[TowerTalk] Fwd: thrust bearing lubrication

[Brahmangou at aol.com]

____________________________________
 From: Brahmangou at aol.com
To: K7LXC at aol.com
Sent: 5/18/2010 11:11:45 A.M.  Central Daylight Time
Subj: Re: [TowerTalk] thrust bearing  lubrication


OK, by what means does grit leave an ungreased bearing? 
I'm wrong? Zero bearing failures on my equipment, multiple failures on  
yours.....
 
Marty AB5GU
 
 
In a message dated 5/18/2010 10:56:45 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
K7LXC at aol.com writes:


In  a message dated 5/18/2010 8:39:28 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,   
Brahmangou at aol.com writes:

>  Unlubricated bearings?  Maybe the reason you are wearing out  the races. 
I use Moly grease  on all of mine, no problems yet. Every bearing  needs 
lubrication,  even old windmills from 100 years ago have oilers, and  
windmills  
only turn at about 75 rpm. Where I live dust and dirt above 50  feet  is 
not a 
problem, maybe in West Texas or Arizona the big dust  storms could  deposit 
enough to make a difference.

The Rohn thrust bearing isn't a conventional  bearing in the  sense 
you're talking about above. It turns at 1 RPM. The   manufacturer says does 
not 
say to grease it. The LXC Prime  Directive  says to "DO what the 
manufacturer 
says." In this case,  do not grease the Rohn  TB. 

> The grease would not make  a  negative difference in  the grit problem. 

The grease will retain any grit, dust, dirt, air  particulates, etc.  
that blow in. No grease - no long-term grit in the  bearings.  

>  Once grit gets into the races the damage is done,  grease  or no grease. 
No way to get the grit back out either way.  

Yes there is - don't put any in in the first   place.

>  Actually the grease would help keep the grit out.  Once a  bearing is 
put 
through several rotations, excess grease is  forced out through  the races. 
There is no way to get this grease  back into the bearings.   There is no 
grease pump to move  grease back onto the bearing surfaces.This is  why you 
repack wheel  bearings. The excess grease can act as  a semi-seal for the  
races.

Sure, for more conventional bearings. The  races  in the Rohn TB are 
open to the wx which means that rain and  grit can get in  and it can also 
get 
out. The predominant damage  I've seen with Rohn TB's is  that the races 
have 
been hammered by  the wind forces and the steel ball  bearings being 
pounded 
against  the softer aluminum races. 

So, sir, you are still  wrong. 

Cheers,
Steve    K7LXC
TOWER TECH  




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