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Woodmizer bearing problem?

Started by Jim_Rogers, February 13, 2010, 04:31:53 PM

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Jim_Rogers

I have a 1994 LT30HDG24 so I have six bearing for the carriage head to ride down the rails on, four on top and two on bottom.

One of them seems to be hanging up, as it is binding sometimes as it moves down the mill, and it is making some noise as I move the mill without the engine running.

I have one new replacement bearing on hand.

I can't seem to figure out which one is not working correctly.

I've lifted the mill up off the rails with a crow bar as I think was the method we were suppose to use to check the bearings and it seems like they are all alright, the four on top.
I leaned the mill over a little and check the two bottom ones and they seem ok too.

How do you figure out which one to replace?
(Please don't tell me to replace all of them as I can't afford that right now, I'm sure you understand that....)

Some have some movement, but this movement is the same as the brand new one, so I can't seem to figure it out......

Any advice would be helpful.....

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

amberwood

Jim. The top rear one first. Top front one second. I squirt some WD40 or equivalent into the bearing and if that temporarily fixes it, well you needed a new one becase the bearing is no longer sealed and has worn out. The top ones only take 5 minutes to change and take most of the head weight so would be the first ones to change. Bottom ones are more challenging. Dont forget to spend a few min and check the head alignment after you change the bearings as it will have effected it.

rgs

DTR
MS460 Magnum
MS250
DAF CF85-430
ASV RC-85 track loader

WH_Conley

I have found that Mizer bearings have a larger seal the the after market replacements at the parts warehouse. If there is no groove in the bearing where it rides on the rail pop the grease seal out, soak in solvent, dry it good and repack with grease and replace seal. I have found that most of the time all that is wrong is they get dry. I have a complete set (after market) in the mill shed soaking in transmission fluid, about every six months, on a slow day I just swap them out.
Bill

woodmills1

Have you replaced any bearings before now?  If not you may still have the old style.  If you have the old style I would change them all, realign the head and you should be good for another 16 years. :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Jim_Rogers

On the four on top, two have grease fittings, two do not.

Thanks for your advice on re-oiling them.

How or what is the best way to hold the carriage up while you change them?

Edit, also, while looking for spare parts I found two used ones in the boxes marked that they came from the bottom track. And there was at least one more used one there, of course all of these used ones the bearings were junk.

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

LeeB

'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

amberwood

To change the top ones, undo the bolt of one brg, then slip the flat end of a jemmy bar under the brg mounting plate and lever off the top of the main chassis. All you need to do is just take the load off the bolt to remove the brg, then replace in the same method.

DTR
MS460 Magnum
MS250
DAF CF85-430
ASV RC-85 track loader

ARKANSAWYER


  With the top covers removed and the engine off set the mill to go forward down the track.  Put a metal bar on the middle of the bearing.  You can put your ear up to the bar and hear the bad bearing.  It will growl and make noise.   The one I lose the most is the single one on top near the front of the mill.  My wifes stethoscope works good but I can only use it when she is not home.
ARKANSAWYER

LeeB

Quote from: ARKANSAWYER on February 13, 2010, 07:10:07 PM

  With the top covers removed and the engine off set the mill to go forward down the track.  Put a metal bar on the middle of the bearing.  You can put your ear up to the bar and hear the bad bearing.  It will growl and make noise.   The one I lose the most is the single one on top near the front of the mill.  My wifes stethoscope works good but I can only use it when she is not home.

Is that why you been having headaches?  :D :D :D
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Jim H

Your mill being a '94, you should have the older bearings, made by RBC I believe. They don't last quite as long as the newer ones stamped McGill or woodmizer, BUT you can grease the older ones with a grease needle by sliding it under the lip of the seal. You can grease the upper ones on the machine, the lower ones have to be removed, as the seal is close to the bottom frame tube. I have gotten close to 6000 hours out of a few this way. They usually start to drag around 12-1500 hours.
2008 LT40HDG28, autoclutch, debarker, stihl 026, 046, ms460 bow, 066, JD 2350 4wd w/245 loader, sawing since '94 fulltime since '98

Jim_Rogers

Thanks for all your advice, and the link to that other thread.
I read every post over there.

I never thought to use a splitting wedge to hold the mill up, but that looks like it will work.
I'll have to see if my mechanic has a stethoscope I can borrow, I've seen them before but don't have one,..... yet.....

I'll post what I find out..... when I do....
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

MartyParsons

Usually you can feel the roughness in the bearings. A quick check is remove the Power feed belt and push the saw head and listen for the bearing. Also check the bearings in the Power feed shaft and the idler for the power feed chain.
Hope this helps!
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: MartyParsons on February 14, 2010, 02:50:44 PM
Usually you can feel the roughness in the bearings. A quick check is remove the Power feed belt and push the saw head and listen for the bearing. Also check the bearings in the Power feed shaft and the idler for the power feed chain.
Hope this helps!
Marty

I was starting to think it was the power feed system, but how do you check out these bearings?
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

sparks

Soak down the upper rail with transmission fluid. As you run the head down the track the bad bearing will slide and not turn. You can do the same on the bottom as well.
\"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.\" Abraham Lincoln

Jim_Rogers

ok, thanks. I'll try that as well.....
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: MartyParsons on February 14, 2010, 02:50:44 PM
Also check the bearings in the Power feed shaft and the idler for the power feed chain.
..........
Marty

Marty: How do you check the power feed shaft and idler for bad bearings?

Is it simply to remove the chain and see if they wiggle up and down?

Jim
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

MartyParsons

Remove the chain tension and remove the belt. can you wigle the shaft? Remove the two 3/8 bolts and remove the assembly.  I have seen some grind the shaft down to a pencil thickness. :o. Not a real diffucult repair just two bearings and a shaft. You can pick up the bearings at a local parts store if needed. We have them in stock also. When you remove the belt the saw head should roll real easy. I remove the belt when doing an alignment some times, makes life easier. Record how the chain travels over the gear and idler before removing.
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

woodmills1

If you haven't found the problem yet look at the idler gear on the chain feed.  I had an alignment problem there on the LT40 that caused a feed problem.
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Jim_Rogers

Thanks Marty, and James.

I'll let you know what it is when I figure it out.

I have the mill on a job, right now, with four more pine logs to cut up tomorrow.

Once that is done I'll be bringing the mill back to the sawmill yard and will have a chance to really look at everything and see what's up....

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim_Rogers

Well, I finished my "on the road job" early Thursday afternoon, and then brought the mill home.

Saturday morning I figured was a good time to take a look at things.

I didn't have the mill "set up" in it's regular spot as I haven't plowed the snow over there yet, and it will probably be all melted by the time I move the mill there late Monday or Tuesday morning. Very nice days here lately, over 40° so lots of melting going on.

I asked my regular truck mechanic if I could borrow his stethoscope to listen to the bearings. He didn't have one, so I asked one auto parts store clerk when I was there getting other parts, and they didn't sell them, but could order it. So I figured I'd just use a stick like everyone says I should do.

Well, everyone likes new tools and that includes me. I looked online at Napa and they had one listed. I called my local store and they had one on hand. So $12 later I had a very nice mechanic stethoscope ready to tackle this investigation job.

I lowered the back out rigger so that I could run the carriage head back and forth without sending the hitch end into outer space, again,,,,, don't ask me how I know that happens :D :D

And removed the track wiper/oiler thing in between the bearing covers, the bearing covers, the battery cover, and the chain guard. Got out my one replacement bearing and a nice steel splitting wedge to hold the frame up after I figured out which bearing was bad.

I ran the carriage back and forth four or six times and it glided down and back like new, no noise, no sticking, no binding, nothing. I tested or listened to each bearing on the four on top and couldn't hear any binding in them. I listened to the two on the chain drive and couldn't hear anything there.

I couldn't run it down and back to listen to the bottom bearing as I was alone and couldn't start and stop the carriage from underneath the mill. So I don't know if the lower ones are the ones binding up or not.

I'll have to wait until Monday afternoon when my friend stops by and we can do this together to see if I can figure out which one is binding.

If I was to tell you that it only binds when sawing does that give you an clue as to whether or not it is the power feed unit bearings or the track bearings?

It did bind on the last few logs I did saw at the "road job" but it seemed like it was only binding when it was passing over the axle area, which made me seem to think that something may have been rubbing but I checked everywhere and there was good clearance between the battery box and the axle and frame....so I don't get it....

As of right now, I'm kind of stumped as to what it is......

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Chuck White

Jim;    Just curious.  I know you have the LT30 and I have the LT40, but how many hours on the meter on your mill!

Just kinda want to get a feel as to when I may need to change the bearings on my mill.  I have 1157 hours on my mill!

thanks
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

pineywoods

Quote from: Chuck White on February 21, 2010, 10:34:01 AM


Just kinda want to get a feel as to when I may need to change the bearings on my mill.  I have 1157 hours on my mill!

thanks

Bearing life varies all over the place. Generally, stationary mill bearings outlast traveling mills. Likewise the bearings on manual mills seem to last longer than those with hydraulics. Lots of contributing factors. My old 95 lt40 (never been on the road)has 7100 hours and still has the original head support bearings. Both bandwheels have had new bearings. The guide roller bearings have been replaced several times. 
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Jim_Rogers

Chuck, I think I have over 5100 hours on mine, I'm at home now and can't check meter for sure, but within a 100 hours for sure....

As I had mentioned I have replace the two lower ones and I think the tag on them said 2900 hours or so...

Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Magicman

Jim, I probably know the answer to this question before I ask it,  but do you have an "operators seat" on that mill?  I'm just trying to eliminate stuff.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Jim_Rogers

It came with a seat but I haven't use it in many years, maybe I can get it out a rob some bearing off it if they aren't all junk by now......
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

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