Tonite all bearings will be out and cleaned

[eugenefelisco]

After 4months and numerous flights I decided to pull all bearings out the heli and put them in alcohol and sit there for hours. Then blow them dry with compressed air. And finally lubed with triflo and fit back in the heli.

It will be nice if I have another set of bearings and swap them so I don't have any down time. Let me go to LHS and ask them.

[newhelliguy]

Im no expert but I think you should grease your bearings. I dont think triflow will hold up in the bearings. You can use a syringe and trim a dowel like a pencil to grease them. just cut off the end of the syringe fill the syringe with grease place the bearing on the end of the syringe and put the dowel in the center of the bearing and press the syringe until grease comes out of the bearing around the seal. if the bearing is too small to fit on the end of the syringe drill a hole in piece of thin plywood to place over the syringe and place the bearing on the wood and press as before. I use john deere lithium grease from the local true value. big tube about 2 buks.

[neilg.]

they are sealed to keep grease in, dirt out. all it will do is dry it out eventually.

grease is thick oil, oil is thin grease. if you take the oil out of a specific grease you are left with the binder that holds them together.

seems you are practicing very good maintenance skills

[eugenefelisco]

Well the incident yesterday that I lost one bearing in the tail shaft really hits me. I do check every flight but this seem to left unseen. I also lube with triflo every start of my flight and after I'm done to the day. My opinion to this the bearings are lube good and the fact that dirt and grime comes in. Then as you know the bearing quit working right and fails.

[tommy_b_o_y]

you can order all the bearings, if i counted right, for around $20

[Wolfpackin]

you can order all the bearings, if i counted right, for around $20


From what I remember there's 28 bearings on the heli and the cost to replace them all would be more like $50+.

[tommy_b_o_y]

ah, thanks Wolfpackin. I just did a quick sum of the ones a certain dealer had on their b400 page. its crazy it cost $50 to replace those bearings. i guess what eugenefelisco (http://helifreak.com/member.php?u=51901) is doings makes sense.

[newhelliguy]

I greased my bearings and get a lot longer run times and have never had to replace one. I greased the bearings on my new trex 600xl motor and it runs much cooler than it did. I figured out a way to grease them with a syringe. Dont take my word please read:

http://peteshobbies.com/prcp/Greaser/grindex.htm

I realize they are trying to sell greasers but I found what they said to be true. When you grease a bearing you see the the old grease come out . Sometime there is grease sometimes very little to no grease comes out.

[eugenefelisco]

I bought the major drivetrain bearings. The ones that rides on the shafts. Main,pulley,tail shaft and swash. So I have one set sitting while I clean the other. I use laquer thinner in soaking the bearings. And lubed them with triflo. I guess about $30-35 including the swash I have to check my reciepts.

I will try to use auto bearing grease also inside a syringe may work. But like oils it will invite dirt and stay there. Most of the dirt and sand in my flying area comes from the baseball field next block from my house.

[tommy_b_o_y]

so what did you think of the syringe method? did that work fo ya?

[eugenefelisco]

Its hard to pack the grease inside the syringe. I might go to another route by using a gun grip greaser and press it against the bearing and shoot. I have a auto bearing grease inside a cullking like tube.

[Mon_t]

I can't understand whats going on they shouldn't need to be lubed, that's why they are sealed. I've got over 500 flights on my bird and haven't had to do any maintenance on the bearings what so ever.
I've only had to replace the oneway once, which was my fault because I warped it putting it in.

[eugenefelisco]

I can't understand whats going on they shouldn't need to be lubed, that's why they are sealed. I've got over 500 flights on my bird and haven't had to do any maintenance on the bearings what so ever.
I've only had to replace the oneway once, which was my fault because I warped it putting it in.

So just clean(alcohol) them once in a while and lube with triflo is good enough. Now that I have an extra set of drivetrain(main shaft,oneway,tail pulley and tail shaft) bearings I just drop them in triflo untill I will have to use them again.

[Mon_t]

So just clean(alcohol) them once in a while and lube with triflo is good enough. Now that I have an extra set of drivetrain(main shaft,oneway,tail pulley and tail shaft) bearings I just drop them in triflo untill I will have to use them again.
No, no DO NOT use alcohol, just wipe them off or blow with a compressor.
The sealed ball bearing units DON'T need to be lubed.

I did the same once upon a time to a computer heatsink fan using silicone oil, thinking it would make it quieter (you know one of those 5500rpm dual ball bearing ones).At the start it was good. But boy was I wrong, the bearings started screaming and it wasn't long before they failed completely and siezed.
What happened the oil mixed with the lube inside the bearing, diluted it and promptly destroyed any protection it was giving the bearing. It didn't take long for it to fail.

[eugenefelisco]

No, no DO NOT use alcohol, just wipe them off or blow with a compressor.
The sealed ball bearing units DON'T need to be lubed.

I did the same once upon a time to a computer heatsink fan using silicone oil, thinking it would make it quieter (you know one of those 5500rpm dual ball bearing ones).At the start it was good. But boy was I wrong, the bearings started screaming and it wasn't long before they failed completely and siezed.
What happened the oil mixed with the lube inside the bearing, diluted it and promptly destroyed any protection it was giving the bearing. It didn't take long for it to fail.

Oh ok I will do that nice suggestion. Maybe thats the reason I lost my tail bearing coz I lube it every flight day. That makes alot of sense thanks for the advise.

[Mon_t]

Sorry bout that I just get a little passionate that's all (my Italian heritage coming out to play).
All good yes?:cheers

[neilg.]

if a sealed heli bearing was meant to be be cleaned & greased, it would be an open bearing and not a sealed bearing. at work we have sealed bearings of all sizes that run 24/7 for years with no replacement. i think you are shortening the lifespan of the bearings.
you know why they are sealed: no maintenance necessary :YeaBaby:
we have a term at work and it goes like this: RTF = Run To Failure

IMHO

[jimzpsd]

After 4months and numerous flights I decided to pull all bearings out the heli and put them in alcohol and sit there for hours. Then blow them dry with compressed air. And finally lubed with triflo and fit back in the heli.

It will be nice if I have another set of bearings and swap them so I don't have any down time. Let me go to LHS and ask them.


After you soak them in the alcohol, do you see the residual grime/dirt left behind in the bowl? If you do or do not, then this will confirm weather the bearings are sealed 100%.
These metal covers on the sides of these small brgs. are some type of retainer, to keep the assembly together, and also these brgs are disposable. So if you are getting some dirt out.............the damage and galling is already done..time to replace. And on a larger application, I agree with Mon T and neilg, sealed brgs are sealed, they do not require service.

[eugenefelisco]

After you soak them in the alcohol, do you see the residual grime/dirt left behind in the bowl? If you do or do not, then this will confirm weather the bearings are sealed 100%.
These metal covers on the sides of these small brgs. are some type of retainer, to keep the assembly together, and also these brgs are disposable. So if you are getting some dirt out.............the damage and galling is already done..time to replace. And on a larger application, I agree with Mon T and neilg, sealed brgs are sealed, they do not require service.
Yup there is dirt/grime in the bowl. Now I bought a new set of drive train bearings, and I've changed them all. I also agree to all of you sealed is sealed. I like that RTF thingy.

And also now I've changed my flight venue. I'm not going back to the sandy baseball field anymore.

[Wolfpackin]

Aren't the B400 bearings sheilded, not sealed?

[jimzpsd]

you are correct.

[treaves]

I have a bike grease gun that has a tube of lithium grease that works well; it has a needle output, so even small bearing are easy.

I'm amazed at the number of people saying they are using oil instead of grease on their bearings. No wonder they fail...