Kubota Deck Spindle Bearing Failure

[JoeM 7,608]

A couple years back I picked up a Kubota GR2010 for the bulk of my mowing. The power steering and 4WD was an asset for the my arthritis and hilly terrain. The machine was a repo and had 105 hours. I serviced everything just as I had the Wheel Horse machines over the years.

Toward the end of summer I could hear what I thought was an outboard spindle bearing on the deck making noise. The machine now has 260 hours on the clock. When servicing the deck, I found the bottom bearing on the out outboard ends not getting grease and rusted, the center bottom spindle bearing was gunked up but ok. The center spindle bearing gets grease from a port located about half way up the housing and the top bearing is part of the 90 degree gear box. The outboard spindles use both top and bottom bearings and are greased from a fitting, similar to the WH, on the top of the shaft. The exit port on the shaft is located at the top of the bearing between the bearing and top seal.

Wondering why the bottom bearing failed, I assembled a shaft without the housing and applied grease. The path of the grease is though the shaft, out of the exit port, though the top bearing, down the spacer and though the bottom bearing. I applied 9 shots of grease and none of it could have reached the bottom bearing. On an a completely repaired spindle, it took 65 shots of grease, about 3 ozs., to fill the housing and bearing.

I figure the spindles were not filled with grease when new and the 6 shots or so I put in the summer never reached the bottom bearings.

I included a link to my video on the grease test and a few pics of the bearings.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by OILUJ52

[dclarke 4,011]

Thanks for the info, Joe. I have a GR2110 with a 54 inch deck and will definitely check those bearings when I service the mower later this winter. 

[peter lena 8,037]

did you ever check to see if Kubota ,had an upgrade on this issue? sounds like a hard piping ,flow issue, possible venting.  Kubota must be having numerous problems with this, and I would think ,that there is a retrofit piping  set up to correct this. local dealer ,should have an answer, Pete  

[JoeM 7,608]

Never checked with Kubota, but reading the service manual it says to put grease in the spindles until it overflows. Unfortunately, I never read the manual!

(I am not sure Kubota read it either)

Couple other things, looking at the seals they look like they are designed to allow grease to bypass the seal to atmosphere. And the exit area for the grease is hidden under a dust cap mounted between the blade and the spindle housing. When filling the center housing make sure you have the blade bolt and blade installed, or you will pop off the seal carrier snap ring, (I did) lol.

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by OILUJ52