:48 am.
 
(quoted from post at 10:47:37 10/26/22) MIG should work, 7018 stick will shrink more IMO. That method works where the center has gone like that one has or if you want to cut the inner race to get it out. Cut the inner race with a torch if you are going to do that, don't screw around pounding on it to break it out. There may be a shoulder or raised dimples in the roll bore to stop the bearing at a given depth. You don't want to beat on it and drive it over the stops and lose the depth stop. I would just take a rod (a bit smaller than the hole in the inner race if you have to work through one that is intact), longer than the roll, to the other bearing, and drive it out. If the inner race is gone like the one in your first picture you can use a bigger diameter rod to drive the intact bearing out. I have changed bigger bearings than those in round baler rolls right in the field with a sledge and long rod, no heat. Don't over think it. Good luck using a sawzall blade on a bearing race.

This post was edited by Jim.ME on 10/26/2022 at 10:48 am.

MMMMMmmmmm.... yeah... probably hardened steel. Maybe I'll keep the sawzall on the shelf.

When I went to the dealer to get the bearings, they said they just pound them out from the other end, like you said.

They are paying people by the hour and paying for materials; so I assume they try to do it the fastest way.
 

I actually think I would have better luck with bigger bearings. These things have tiny races, and the lip of the roller itself gives me practically nothing to set the lip on to pound the bearing into. It's going to be fun... I think I have a socket that's just the right diameter.
 

A piece of flat bar, the thickness of the lip of the roll, tack welded to a bench lets you butt the roll to it while driving the bearing out. Working with the roll flat is not as handy as having it stood up, but it works. Just turn the roll some so the force is at the flat bar when you strike and keep changing where you strike on the race, so it doesn't cock in the bore.
 
(quoted from post at 12:05:25 10/26/22)
A piece of flat bar, the thickness of the lip of the roll, tack welded to a bench lets you butt the roll to it while driving the bearing out. Working with the roll flat is not as handy as having it stood up, but it works. Just turn the roll some so the force is at the flat bar when you strike and keep changing where you strike on the race, so it doesn't cock in the bore.

Good idea.
 


I replaced four bearings on the thrower on my MF 224 five years ago. I probably have more now that I should do. I haven't done any in the middle yet. I should probably remove the assemblies now and put them in a container of fuel for the winter.
 

How well does the long term fuel saturation trick work? After I do these, I have other parts to scavenge from scrap balers (yes, plural... I've been making deals all summer to get enough parts here to get my 276 running reliably and also stash a bunch of the important stuff... set of knotters, needles, needle yokes, plunger, plunger gear box... the sprockets on the feeder gearbox input shaft... If that trick would get those sprockets off the shaft from the scrap baler cleanly... I would give my left arm.

Come to think of it, with the price of diesel or fuel oil, I probably would be giving my left arm...
 
(quoted from post at 05:48:35 10/27/22)
How well does the long term fuel saturation trick work? After I do these, I have other parts to scavenge from scrap balers (yes, plural... I've been making deals all summer to get enough parts here to get my 276 running reliably and also stash a bunch of the important stuff... set of knotters, needles, needle yokes, plunger, plunger gear box... the sprockets on the feeder gearbox input shaft... If that trick would get those sprockets off the shaft from the scrap baler cleanly... I would give my left arm.

Come to think of it, with the price of diesel or fuel oil, I probably would be giving my left arm...


Fuel will not penetrate like actual penetrating oil but it does penetrate. Spraying penetrating oil on twice a day gets old and extremely expensive. 24-7 fuel will be far more effective and way cheaper.
 

For big, heavy and expensive sprockets on a shaft, what do you think about pretreating the joint of the sprocket and shaft with a squirt of milkstone remover about a day before starting the soak?

Maybe that would wear some channels into the joint for the fuel oil to then penetrate?
 
(quoted from post at 08:20:57 10/27/22)
For big, heavy and expensive sprockets on a shaft, what do you think about pretreating the joint of the sprocket and shaft with a squirt of milkstone remover about a day before starting the soak?

Maybe that would wear some channels into the joint for the fuel oil to then penetrate?


Yes, the phosphoric acid will dissolve rust. The problem is to get the residues out so that the acid can penetrate deeper. I have done similarly using a syringe but you have no space for the needle to get in.
 
Did these bearings over the weekend. Less than an hour for two rollers and four bearings.

It was easier than I thought. The roller, being so thin, doesn't exert alot of pressure on the bearing. The whole assembly is held together by two nuts on the ends.

1. I loosened one nut just far enough to protect the threads...

2. I put the other end of the assembly on a block of wood, so that the nut on the other end was hanging free. I accidentally found out that, if you use a block of wood... the wood is soft enough to let the bearing come out a little, even though part of the bearing is resting on the wood.

3. Give the end with the nut protecting the threads a few good hits with a hammer.

4. Check the other end. The bearing should be peeking out a little.

5. NOW... with a little bit of the bearing race showing, you can get the lip of the roller against the edge of a piece of angle iron or something, and the bearing comes out (in my case)... with one more easy blow with the hammer.

6. Now the removed bearing is on the shaft... but it's easy to remove without the roller covering it up.

7. You can get the other bearing out of the other end of the roller, even if it's worn down to the race... by putting a socket into the roller that slides easily through the roller, but still makes contact with the bearing race... Just put a long extension that reaches through the roller on the socket and do the first 5 steps using the socket and extension.

BAM... this actually went way easier than expected.
 
(quoted from post at 06:01:52 10/31/22) Did these bearings over the weekend. Less than an hour for two rollers and four bearings.

It was easier than I thought. The roller, being so thin, doesn't exert alot of pressure on the bearing. The whole assembly is held together by two nuts on the ends.

1. I loosened one nut just far enough to protect the threads...

2. I put the other end of the assembly on a block of wood, so that the nut on the other end was hanging free. I accidentally found out that, if you use a block of wood... the wood is soft enough to let the bearing come out a little, even though part of the bearing is resting on the wood.

3. Give the end with the nut protecting the threads a few good hits with a hammer.

4. Check the other end. The bearing should be peeking out a little.

5. NOW... with a little bit of the bearing race showing, you can get the lip of the roller against the edge of a piece of angle iron or something, and the bearing comes out (in my case)... with one more easy blow with the hammer.

6. Now the removed bearing is on the shaft... but it's easy to remove without the roller covering it up.

7. You can get the other bearing out of the other end of the roller, even if it's worn down to the race... by putting a socket into the roller that slides easily through the roller, but still makes contact with the bearing race... Just put a long extension that reaches through the roller on the socket and do the first 5 steps using the socket and extension.

BAM... this actually went way easier than expected.


Thanks! good to know.
 

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