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Help with Idler shaft bearings

Ktnolan

I'm relatively new to woodworking. I have and Mark VI and upgraded to the power-pro head. I did the DYI kit, which included a new idler shaft with pully and two bearings unlike the old one large bearing setup. The new shaft, that came in the kit, has two bearings that sit under a eccentric, used to tighten the drive belt. I was working on wooden Easter baskets for my daughters when one of the bearings failed. The bearing that failed is the one adjacent to the pully. Is it possible to press the bearing and pully off to replace the bearing or do I need to replace the whole shaft with pully @ bearings all in one.

any help is much apricated.

DLB

Shopsmith only sells the Idler Shaft as a complete assembly, and I've never seen the PowerPro version available anywhere else. Your question has come up before on the PowerPro and is still an open question to me at least. IIRC the OP in that discussion was able to remove one bearing but not the other, naturally the same one you are asking about. It went together, and seems likely that it comes apart. There is no visible key or setscrew for the pulley, so I suspect it is an interference fit and may require heating to remove. It is also possible that there is a key that we can't see.

First thing to consider is whether it is under warranty. If not, then in my opinion you have nothing to lose by attempting disassembly. Please let us know. I don't have anything to offer on advice that will get you up and running fast enough to complete an Easter project. (Unless you have access to a conventional headstock.) You might provide your location in case someone here can offer a short term solution.

- David

rjent

My experience, and this is just a suggestion for deliberation, is that the shaft with bearings is not much more (or at least the same) as buying the bearings alone. IIRC, the assembly is around 70 or 80 dollars and you can easily spend that much for bearings rated for 16000 RPM as that is what that shaft can run at when the quill is running 10K. I think the shaft is under engineered as it could stand to have bigger bearings, but that is another discussion.

Like it has been stated, make sure warrantee doesn't cover it first.

JMHO

chapmanruss

As was already suggested check to see if it is still covered by the warranty. You'll have to wait till Monday to call Customer Service. If not it is part number 522612 called the PowerPro Idler Shaft Assembly and is $38.08 plus shipping. You can find it at the link below.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=522612

Just to confirm - you have a Mark V that you upgraded with the DIY PowerPro motor? There isn't a Mark VI.

KayBur

Hello. Did you manage to solve the problem with finding spare parts and repairing the machine?

edma194

Ktnolan, I hope this works out for you. Even if it's not covered by warranty the price chapmanruss found is pretty good for a part like that. You can't save much money by only replacing the bearing, maybe none at all if it's not a common part.

I've been nervous about my DIY upgrade since I installed it. That is some expensive motor and mine was out of warranty before I even got to install it. Bearings go bad once in a while so this isn't the worst thing that can happen.

Hope you didn't 'tap' that bearing into place when you installed it, that can wreck a bearing.

chapmanruss wrote it is part number 522612 called the PowerPro Idler Shaft Assembly and is $38.08 plus shipping. You can find it at the link below.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=522612

Ktnolan

Thanks for all the great advice. It was out of warranty. I was able to press the bearings and pully off; however I did have to heat the pully a little bit. The pully is aluminum and the shaft is splined. As suggested, it is a pressure fit.

I am going to try to order some replacement bearings and press them back on.

I also ordered another complete idler shaft.

I showed by girls the work in progress (Easter Baskets) and they loved them. I want to thank everyone for all the great advice and taking the time to give me such good information.