How To Replace Idler Pulley Bearings

Showing how to replace bearings in idler pulleys found on lawn mowers and other power equipment. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@rocknral]

Just pack one side if at all. Over greasing doesn't help as it will build up heat. Grease will eventually end up between pulley and outside of bearing. Then it will start slipping in the pulley and eventually wear out the pulley. I've been doing this for 30 years... What I've learnt is don't over grease a bearing. Good quality bearings like SKF, FAG, NTN etc will have the correct amount of grease.

[@civix55]

I don't thumbs-up a video very often... But when I do it's for guys like this! Excellent video! All the information right where you need it. Thank you sir!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear, appreciate that! Your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@schulz461]

This video saved me about $40 on parts and I won't have to wait on shipping. Thank you!!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Pulleys are overpriced. Your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@TheShadeTreeFixitMan]

Great idea! I have just replaced a total of 4 pulleys on 2 lawnmowers and this trick would have saved a pile of money. Thanks

[@lewiemcneely9143]

He does a good job. Wally needs to hang out here.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear ya, yeah the bearings are alot cheaper then the whole pulley, your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@danharold3087]

I was thinking why bother but then mower idler replacements are $15 to $30 so putting in a bearing for a buck or two is worth the effort. And when your done you have a serviceable pulley. Nice addition to ones bag of tricks.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Yep, there def is a cost advantage, and will last longer with the added grease. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@MrSiestaFiesta]

The idler pulley for my mower is $60+. I tried the typical places online, but they are missing a spacer piece. This video helped me. It seems that Gravely likes to make all of their pulleys and spindles to be "maintenance free", aka we aren't supposed to be able to replace small parts. They want us to buy expensive factory parts.

[@GaryT1952]

Another helpful video, thank you. Paid $45 for an idler for a 48" Skag last year, never again.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Your welcome! I hear ya, yep the bearing is a lot cheaper than that. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I've got one that's a lot narrower on that Craftsman that's been roaring for 2 years. When I go out of the firewood mode in to the mow mode and put the deck back on I squirt some oil in it and spin it. So far, so good BUT I know I'll have to fix it before long. This is a fine idea how to do it. Thanks Picker Pal and I bet you pick that grease a tune and it loves it!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear ya! Yep, just a matter of time before it locks up, might go another 2 years, just never know! haha i hear ya! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@philliphall5198]

I keep the old ones and in winter rebuild them for next season 😊

[@grotekleum]

Great video Frank; people need to see stuff like this in this throw-away-and-replace world. They don't put much grease in so that it wears out quicker and you have to buy another unit. I have an old 'Household Encyclopaedia' from 1930's England; in that they show you how to take apart spark plugs, clean, reassemble and put back in the engine. Then inbuilt obsolescence came along - hence the low amount of grease in this case. Shame really. People can’t learn how to fix stuff anymore as it’s all sealed units, just chuck it out and buy another. Thanks for sharing.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks! So true! Nothing is made to last anymore, its nice finding a way to make something last longer! oh wow! Thats crazy taking plugs apart! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@josephcrowshaw950]

Good tip on adding grease. Nice video, thank you.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@bodeine454]

Yes Sir, another good tutorial! Thanks for the info & how to...

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Your welcome Thanks for Watching!!!

[@watermanone7567]

Nice video. That save's lots of money and will last longer.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks! Sure does! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@hotajax]

Fantastic. Great job, sir.

[@michaelmercer4545]

Great Video I just ordered a new pulley for my Craftsman tractor and I was thinking that i would drill out the rivets and try to replace the bearing in the old one. Grinding off the rivets is a lot easier. Thanks again.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks! I hear ya! yes, highly recommend grinding them off. Sometimes they will fall right out. Your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@Jim-ie6uf]

Excellent tip and video tutorial!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks for Watching!!!

[@bigstuff52]

excellent videos..learned a ton from you...Thanks

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Appreciate that! Glad to help out, thanks for watching!!!

[@bctruck]

Now that is some good info!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks for Watching!!!

[@markmillers4491]

Putting grease in a sandwhich bag and dropping bearing in keeps grease off your fingers. Allows you to squeeze grease into bearing.

[@rverro8478]

Ah-ha ! GREASE ! I did something similar but, I tapped some threads in the pulley holes. Just in case the lock washer failed.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

hahaha Oh yeah! Thats a good idea, that would save the drilling and make it a little tighter as well, good tip. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@dirtysalmonchaser]

great video, thanks for sharing.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks for Watching!!!

[@williamjacobs236]

Wish I had seen this video before I ordered the $54.95 idler pulley !

[@robeftyearian8760]

Damn it guitar you dah man I didn't even realize we could do that all of tgem I've thrown away wow thanks dude

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

haha I hear ya! your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@SerialDelta]

Good one mate, thanks for showing how to pop those seals on the bearings... My Bolens is coming up too an R2 (Aussie Routine 2 Service) and I'll be re greasing everything, a few are due Throw Away and I'll try the replacement procedure. I wish I still had access to 5/16 Cherry lock Nuts, they'd be perfect for the job.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Your welcome, glad to help out. What are cherry locknuts? I've never heard that before? Thanks for Watching!!!

[@SerialDelta]

@@fnaguitarplayer9 Cherry is the brand for many metal lock style nuts and other hardware used in aircraft, in particular the Huey. They never vibrate loose. Basically the steel nut is pressed slightly out of round.. the rule of thumb is a minimum of 1 & 1/2 to 2 threads through the nut for positive locking.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

@@SerialDelta oh ok i got ya! I never heard it before, good to know.

[@jeffjohnson6594]

Thank you you just saved me $36 for a pulley.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Your welcome, bearings are cheap compared to pulleys! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@richsmith9063]

Looks like an expensive idler pulley to replace. Thanks for the money saving tips.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Yes, the bearing is much cheaper! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@continental_drift]

I've done this too. I just drilled the rivets out to the size of the bolts.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

That would work to! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@Lanninglongarmmowing]

I've wanted to do something like this on our mower pullys. They are like $40-45 bucks. Lol. Bearing is about 10 to 15 bucks at the most.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear ya! Yeah its a big difference, i got these bearings offline, 2 for like 5 bucks! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@mygiguser]

I was looking at my idler pulley, and what did they do? besides a bunch of rivets they also spot welded the two halfs together like maniacs. The welds you don't drill out so easy, but i am going to try that. Thanks for the video anyway!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thats crazy, i'm sure there is a way to get it apart but hopefully it can be done without destroying it in the process. Your welcome, Thanks for Watching!!!

[@paulcalhoun6339]

Hi, really enjoy your vid.. I am started doing my own maintenance so I have a question. When or how do know when to change the bearings? Noise? Sloppy?

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Thanks! Several possible reasons to, first off is that it may go noticed until it locks up, tearing your belt up, etc, or it may just make a roaring noise, or it may have some slop in it that causes the belts to wear out more, sometimes you will see that bearing practically falls apart and the pulley will just be riding on the bolt, may not make any noise but is destroying itself slowly! alot of possibilities. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@mirandaphillips5954]

Wish you were here to fix mine lolol

[@lel101460]

Can you tell me where the shimms go and washers I'm replacing the idler pulley!

[@josh-e3j]

How did you get the grinder down in the pulley to grind them off

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Have to go at a angle and use the edge of the wheel! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@glennschuett199]

I have been trying to find bearing from every place on the internet that sells them and everyone says they don't carry replacement bearings. Wear did you find your bearings?.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I ordered them off of ebay, the old bearing should have the number on the seal or on the metal race, search for that and it will come up. hanks for Watching!!!

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

I do that to man , Lots cheaper !

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear ya! It sure is! Thanks for Watching!!!

[@harryharry3193]

any luck with the cheap chinese bearings? or do you step up to timkens? same bearing on the timemastermoney pit

[@basshnter1997]

As a millwright I replace a lot of bearings in my job. Most Timken bearings I see now are made in Turkey. I've had very good luck with unbranded Chinese bearings. Just pop the seals and pack with quality grease.

[@lydonlafitte8925]

Hey man, I was wondering if I could get your help/advice with a 1980 B&S 10 horse engine?

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

Yep, let me know what you need to know, i have a video series of rebuilding that specific engine, it was a 86 but same thing. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@lydonlafitte8925]

fnaguitarplayer9 would you recommend overboring and engine for the intention of improving compression ratios? It’s for a go kart, and your channel has been by far the most help!

[@lydonlafitte8925]

fnaguitarplayer9 it was off a lawn mower we used to mow the lawn at the firehouse I work at. Now we wanna turn it into a go cart.

[@macknumber9]

One question...how come you don't peen the bearing in? Are you not concerned with it ever slipping out?

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

There is a flange on both sides of the pulley, it won't slip out. Thanks for watching!

[@rodgerwestberry1466]

Off subject a little but do you know why the 12.5 has two different types of piston rings. Mine is a 28 flat head and the rings that I ordered are much heavier and thicker than the ones that were on it. It has a cast iron sleeve and oil ring has the small round coil that goes under the oil ring.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

About the only difference I've ran into on them is that the older type had a bent metal ring under the oil ring up against the piston and the new ones have the round coil type your talking about, other than that the top 2 rings are the same maybe just a slightly different taper on the corners. But they should be the same size and will work on either piston. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@rodgerwestberry1466]

fnaguitarplayer9 I finally found the right ones. Thanks for responding, your videos are very helpful!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear ya! Your welcome!

[@1anthonybrowning]

in the beginning did you say you do this a lot for Dixie Chopper? Why is that?

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

We have 2 at work and they are used 8 hours a day, its common to have to replace them alot, because you can grease them, and being used that much it wears out, especially in the fall, mulching leaves, the dust gets in them and wears them out. Its not just on dixies, any mower with a non grease-able pulley will go out. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@1anthonybrowning]

fnaguitarplayer9 I thought maybe they were hard to get locally. Here the Dixie Chopper dealer closed a few years ago, so no readily available local parts unless it crosses to another brand.

[@MrSilverback62]

Can you show this installed?

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

It wasn't for one of my mowers, it was for a friend, i think it came off a john deere, but it would go back on just as it came off, if the bolts hit something you can usually just put another washer under it to space it up, shouldn't effect it any. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@william38022]

Where do you find these bearings at???

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I got a pack of 10 off ebay for like 15 bucks. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@william38022]

Thanks

[@philliphall5198]

I’m like you I’m not buying a new one for 60.00 I drill and bolt them

[@lukes2219]

Usually the pulley goes befor the barrings

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

It depends, but if its still in good shape, you can save a few dollars by changing bearings. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@hardkore360]

I was staring at my old idler pulley scratching my head on how to get the bearing out... what a craptastic design for the consumer, yes I get that manufacturers sell more pulleys this way, but what a fucking waste!

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

I hear ya! I agree 100% Thanks for Watching!!!

[@armyvet4081]

Why is the oil in my mower white?

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

That means there is water in the oil, when it mixes up it will almost look like a milkshake. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@armyvet4081]

I couldn't think of any thing else that would cause that . Thanks.

[@armyvet4081]

i thought that was it. I didn't know of anything else that would cause it. Thanks

[@joebriggs9599]

sounds good but getting a new idler pulley is much easier.

[@fnaguitarplayer9]

That is very true, but if you want to save a few dollars this is the way to go. Thanks for Watching!!!

[@philliphall5198]

For the money you spent on the I phone you people could have bought tools and equipment to save you money for next 50 years 😊😊😊 Just saying the Truth 😮