Drivehaft Bearing Pic and Question

[Yeller]

Changed this out over the weekend (clutch side). In this condition, would you have cleaned it out, re-packed it and continued using it or just replaced it. It still seemed to roll well with no binding. The were a few rust spots on some of the "rollers" and a bit of water. Just trying to get a sense of what codnition is salvageable and what condition isn't.

 

[WarriorBeads]

rust & water = bearing death.... The problem I've found is that, other than a purely visual inspection, you can't roll the bearing on your finger to see how smooth it runs without taking it out of the sled... If you go to the trouble of taking the chain case apart to get it out of the sled, you might as well just change it.

By the way, there are four 4 strokes in my family all with 5000 to 8000 miles on them and I've never 'personally' seen water or rust in that particular bearing..... The lower drive axel bearings get greased twice per year and replaced every 2-3 years based on usage....We see water in there fairly regularly.

 

[Groomerdriver]

Kinda what he ^^^^^ said. You went to the trouble of taking it all apart, I would change them. I wonder if anyplace (a bearing supply house) offers a higher quality aftermarket replacement bearing?

 

[apltx08]

As soon as a bearing shows signs of RUST its like humans with CANCER...it can last you 10 miles like 1000 miles, this being said its FRIED!!! for the litle money they cost I put a new 1 in every year in the fall and I also grease it every 1500kms with a needle and run trouble free...I cleaned and repacked a old 1 and kept it as a spare in my nose bag, I've seen some guys stuck in middle of nowhere with a BUSTED bearing!

 

[Yeller]

I bought the new bearing even before tearing into the sled so my intention was to replace it regardless. It's only after the fact that I decided to take a pic and see what condition you guys consider as fine for just re-packing and continuing use.

Warrior, I didn't do the chain case side, just the clutch side.

 

[Gone Blue]

If I was to see this bearing while still on the sled I would have repacked and plan to replace when I had some time. Since you had already taken it off I would have just replaced it.

How many miles did you have on the bearing and was it the upper or lower?

Thanks, G.B.

 

[Metallicat]

The bearings on my new Vector looked like that after only 13 days total of riding last year, or about 3100 miles. 13 F@cking days and the bearings looked like crap! Well, I cleaned mine out last spring and repacked and will continue to repack every 500 miles or so until I change them out sometime next year or the year after. I just put 800 miles on so I know they are due for a repack. If I had known last year that they would run dry so soon I would have been more on top of it. I sprayed some contact cleaner in them to clean the grease out, let them dry, and then followed up with WD40 and finally synthetic grease after the WD had mostly dissipated.

 

[snofisher]

i still do not understand why yamaha does not put a cover and zerks on the jackshaft and driveshaft(speedo) bearings like every one else??? i had over 7000 miles on my 99 xc600 with no issues...

 

[Crewchief47]

Keep the old one for and emergency spare on those trips away from home, you never know if the dealer in that area stocks the bearing. We keep a good used one in the trailer.

Now I see you probably ride from the door so you probably don't have that issue.

 

[Yeller]

If I was to see this bearing while still on the sled I would have repacked and plan to replace when I had some time. Since you had already taken it off I would have just replaced it.

How many miles did you have on the bearing and was it the upper or lower?

Thanks, G.B.

G.B it has 5200 kms on it and it was the lower driveshaft bearing.

 

[Yeller]

Keep the old one for and emergency spare on those trips away from home, you never know if the dealer in that area stocks the bearing. We keep a good used one in the trailer.

Now I see you probably ride from the door so you probably don't have that issue.

Good idea, this is what I plan on doing.

 

[Wilson]

i still do not understand why yamaha does not put a cover and zerks on the jackshaft and driveshaft(speedo) bearings like every one else??? i had over 7000 miles on my 99 xc600 with no issues...

They used to put zerks ,my 97 had them .I bought it used with 10k they
had never been greased ,thats why they went to sealed bearings .

 

[Cruizin]

Driveshaft bearing

I changed mine out today. I only cleaned and repacked it last year but figured with 7000 miles it was time to change it. The original looked damn good tho.

 

[ragefarmer]

well my driveshaft bearing went smashed the case, 5000kms complete crap cost $600 repair. Yamaha says so sad your out of warranty