Needle roller bearing packer

[monkeywrencher]

I have been Googling my butt off trying to find any information on this. We have several different types of bearings used in our landing gear area: tapered roller, sealed ball, thrust ect ect.

We have to pack our needle roller bearings with a popsicle stick, to push the grease into the rollers so the area between the roller and outer race is packed. I am trying to find a more efficent tool to do this...

This is a straight roller needle bearing, with rollers on the ID, and a lipped closed outer race on the OD. I don't think the cone shaped packers will work on this, due to the shape. Has anyone seen a tool which is made for this type of bearing? Or is a really fine needle the only way to inject grease into the rollers?

 

[SAITAETGrad]

I've always found the best tool for packing unsealed bearings is gloved hand with a glob of grease on the palm. Push the bearing into the grease at an angle and drag across the palm to work grease between the races. Grease should push out all the little crevises.

At least that's the way we did it back on the farm...

It is hard to get a sense of your actual bearing but this basic technique has to be better than trying to push grease in with a popsicle stick.

 

[MikeHalloran]

There's still some skill involved, but a plastic bag and a finger can do it pretty well. E.g. seal the needles with the finger (working through the bag) near one end, and squeeze the bag (containing the grease) to extrude grease along the needles toward the other end.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[monkeywrencher]

SAIT, I've done very similar things when i was on active duty. Glob of grease in one palm, and take 'slices' of grease in the bearing, while slapping the bearing aginst the palm.

Packing these needle bearings is a process that takes place in a manufacturing environment. Thats why I would really like to a have a 'tool' to perform the job more efficently then by hand. I have an idea pictured, which would be a shaft with channels taking up the ID of the bearing, but not tall enough at the top, which would allow the grease to come out of the rollers at the top of the bearing.

The picture I attached to this post is very similar to the needle bearing we use, except ours has alot more rollers on it.

http://www.vxb.com/Merchant2/mercha...duct_Code=Kit6940&Category_Code=NEEDEL_ROLLER

 

[thruthefence]

Fill the cavity with grease. Place in a bell jar. Draw a vacuum.

you didn't ask for simple.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Something like a clutch pilot tool, with the pilot just a bit shorter than the needle bearing, could work okay. Put a radial hole in the pilot diameter near the shoulder, an axial hole toward the other end, and a grease fitting there. I.e., the radial hole would inject grease at the 'near' end of the needles, and it would exit the bearing at the 'far' end of the needles, just beyond the pilot. Of course you need a special tool per bearing type, but it should work quickly and well enough.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[kellnerp]

I have a bearing packer that I have used forever. It consists of a base and a removable cone. The base has a vertical hexagonal shaft and is conical so that the outer edges of a bearing seal against it. The removable conical cone has a tubular shaft that fits loosely over the hexagonal shaft in the base. The top of the tubular shaft has a zerk fitting. When a bearing is placed in the base and the removable cone is placed on top of the bearing and pressed down it seals against the inner race and grease can be pumped in with a grease gun.

To use this with a needle bearing you need a dummy inner race that fits over the hexagonal shaft and fits up to the removable cone. The dummy race has to fit loosely inside the needle bearing. The dummy inner race also has to have a couple tabs on it to hold down the bearing.

TOP
CSWP, BSSE

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[MintJulep]

Centrifugal force.

Fill the middle with grease, then spin the whole thing really fast.

 

[WKTaylor]

Monkeywrencher...

There are several MIL T.O.s on bearings that are truly outstanding. Everything You need to know about bearings... and a lot os extra info.

NOTE. I have-to have copies for the type work I do (I wish there were civilian equivalent manuals).

IF YOU CAN FIND THEM, these will be of extraordinary value, this/similar issues...

44B-1-2 General Maintenance Instructions - Airframe Antifriction Bearings [for field maintainers]

44B-1-3 General Maintenance Instructions - Aircraft Wheel Antifriction Bearings - Aircraft Wheel Bearing Cups and Grease Seals [for all level maintainers]

44B-1-15 Jet Engine Antifriction Bearing Handling, Removal, Cleaning, Inspection and Installation at Jet Engine Base Maintenance Facilities

44B-1-16 General Instructions for Installation and Removal in Airborne Accessories - Anti-Friction Bearings

44B-1-18 General Instructions for Installation and Removal in Aircraft Instruments - Antifriction Bearings (Precision Instrument Ball Bearings)

44B-1-102 [USAF] Maintenance Instructions - Antifriction Bearings

T.O. 44B-1-122 MAINTENANCE OF AERONAUTICAL ANTIFRICTION BEARINGS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL, INTERMEDIATE AND DEPOT
MAINTENANCE LEVELS [wealth of bearing experience and knowledge!!!]

Regards, Wil Taylor

 

[kellnerp]

T.O. 44B-1-1222 for a price.


TOP
CSWP, BSSE

http://www.engtran.com

http://www.niswug.org

"Node news is good news."