Spindle Assembly - ( 759-3665 ) - Rebuild for 48" Deck

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by CubDieselFan

Have you removed the seals and cones yet? The races are in the center back to back, with a spacer between.

Well, he would have had to in order to know that the races are loose in the housing.

Originally Posted by NT55693

1) Bearings don't appear to be extremely bad off. Races and machined surfaces are free from gouges or metal burrs.

Just because they are free from "gouges or burrs" doesn't mean they aren't worn out. How about pitting? Metal rollout? Discoloration? Rust?

Originally Posted by NT55693

2) Zerk fittings are shot. All three had malfunctioning retention balls and consequently a clod of dirt blocking the grease shaft.

Probably could have remedied that without taking everything apart like you did. But that's normal stuff. Zerks go bad. Especially those cheap ones.

Originally Posted by NT55693

3) All three lower bearing races (side facing grass) are moving off their seat.
Left side 1/16"
Center 1/8"
Right side (can completely pull it out)
Upper races are solid and don't move at all (except the center which moves 1/16")

I am not a seasoned bearing repair veteran, but my understanding is that usually when races spin in the housing or pull out freely the assembly is shot.
I hope that isn't the case here since all three spindle housings have moveable races.

Is this business as usual with a spindle or are the housings shot?

Ok.... listing how much the races move in the housing is irrelevant. That they move AT ALL is relevant. Doesn't matter if they only "wiggle" .020" and you can spin them in the bore with your hand if you try "real hard". If they move AT ALL by hand, then they are loose and need to be tightened up. How loose they are depends on if the housing is shot. You can use a center punch and put dimples in the housing where the bearing race rides/sits. The dimples will push the metal up in spots and hold the race in place. I would also put some red loctite behind the race to help hold it. Actually, I'd probably use sleeve retainer.... but that's me. Red will help. I'd dimple it about every 1/8" at least. So, what, 8 or 10 times? Whatever works. Those sound pretty loose. So, no this is not "business as usual". They should be tight. If you can "rattle" the race in the housing, or the housing metal has a groove in it you can feel with your finger, it's probably shot and needs replaced.

[NT55693]

Pics of the bearing races attached.

Only 1 has discoloration. Others have small grooving.








I presume the likely reason the races are spinning is b/c not enough lube in the housing, excess heat is generated, bearings/races spin; correct?


Bearing supplier on eBay (who I think is a member here...?) sells his bearings with races.

Time to break out the shop press.
Looks like a Craftsman 32MM socket fits the housing just on the edge of too snug to press the races in.


Here are a couple extra pics of one of the spindle assemblies while I was in disassemble mode.

[olds45512]

I would think the race didn't fit tight if it's spinning. The amount of heat it would take to get the bearing to stick to the race and make it spin would probably be enough to melt the bearing.

[NT55693]

Bearings:
Timiken part #'s:
LM11949 (Bearing)
LM11910 (Race)
----- AKA "Timiken Set 2"
eBay - $5 each - $30 total

Oil seals:
CC P/N: 921-3018A / 721-3018A
eBay - 6 for $20
Mine seem to be in good shape. I got them out with very little warping/indentation to the soft plastic/rubber "sealing" section that sits over the rollers.
Is this an "always always always replace part", or re-use is OK if in good shape?

Sleeve Retainer:
I don't own this compound yet.
Loctite 640, Permatex 64000, or some other
- Which would you recommend?


Looks like I can make this happen for at most $60. Not too bad.


Curious to know if my spindles are worse off than most of this age class?

[J-Mech]

Replace the bearings and races. They show obvious signs of wear. Always replace seals after removal. They distort when installed, and removed.

Don't get so technical about the retaining compound. Just stop by your local auto parts store and grab a small tube. Red, or something marked as a retaining compound. It's not that big of a deal. I'd use whatever I had handy.

Aluminium spindle housings don't seem to hold races well. Probably not a tight fit to begin with and that's why the race is loose. Cheap stuff. I don't know that they are any better or worse than any other spindles in that age. MTD wants you to spend big bucks on a whole new spindle as an assembly. Put yours together for $60 and be happy.

Edit: I guess I should add, the newer aluminum housing don't seem to hold bearings well. The older ones did seem to hold better. Probably better machined.

[NT55693]

Parts ordered. Shipping puts them to me Mon/Tues.

Asked about retainer compound b/c I had never heard of Kroil before.
Always been a PB guy, but bought some Kroil to try it out.
Reviews are top notch for Kroil.

I'm going to centerpunch the housing and use the retainer compound.


Thanks for the replies.

Always good to learn from others. I appreciate it.

[Big-D]

Anyone have NAPA part numbers handy for seals, bearings and races? Also, I've been reading some posts stating one should install the seals backwards? I'd be worried about getting grease on the belt or damaging the seal on the bottom.