I can always tell when someone is not REALLY experienced with bearings. If you pack a bearing COMPLETELY full of grease, with no air pocket, they will overheat and fail. Only fill about 2/3 rds full. Yes, manufacturers don't put enough grease in them on purpose, so they will fail rather quickly. So it is important to put more in. But the most important thing is to clean them out first. Use whatever solvent you have available to dissolve the old grease out, and all the attendant dirt that has been in there, along with both sides of both seals. Then dry it out, and if you use compressed air, make sure you direct it away from anyone so you don't blow grease/dirt on them or your own eyes. Then put more grease in, making sure to not overpack it. If the pulley is not smooth, use sandpaper to get the rust off, and use finer and finer grit until you feel no roughness. Ending with about 400 or 600 grit should be fine. This is an otherwise very good video. I'm always impressed when someone takes the time to show less experienced ones how to do something. If nothing else, this will save money for hardworking individuals. Thank you for posting.
woodsie5474 pick out whatever old garbage grease you can, but manufacturer’s do not recommend cleaning them out with any solvents. That will shorten the life of the bearings which are coated. These car pulley bearings aren’t likely to overheat
@@kustj6700 white-spirit is exactly what they use at SKF factory plant to flush any particles out. Overpacking is guaranteed to overheat. Use a grease that can stand the automitive heat... I am thinking "brake silicon grease" specs at 3,000F.... price is right anyway, right?
I have replaced a few tensioner/pulley units due to squealing. Never considered lubricating the bearings or pressing in new bearings. Great video and tips.
Some of the replacement pulleys have really cheap Asian bearings that only last through the warranty, unless you get it from the dealer. Bearing number 6203 fits most alternators and drive pulleys and are really inexpensive. Just add a little grease between the rollers like you said, but don't pack it full to avoid leakage and excessive heat.. I just did the same with my mower, the spindle bearings were going bad from dried up grease.
thanks for the share... a dry ball-bearing is noisy and will wear out fast.. @6:35 it's a misconception that bearings like that need as much grease as possible. generally fill the bearing 25% to max 50% w/ grease, it needs 'air' inside. there are specific quantities for each bearing as to how much grease it takes. the excess grease will be forced out while rotating. * too much grease will increase the temperature and also leak out grease, even push out the bearing seals... bearings that swing, don't fully rotate or rotate slowly, do need to be fully packed w/ grease (like in a steering column or a swing arm)
..the Parts stores around here want a war pension for the tensioner and pulley. they say they can't order just the bearing. i went on the eber-bay and got 10 bearings delivered for less than $10.00 delivered. check with small engine parts stores because most of those pulleys are something they carry and anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 the cost. i got one for $5.00...
Nice video, most of my car problems in the past have been these sealed bearings on my Toyota vehicles. Going to start doing this on the Japan made sealed bearings (some are Nachi) in the AC compressor clutch, the idler pulley, the Fan Bracket pulley. On my Lexus Denso compressor clutch, it was a Japan made Nachi bearing. 20 years old... probably. I'm in a hot environment, the SouthWest and the little lubricant the mfg puts in new bearings eventually evaporates, and they fail the bearings. I'm looking at using Redline CV-2 grease in these sealed bearings which is supposed to be -100 to 500 degrees says on the tube, and remains sticky at high temps. I will also use on my CV joints.
Thanks ,good video! Also , If you use a needle greaser to fill the grease in, its a little neater and packs it in good. I use the red grease with my needle tip on my sprockets for my Husq. chain saws.
Only squeaks? Let's say the bearing is shot. I'm not sure yet. I haven't pulled it off yet. I did find that smooth pulley sitting cockeyed like you showed in the video. If they're like that, do they make more of a clunking sound?
attributed to 'Patti' in some random reply I read.... Won't be so messy if you put the grease in a ziploc bag corner and squirt it in like as if decorating a cake yeah baby that's Patti's tip not mine brah... Hey though what grease you using here?
Any idea which pulley in an 01 Silverado would use cylindrical roller bearings? Our truck won't stay running, sputters and dies a few seconds after ignition. Found 6 roller bearings in the driveway under the front on the engine, some with awful wear.
Hello Nathan, nice video, great content, I have question for you and maybe you could help with this. I have a Mazda Tribute 2008 4 cyl. I lost the serpentine and noticed that the top pulley was loose, so I removed it and say that the washer behind it was damaged (it's for the power steering pulley) according to a diagram I found online. The pulley is still good, not damaged. Would you know where to get that washer part without having to change all the pulleys? Many thanks, John
ok, I bought a pully at parts store & it has some resistance to it,,the one I removed spins fast & freely. I did put the new one & the squealing went away.
Sir, you need to learn a little something. The bearing first needs to be CLEANED COMPLETELY. Blow out with air. Clean again with fresh solvent, blow out with air. THEN put in grease, but only HALF FULL. More will make the bearing get too hot and then it will really seize up. If the cage holding the individual balls falls out, replace the bearing, as there will nothing stopping the cage from forcing the cage out again.
@@FixingWithPassion I worked on heavy equipment all my life. I've seen many people over grease bearings again and again. One of the last places I worked was a hospital. The air handler for the operating rooms had an issue with bearings on the blower. The bearings were replaced by a subcontractor, and they greased it according to the man'f instructions, with the advice for the maintenance worker responsible not to add any grease. He ignored the instructions and felt like you did. He packed it so full of grease it came out both seals. It took less than 30 hours run time, and I was working the midnight shift when it seized. The inner race got so hot it melted to the shaft (4" dia). They called the bearing man'f rep in. He advised them no ball or roller bearing should have more than 50% fill or it would overheat. They refused to reimburse for the damages. It cost our hospital over $4,500, just to fix it. It also cost the hospital over $2 million for the loss of operations they could not perform during the down time. Was that worth it? The rep handed the maintenance worker who pumped it full the same paper he had thrown away less than four days earlier. I stand by my statement, and you can write to any major manufacturer of bearings and they will tell you the same thing. I will agree most bearings do not come with enough grease, but it is no excuse to overfill either.
Just replace the darn bearing or the pulley for$30. Nobody has time to play around with taking this part of, packing with grease only to find out still bad after a couple months and do the job again. Wear on your body is worth a lot more than$10.
Those Crickets in the Background are as loud as my Serpintine-Belt noise --- SMH... Let's see if I can just get away with a little bit of elbow-grease;)
ALWAYS clean out the bearing with some sort of solvent. A degreaser works wonders. Make sure it is completely dry. Repack with a high quality high temp bearing grease. DON'T USE A MULTI PURPOSE GREASE. Only repack to about 3/4 full to allow heat to dissipate. NEVER pack a bearing 100% full of grease. You will over heat it and it WILL fail.
A great "How-To" if you live in a 3rd world country! Otherwise... Buy a new Timken bearing on Amazon for $7. DO NOT take a new bearing apart! Sheesh...
I can always tell when someone is not REALLY experienced with bearings. If you pack a bearing COMPLETELY full of grease, with no air pocket, they will overheat and fail. Only fill about 2/3 rds full. Yes, manufacturers don't put enough grease in them on purpose, so they will fail rather quickly. So it is important to put more in. But the most important thing is to clean them out first. Use whatever solvent you have available to dissolve the old grease out, and all the attendant dirt that has been in there, along with both sides of both seals. Then dry it out, and if you use compressed air, make sure you direct it away from anyone so you don't blow grease/dirt on them or your own eyes. Then put more grease in, making sure to not overpack it. If the pulley is not smooth, use sandpaper to get the rust off, and use finer and finer grit until you feel no roughness. Ending with about 400 or 600 grit should be fine. This is an otherwise very good video. I'm always impressed when someone takes the time to show less experienced ones how to do something. If nothing else, this will save money for hardworking individuals. Thank you for posting.
woodsie5474 pick out whatever old garbage grease you can, but manufacturer’s do not recommend cleaning them out with any solvents. That will shorten the life of the bearings which are coated. These car pulley bearings aren’t likely to overheat
@@SeriouslyAwesome just white spirit will do. or diesel.
@@SeriouslyAwesome just spray WD40 to clean them, and should be fine.
@@kustj6700 white-spirit is exactly what they use at SKF factory plant to flush any particles out.
Overpacking is guaranteed to overheat. Use a grease that can stand the automitive heat... I am thinking "brake silicon grease" specs at 3,000F.... price is right anyway, right?
Too much grease can make the seal pop out, that's my experience.
I have replaced a few tensioner/pulley units due to squealing. Never considered lubricating the bearings or pressing in new bearings. Great video and tips.
Some of the replacement pulleys have really cheap Asian bearings that only last through the warranty, unless you get it from the dealer. Bearing number 6203 fits most alternators and drive pulleys and are really inexpensive. Just add a little grease between the rollers like you said, but don't pack it full to avoid leakage and excessive heat.. I just did the same with my mower, the spindle bearings were going bad from dried up grease.
thanks for the share... a dry ball-bearing is noisy and will wear out fast..
@6:35 it's a misconception that bearings like that need as much grease as possible. generally fill the bearing 25% to max 50% w/ grease, it needs 'air' inside.
there are specific quantities for each bearing as to how much grease it takes. the excess grease will be forced out while rotating.
* too much grease will increase the temperature and also leak out grease, even push out the bearing seals...
bearings that swing, don't fully rotate or rotate slowly, do need to be fully packed w/ grease (like in a steering column or a swing arm)
Thank you a lot,all this time I was buying the hold pulley,all the time,Thank again.
I tried it, it really works
Nice!
Great video thank you!
..the Parts stores around here want a war pension for the tensioner and pulley. they say they can't order just the bearing. i went on the eber-bay and got 10 bearings delivered for less than $10.00 delivered. check with small engine parts stores because most of those pulleys are something they carry and anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 the cost. i got one for $5.00...
Got that right!
Yes hate when shops say can't get that you need to buy the whole unit what bull
@@FixingWithPassion I just use a syringe smear some in the back it works great
pay attention to what grade of grease you pack near the belt... melted grease = oil...
Ol James yes you have done right thing. But contact me for a special liquid you inject in to them and you will be good for long long long time.
Very useful information...Thank you.
Nice video, most of my car problems in the past have been these sealed bearings on my Toyota vehicles. Going to start doing this on the Japan made sealed bearings (some are Nachi) in the AC compressor clutch, the idler pulley, the Fan Bracket pulley. On my Lexus Denso compressor clutch, it was a Japan made Nachi bearing. 20 years old... probably. I'm in a hot environment, the SouthWest and the little lubricant the mfg puts in new bearings eventually evaporates, and they fail the bearings. I'm looking at using Redline CV-2 grease in these sealed bearings which is supposed to be -100 to 500 degrees says on the tube, and remains sticky at high temps. I will also use on my CV joints.
You should clean the bearing race before packing it with grease.. it might have dirt and other debris in there that needs to be cleaned out..
They say UA-cam is dead but I enjoy watching all of your uploads Nathan. Hope all is well.
I just did something similar - I have a needle grease injector. I drilled a # 55 drill bit hole in the side and put a shot of grease in there...bruce
Agree. Some of the pulleys on autos are difficult to get off. This keeps the bearings alive for a long time!
Thank you nathan it help me big time save me a lot of money!!
;D
Thanks ,good video! Also , If you use a needle greaser to fill the grease in, its a little neater and packs it in good. I use the red grease with my needle tip on my sprockets for my Husq. chain saws.
Thanks for the tip!
Only squeaks? Let's say the bearing is shot. I'm not sure yet. I haven't pulled it off yet. I did find that smooth pulley sitting cockeyed like you showed in the video. If they're like that, do they make more of a clunking sound?
Just imagine if you took a cue-tip, cleaned out the bearing area, and then packed it brand new clean.
Instead of adding to the mess.
attributed to 'Patti' in some random reply I read.... Won't be so messy if you put the grease in a ziploc bag corner and squirt it in like as if decorating a cake yeah baby that's Patti's tip not mine brah... Hey though what grease you using here?
does it really matter if the grease added is the same or not? for example, if there is grease in the center and you just add a little to the sides.
Any idea which pulley in an 01 Silverado would use cylindrical roller bearings? Our truck won't stay running, sputters and dies a few seconds after ignition. Found 6 roller bearings in the driveway under the front on the engine, some with awful wear.
A.c.
Hello Nathan, nice video, great content, I have question for you and maybe you could help with this. I have a Mazda Tribute 2008 4 cyl. I lost the serpentine and noticed that the top pulley was loose, so I removed it and say that the washer behind it was damaged (it's for the power steering pulley) according to a diagram I found online. The pulley is still good, not damaged. Would you know where to get that washer part without having to change all the pulleys? Many thanks, John
John Tahan try hardware store pure hardware store and not home hardware. What is that washer made of ?.
when you check for pullys,,do they have to spin freely or have some resistance? cool video by the way!
No resistance. That's what I'd say.
ok, I bought a pully at parts store & it has some resistance to it,,the one I removed spins fast & freely. I did put the new one & the squealing went away.
Depends on the resistance....Nothing to tight...Slight is ok...
I'll see how it handles & last! THANKS!
It will have some drag and not spin freely due to the grease
Sir, you need to learn a little something. The bearing first needs to be CLEANED COMPLETELY. Blow out with air. Clean again with fresh solvent, blow out with air. THEN put in grease, but only HALF FULL. More will make the bearing get too hot and then it will really seize up. If the cage holding the individual balls falls out, replace the bearing, as there will nothing stopping the cage from forcing the cage out again.
Wrong! lol You need to learn something....over- kill....More grease the better!! in a .45" space V 2-3"....Prove me wrong.
@@FixingWithPassion I worked on heavy equipment all my life. I've seen many people over grease bearings again and again. One of the last places I worked was a hospital. The air handler for the operating rooms had an issue with bearings on the blower. The bearings were replaced by a subcontractor, and they greased it according to the man'f instructions, with the advice for the maintenance worker responsible not to add any grease. He ignored the instructions and felt like you did. He packed it so full of grease it came out both seals. It took less than 30 hours run time, and I was working the midnight shift when it seized. The inner race got so hot it melted to the shaft (4" dia). They called the bearing man'f rep in. He advised them no ball or roller bearing should have more than 50% fill or it would overheat. They refused to reimburse for the damages. It cost our hospital over $4,500, just to fix it. It also cost the hospital over $2 million for the loss of operations they could not perform during the down time. Was that worth it? The rep handed the maintenance worker who pumped it full the same paper he had thrown away less than four days earlier. I stand by my statement, and you can write to any major manufacturer of bearings and they will tell you the same thing. I will agree most bearings do not come with enough grease, but it is no excuse to overfill either.
Don't over grease the bearing. Only fill the space about 50%.
Just replace the darn bearing or the pulley for$30. Nobody has time to play around with taking this part of, packing with grease only to find out still bad after a couple months and do the job again. Wear on your body is worth a lot more than$10.
Those Crickets in the Background are as loud as my Serpintine-Belt noise --- SMH...
Let's see if I can just get away with a little bit of elbow-grease;)
ALWAYS clean out the bearing with some sort of solvent. A degreaser works wonders. Make sure it is completely dry. Repack with a high quality high temp bearing grease. DON'T USE A MULTI PURPOSE GREASE. Only repack to about 3/4 full to allow heat to dissipate. NEVER pack a bearing 100% full of grease. You will over heat it and it WILL fail.
Nathan: Is that Lucas Red grease??
Yep
There's only one cure for any high speed bearing squeaking and that's replacement
A great "How-To" if you live in a 3rd world country! Otherwise... Buy a new Timken bearing on Amazon for $7. DO NOT take a new bearing apart! Sheesh...
What ever producer, packing to much grease, destroy the bearing
Scotty Kilmer says no one packs bearings anymore and that it’s ridiculous to do so on modern cars.
lol
his channel manager sometimes has his head up ... I quit watching his catchy "don't do this video..."
If we had Scottys money, we would not bother to repack bearings either! Lol.