How do you reaplace bearings in a wind instrument?

[paul]

I've got a Raymarine ST60 wind instrument which has a sticky wind speed. I've tried cleaning it but I suspect it needs a new bearing. Does anyone know how you remove/reinstall the bearing? Thanks. Paul

 

[brianhumber]

Did my Stowe some years ago after I got annoyed with the chap who held the stowe spares AW ( now passed on) who said you cannot do that, buy new one from me for something like £100.

You need to check how it is held in and have a fairly good toolbox with long nosed pliers, small spanners, watchmakers drivers, files etc.

Once old bearing is out use magnifiing glass to read numbers on the bearing shell and get new ones from bearing supplier. You will be surprised how easy and cheap it is once you have sussed the knack of removing the old. My advice - get stuck in but do not use much force.

 

[john_morris_uk]

At least you are in a better position than I was the other day. A bird (or something) had broken my masthead unit and a new one is jjust over £200 RRP! I have only just paid £199 to have the board replaced in the cockpit end...

 

[Billjratt]

ORIGINAL QUESTION....OK, so how's it done? I also have a lazy ST60. I have taken the spoon assembly off, applied WD40 then 3-in-1 to the shaft, which was showing brown stains, then re-assembled and it looks good for now. However, experience says that once a bearing has pitted, it will fail again pretty soon.
Has anyone a drawing of the head unit so we can see how to get the bearings out without destroying it please?
Thanks in anticipation......

 

[Appleyard]

I have an old ST 50 mast transponder in front of me at the moment. Looking at it through a magnifying glass,it seems that the bearing is inserted into the sub assembly and the plastic is then heated and "peened" over to hold the bearing(with shaft) in place . I will try to post a piccie,but don't think my camera will go close enough to give detail.

 

[Billjratt]

Thanks James. I thought I saw much the same on the ST60. I guess my real question is, does the peened-over Bearing-carrier bit screw out of the metal cylindrical centre piece that the support strut is attached to? and what precautions have to be observed vis-a-vie the electronics.... It's probably assembled by a machine or sweatshop, so shouldn't be beyond us..... It looks to me as if both ends have to come off, it's just ~ are they screwed, pressed in, glued in, or what....

 

[Appleyard]

The bearing carriers are pressed in ,,a couple of "o" rings provide the grip. There is a little extra slack in the wiring which will let you withdraw it. At the moment I am working on the unit to try to figure out how to get at the bearing. The one I have is old,so nothing to lose. I willkeep you posted.

 

[Appleyard]

Not having much luck. I have cut a "V" at either side of the bearing housing to try and get a grip on the bearing,but it seems to be very tight. Obviously the bearing is a tight pressed fit nto the housing. Will keep trying.

 

[Appleyard]

OK. I don't think that it is possible to remove the bearings from the housing without major butchery.Having cut a "V" in the plastic either side of the bearing I tried to remove said bearing with needle nose pliers,bt it is too tight. Perhaps it is glued in as well. So to the original post...keep trying to clean it..a little paraffin for example and spin it whilst upside down (the unit that is not you).or mabye contact cleaner followed by light oil. I would not advise trying to extract the bearing.

 

[Billjratt]

Thanks for that, James. Most of the time, I find you have to press bearings out of their housings ( even if it distorts the "peenings") but I don't know what you were looking at when you pulled out the ends. - The pressing bit is usually done in the vise with a suitable socket or piece of pipe in place to receive the bearing and allow movement. Anyway, you've confirmed my process. All I can do to defer payment/replacement is to refine the choice of cleaner/lubricants ( of which I have a shedful!)
Thanks again for your time and the sacrifice of your unit.

 

[Appleyard]

The bearing seems to be pressed into a "blind" recess...there isn't a way to get behind it in order to pull it out. Also it seems to be bonded in . I will post a couple of pics this evening which may be of some help to anyone with this prob. (camera batteries dud.need new ones!!)

 

[Billjratt]

There may be a step in the shaft at the blind end which would allow the shaft to push out the bearings if it could be pressed from that end. What's on the electronic end of the shaft ~ can it be removed so we just have a shaft/bearing/housing assembly? I assume the housing is long enough to hold bearing-spacer-bearing.... should we be drilling and filling the void with lubricant? The hole would then be covered by the outside body.

 

[Calao]

I manage to remove the bearings with minor "butchery".
You have to remove the electronic printed board which is clipped on the sensor and pull out the shaft taking care not to loose the four small magnets.
Then you can push out the bearings; you may have to cut the plastic of the housing around the first bearing.

Sorry for my rusty english.

 

[Billjratt]

Thanks for that. I assume the 'butchery' is minor enough for the unit to be rebuilt with new bearings. If I have a bad season I will end up doing the same - nothing to lose.
I wonder why we're hearing more about ST60 anaethingies than we did for all the predecessors ~ is it the fact we have access to forums, or have they started using chinese bearings....