I replaced one of the spindles on my John Deere L130 with the Stens unit. The new spindle has a grease fitting. Are the bearings open on the inside to allow lubrication? Should I pump grease until it comes out around shaft or will that ruin a seal?
I replaced one of the spindles on my John Deere L130 with the Stens unit. The new spindle has a grease fitting. Are the bearings open on the inside to allow lubrication? Should I pump grease until it comes out around shaft or will that ruin a seal?
There sealed on the inside to. The one I replaced for a customer didn't last any longer then the OEM spindles. Pumping grease before installation as Stens instructions dislodged the bearings from there seated positions, preventing proper tightening of the pulley, which lead to a loose pulley after the grease warmed up and migrated to other areas.
Have had much better luck with the Oregon version. Have never had to replace one after the initial installation.
I am planning to replace the bearings in the other two original spindles with fully sealed bearings like the originals. I have read about people adding a grease fitting to the original spindles. What would the purpose be for the grease fitting if the bearing are fully sealed?
I may not be doing it right but don't know of one that has come back. If it has a grease fitting I add grease, but only after installation. My reasoning may not make sense, but here it is. After I have the spindle and blade assembled, I put in the grease. My reasoning is that as the grease gets hot it will migrate into the bearings and also keep the spacer from freezing to the spindle shaft, as well as cutting into the top of the sealed lower bearing. Many say that I am wasting time and grease, but I say if it works for you why change. Just my opinion and as some of you say I'm just a mechanic and not a professional.
When ever I use after market spindles and the replacement has a zerk, I check the brgs and most often the inside dust cap is already removed. If it is not, it is a simple task to pry it out. Grease will not dislodge the rollers or balls from their location because they're "caged". I like the zerk spindles better, because with the sealed type of brgs, it is only a question of time before its grease gets lost and the brgs fail, and if you can maintain them by replenishing the grease, it would greatly extend the life of the brgs.
