6203 DD Bearing - keep or change?

[Coldfinger]

Regarding the old 6203 DD bearing ordeal, esp on 2010 machines and 2011, if anyone is running the 6203 nonsealed bearing , how many miles have you gone without a bearing issue?

If anyone is running an aftermarket 6203 2rs, how is it holding up. I've got the SKF brand in my machine and have had it in for only 600 miles or so therefore too early to tell. I also haven't pulled the cover to look at it so maybe it is failing already.

How about the 5203 2rs, any testimonials?

How about the 4203 2rs?

 

[Thunder101]

This need to be a sealed bearing. Never out of lube #1, no gear files enter the bearing #2.

 

[Coldfinger]

What are you running and how long has it lasted?

 

[WRECKED]

Running the 5203 for 2 years, 1000 miles. Just tore it down, still good. Replaced oil and gasket.

 

[M6johnny]

Im running the unsealed also and have 1200 or so on mine with no issues.. But, I do change oil every fall..

 

[kllongbrake]

5203 non-sealed bearing in an 09 case. 1000 miles so far. I read from SKF that a bearing submerged in oil should not be sealed, that oil bath allows contaminants to be flushed out of the bearing. You could argue that because they're sealed they're not getting contaminants in them but that's just not true. In reality, it's not a total seal.

 

[Coldfinger]

Im running the unsealed also and have 1200 or so on mine with no issues.. But, I do change oil every fall..

Which bearing # are you running?

I hear you guys on the unsealed theory and getting oil to the bearing but my hesitation is that I read where BDX had called it a Pocket type bearing that because of where it sits it doesn't receive the needed lubrication.

From my experience and from what I've read, it seems to me there have been very few (if any?) failures to the point of locking up the shaft. It seems the bearing starts to fail, knocks out the outside/leftside oil seal, then continues to run because now the bearing is able to receive DD lube.??

 

[Coldfinger]

Any more feedback from anyone?

Is anyone aware of the OEM 6203 spacer washer being too thick and Cat replacing those with a thinner washer and still running a 6203?

 

[diggerdown]

I'm running a 4203 2 rows sealed. Only have 600 miles on it. Pulled it apart and everything is still looking good. Perfect fit with the 4203.

 

[GUS]

Over the last 2 years we have gone through and updated several diamond drives. The 07, 08 and early 09's we left the 6203 sealed in them. They seemed to hold up fine with the configuration of the carrier in the planetary. The 10 and 11 they inverted the carrier and the 5203 double row bearings seemed to hold up better. I personally machined 25-30 gears over the last 2 years and all of them stock or turbo sleds have held up well with the 5203. I don't think there is a right or a wrong with what you do with either bearing. You are either alright with machining the shaft of the carrier for the HP bearing or leave it stock. The double row offers a higher performance spec than the single row. It also has a higher end load rating than the single row. I feel the sealed would be more beneficial since centrifugal force will throw oil away from the center of the shaft....therefore less oil in the bearing. Just wanted to make a comment due to so many bearing failures over the last 2 seasons that have been posted. The only thing I know for sure is: I've seen sleds with 20 to 800 miles on them with blown bearings. Replaced them with new bearings and the problem went away.

SKF, Nachi, Fafnir, Koyo have all worked well. I believe the 5203 has been a "Pure" brand.
The 5203 and 6203 are industry standard numbers that all Mfgs have to meet. Some are able to beat the spec required....some just get there....but they all meet the same spec set by the industry.

Good Luck.
Gus

PS Hope it snows big soon!

 

[summ8rmk]

I know it's not exactly the same but has anybody ever had a drive shaft bearing go bad?
I personally have had quite a few go out. From atleast 1994 - to current 2011 almost all sleds use the 6205. If u don't catch it in time it will whittle the driveshaft down to the shape of a pencil and ur speedo cable breaks then the shaft pops out of what's left of the outer race and u might even destroy a chain case.
That's always the bearing below the secondary.
I have never had to replace the same sealed 6205 inside the chaincase. I've pulled the seal out and there is no grease at all jut oil from the case. Even on my old mxz with over 7, 000 mi that chain case bearing spun better than a brand new one
But I replaced two on the other end.
My 04 rmk lost the clutch side bearing before it hit 900mi. They r both the same sealed bearing one is in an oil bath the other has snow crammed against one side and a phoney grease zirk on the other.

 

[Coldfinger]

Gus, so you machined the gearshaft that the bearing gets pressed onto, right?

Did you machine down the exact width needed to make the end of the 5203 sit at the same location as the 6203 w/spacer or did you take a little more off the shaft so the bearing presses on just a few thousandths further?

 

[347strokin]

Gus, so you machined the gearshaft that the bearing gets pressed onto, right?

Did you machine down the exact width needed to make the end of the 5203 sit at the same location as the 6203 w/spacer or did you take a little more off the shaft so the bearing presses on just a few thousandths further?

I got 40 thou taken off the gearshaft that the bearing sits on with the 5203. Obviously removed the spacer too. Worked perfect.

 

[Coldfinger]

Ok, I'm being dense now, but was the .040" removed from the end of the gearshaft and then that same gearshaft had the shoulder machined back to allow the 5203 to fit where the 6203 & spacer had been?

 

[347strokin]

Just the shoulder was machined back 40 thou so the bigger bearing could be pushed on a bit further on the shaft. There is a really good write up with pictures kicking around somewhere. I couldn't really picture what was going on until I saw that thread and opened up my DD.

 

[347strokin]

Here you go:

May need to log in to see the pics. Very detailed.

http://www.hardcoresledder.com/foru...ve-bearing-failure-repair-write-up-how-8.html

 

[M6johnny]

Which bearing # are you running?

I hear you guys on the unsealed theory and getting oil to the bearing but my hesitation is that I read where BDX had called it a Pocket type bearing that because of where it sits it doesn't receive the needed lubrication.

From my experience and from what I've read, it seems to me there have been very few (if any?) failures to the point of locking up the shaft. It seems the bearing starts to fail, knocks out the outside/leftside oil seal, then continues to run because now the bearing is able to receive DD lube.??

I will let you know in a week, when I go through the DD again....

 

[Coldfinger]

Thanks for the link. I may just pull the DD out this weekend and take a look at the SKF 6203 I put in 500 miles ago or so to see what it looks like/feels like.

If it is bad, I will then check into having the gearshaft machined 1mm to fit the 5203 in approx the same position as the OEM.

Actually, if I have the whole DD out, I may try to measure how much clearance there is between the 6203skf and where it fits into by doing the solder trick, or lead or clay.

 

[Coldfinger]

I pulled the DD out yesterday and checked my 6203 skf I had installed about 500-600 miles ago. Looks and spins like new.

I'll check it again after this season assuming we get enough snow to allow me to log 500 miles or so.

PS - this time I pulled the whole DD out of the sled. Just as easy or easier than trying to just pull the cover off while in the sled. Also makes it very easy to split the DD and save preserve the gasket material and to do the whole thing without draining the oil.

Next time I'll probably back off the track tension a little to make it easier to pull and reinstall the dd. Maybe propping up that side of the sled would help too?

 

[ND]

Taking tension off makes it like butter, no need to tilt her up