6204 bearings in lawn tractor

[pancho]

So my riding lawn mower has been screaming at me,, I finally decide it needs attention and I'll take a look. Well, I determine that blade spindles are bad and decide to check on prices.... I come up with well over $100 each at cheapo prices, and there there are three of them. I figure out that if they put bearings into these things, there must be a way to get them out.... so I remove a spindle pulley, pull out the blade and shaft, and discover two sealed bearings in the housing with a spacer in between...  Well, I have seen this before, so I remove the bearings from a spindle housing and measure them,,  20x47x14 mm look it up and whoa ,,  6204,, I already have a tool I made to install them,,,  well I need six, and at the prices I paid for quality bearings, that still adds up. I search eBay and come across these   

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/230997919120?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649   

a ten pack for $17 with shipping. I don't think I would put these in the Valk, but certainly good enough for a lawnmower. TOday I put the bearings in, and while I was doing the third one, I figure out that the stuff I had been cleaning out of the blade side cups, was not grass debris, but some sort of fiber that was being used as a dust seal. Well I need to put the thing together, so no dust seal,, now I don't expect these bearings to last more than a year or two. My question is to anyone who is familiar with these things and knows what can be used in there,,, is there something available,, a fiber washer???  I am not sure if these are considered rebuild able,,,,  The last picture shows what was in there.....  under the bearings.... 

 This did make me feel glad I put the standard bearing with the dust seal in the left rear when I did it instead of doing the mod.

[Rio Wil]

Not too sure the fiber looking stuff is a part of the seal....probably just fibrous strands of grass clippings that got wound up in there.

Might try a nylon/fiber washer with a id same as the shaft and thickness to be determined by the up/down slop in the blade shaft after the nut is tightened down....give it maybe .010 clearance....

 

[pancho]

The picture didn't show it good enough,, the one shown actually has one of the rubber sides from a bearing embedded in it.  The way the parts fit with the lower cup, there is no play, it all tightens up.

I also thought it was just grass debris,, and much of it is,,  until I examined it closer. There are holes in the lower cup so dust and debris can get right in against the bearing. I am now thinking a felt washer sized correctly would do the trick,,,, just not so sure any more if it came with anything like that in there....????

[Fudd]

What kind of lawnmower is that?

[pancho]

It's a Yardman hydrostatic  18HP..... not sure of the model.

[Farther]

I could use one of them!!  I mow my 1.5 acres with a push mower.  If it doesn't keep me young it keeps me hot and sweaty. 

[pancho]

I could use one of them!!  I mow my 1.5 acres with a push mower.  If it doesn't keep me young it keeps me hot and sweaty. 

Dude......  I think there is a fine line between keeping you healthy and breaking you down when you get our age......  The guy across the street is in his mid seventies, rides his bike most every day, and push mows his grass for health reasons.... had a stroke a few years ago and still working on getting his strength back ,, doesn't have as much yard as you but still.  Might want to look into picking up a broken one off craigs list and fixing it,, people don't hardly fix things anymore.

It is probably a bit cooler up where you are, and I will sometimes push mine as there are many smaller areas,,, fences, buildings etc.,  but when the grass is growing, I would not want to rely on the push mower only.

[Farther]

It is probably a bit cooler up where you are....

This has been a great weekend for weather; 95 is the predicted high but last week at this time is was in excess of 100.  At least the nights have been in the 55 range.