[AT] Spam> bearing cross-reference

[Mark Greer]

The correct bearings (maximum capacity type, MRC brand) would have run you 
$42 and $51 each plus a few bucks for UPS. The standard capacity bearings 
would be less than half that but they will fail if you do any heavy work 
with the tractor like plowing. My interchanges are a pile of things I've 
hoarded in the 25+ years I've been doing this job. I have a number of ag 
customers including repair shops, dealers, feed mills, and lots of big and 
small farms including dairy, pork, veal, feed lots, and grain operations so 
to gain their business I had to speak their language. You are correct about 
most ball bearings being metric from way back. Most tapered rollers and 
needle roller bearings were inch sized until the last 20 years or so. Most 
seals used were based on inch dimensions also until the last 20 years or so. 
With the US transitioning away from heavy manufacturing and more equipment 
coming from overseas we've seen more metric each year that I've been in this 
business.
Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Hall" <jthall at worldnet.att.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Spam> bearing cross-reference


> Thanks for the replies fellows!
>
> Dave, that might prove to be an interesting book as ball bearings hadn't
> been in widespread use that long when it was published. I know IH went to
> ball bearing mains in the 20's, don't know if they were using them as well
> in transmisisons at that time or not. I can honestly say that anything I
> worked on older than that had no bearings or had large needle roller
> bearings.
>
> Charlie, called Motion today and the guy surprised himself when he was 
> able
> to cross-reference them by IH number. His pricing wasn't bad either. If 
> you
> have calipers handy most place can look up seals and bearings by size, 
> I've
> done this with Napa a few times. Now for the shocker---did you know that
> most bearings and seals are METRIC--yes even on stuff that is 60+ years 
> old!
> I imagine a lot of folks just think they are some bastard number simply
> because they don't know how to convert. I have had to convert sizes over
> before so the parts guys could look them up. The real question is how did 
> we
> ever do mechanic work without cell-phones? Sure makes things go a lot 
> faster
> when you are chasing down parts!
>
> Mark, gotta give you credit for being able to do that. I would say that 
> most
> places can't cross by equipment manufacturer number. Without going to a
> whole lot of effort, how extensive is your liisting  by equipment
> manufacturers? Also, your data base is impressive giving you the
> application. Napas did as well but they had one of the bearings listed for
> an M. Also noted that same bearing was a clutch bearing for certain Jeeps
> and also went in a Ford 3 speed.
>
> The bearings I ordered were el-cheapo. The place I ordered them from 
> carried
> multiple quality and configurations. I couldn't see spending $150 bucks 
> for
> bearings considering this tractor is pretty much retired. Just for the 
> heck
> of it I should have priced them at Case-IH. I did have to get a couple 
> seals
> from them--they ain't cheap but at least you know you are getting good
> stuff.
>
> John Hall