Flail Mower Ford 917L shaft bearing

[Steave]

Hey looks good and a great idea. I was wishing you the best on getting it off without breaking I knew they were pricey. What you got should hold up for years if its running true. It's going to take on a lot of vibration and beating so make sure the collar is welded on good to the pulley. If it beats itself off the shaft you can just tack it back on. Hope it works. I'm in the process of putting bearings in an old Mott Flail mower and so far so good on getting it apart but I've used amost a full can of PB Blaster so far. Gives me an excuse to go to the parts house.

 

[BCinMI650]

Mind if I ask how this setup has aged? Looking to replace my bearings with shelf stuff here locally and it says they are rated for 2000 RPM. Did you blow anything apart using the cheap amazon one?

 

[arto98607]

Whatever you do, please do not weld the pulley to the rotor shaft!

By doing that his "$150 mower" became $0 mower, but each to his own.

 

[paulsharvey]

Repair has held up fine. It is welded to the shaft, but it was do that or just scrap the whole thing.
View attachment 669547View attachment 669548

 

[flyerdan]

Too late now, but for future reference, on a stuck pulley that will break up if you use a three jaw puller, get behind it with a bearing puller. Set it up and put some preload on it, then hit the hub with a couple blasts from an air hammer with a dull chisel. That will often get it to start moving where brute force will just pull the threads out of your puller.

 

[arto98607]

It's a cast iron pulley and would not have been able to withstand much pulling from behind due to the design IE. not enough room to get a bearing puller in-between flange bearing and the hub of the pulley.

I think the only way to get it out without breaking would have been heating it up carefully with a large acet/oxy torch and pull or tap gently.

Anyway like you said, it's history now.

 

[BCinMI650]

okay good to know. I paid $140 for a 6' 907 with 1 bad bearing, but I got both off easy enough and found replacements locally from a bearing shop (including flange) for $30 for the 2 in total. The one side had been destroyed by whomever owned it prior so PB blaster, heat and some banging to get that one off. Needed a 3 armed pulley puller for the other side but soaking in PB blaster, some heat, and then the puller worked like a charm (thank you autozone for the tool rental). I bought the bearings and then had second thoughts on their ability to hold up, but the "operational limit" was 2000rpm which seemed to be about what most the current Flails I could find seem to spin at. and in terms of engineering specs there didn't seem to be a difference in a $15 bearing straight from a bearing shop, a $60 bearing from a 3rd party (Grainger or Fastenal) and a $200 bearing from a OEM (or their selling agent like Messicks or German Bliss). so this gives me some confidence that mine won't blow apart. Quick power wash, a paint job and some new knives and it will be ready to roll next spring. Anything else I should look out for as I give this unit a once over? I can hand spin the PTO, no play in any of that, holds gear oil well, belts look good, all the pulleys spin freely. Do I need to add rubber matting or anything on the backside to keep anything from shooting out the back?

 

[arto98607]

I would check the belt idler pulley bearings to see if there is any excessive slack?

 

[BCinMI650]

Everything else seems nice and tight. I'm patiently waiting for Flail Master to reopen to equip it with some new knives, the current ones are banged up pretty good. Any idea where I could pick up a spare belt? the thing is huge.

 

[arto98607]

Everything else seems nice and tight. I'm patiently waiting for Flail Master to reopen to equip it with some new knives, the current ones are banged up pretty good. Any idea where I could pick up a spare belt? the thing is huge.

I have bought two sets of flails from them this summer so they are open!