60's 10L lower drive bearing replacement?

[Don J]

Couple questions in here. I've got a mid 60's heavy 10 and the bearings in the lower drive idler shaft need to be replaced. The upper drive belt is in good shape so I would like to try and do this without removing the lower drive unit. That means removing the idler pulley shaft. The cabinet is enclosed on the left side. So the shaft would have to come out to the right.

Question #1: Can this shaft be removed and the bearings replaced without removing the entire lower drive assembly?
Question #2: If this can be done, how do you drive the shaft out? Is it possible to pull it out from the right?
Question #3: Does anyone know what the cross reference is for the Southbend bearing PT442R1?

 

[JBTEK]

I don't think this would have been possible on my 1963 Heavy 10. The cast iron pulley on the end was very tight on the shaft. I bent my own puller trying to get it off and I had to borrow a heavier puller from an auto parts store.

 

[Don J]

How difficult was removing the lower drive assembly from the cabinet?

 

[JBTEK]

Removing and reinstalling were not bad at all. I did cut the original flat belt off. I blocked the assembly up, unbolted everything, then removed layers of blocks till I could slide it out the front.

I found NOS 88504 bearings but I can't say whether that is a cross for that SB number. I bought mine based on the actual old bearings removed. The old ones were very tight.

 

[Don J]

Did you put on another continuous flat belt or stitch a new one together?

 

[JBTEK]

I bought a composite belt from eBay seller sam14160. It uses a metal "clipper" junction that uses a pin to join. Yes it does make a click sound as it runs but after the first 30 seconds I don't notice it any more. This belt has been completely reliable so far.