Thrust bearings for MM16

[Brian Hale]

I need a new pair of thrust bearings for my MM16, any online vendors sell them?

Mine are labeled GSP 456

TIA
Bria :)

[Hoa Dinh]

Bring one to a local bearing shop (check Yellow Pages). Tell them you need the best sealed available.

I bet you the price will be less than $5 each (likely China-made, but they are all like that these days).

[Gary Herrmann]

I've been toying with the idea of replacing my bearings and guides with the ceramic setup from Laguna...

[Richard Wolf]

I've been toying with the idea of replacing my bearings and guides with the ceramic setup from Laguna...


I have the Laguna guides on my MM20, I'm very happy with them. I just think they are very easy to adjust.

Richard

[Jamie Buxton]

IIRC, the thrust bearings on the MM16 are just like the OEM ones on my LT16HD: a flat disc, and the blade back hits the flat of the disc, not the edge. When mine needed replacing, Laguna was the only source I could find. They wanted a pretty penny for replacements, and on top of that I thought was a dumb design. The blade contact with the bearing is a wiping contact, not a rolling contact. Eventually, the wiping action wears the face of the disc, and you get streams of sparks. Sparks in a sawdust cloud seems like a bad idea.

I made a new thrust bearing. You can see it in the pic below. The contact between the bearing and the blade is a rolling contact. The ball bearing is salvaged from a dull router bit, or you can buy it from router vendors for $5 or so. That is, it is a better thrust bearing, and it costs way less.

[nic obie]

Too cool Jamie!

It would be easy to make the holders out of aluminum too.

[Doug Shepard]

...When mine needed replacing, Laguna was the only source I could find.
...

I'm nowhere needing to replace mine on my MM16, but are you saying that Minimax doesn't sell them??

[Jim Becker]

I'm nowhere needing to replace mine on my MM16, but are you saying that Minimax doesn't sell them??

Jamie has a Laguna saw...

[Doug Shepard]

Oops. Should have read his post closer. Thought he was trying to find MM16 bearings and could only find them at Laguna.

[Brian Hale]

Thanks Guys!!

Jamie, that's a great idea! I think i saw somewhere a bearing with a groove machined into it for just this very purpose. Carter perhaps?

Doug, my MM16 is about 1.5 years old and has about 300 bd ft run through it. Today the lower bearing froze up and and got a groove worn in it before i noticed it and trashed the back edge of a new Timberwolf. It then heated up the upper bearing and the sparks started flying. I'm thinking the lower guide assembly shifted out of position (it's only held in alignment with one bolt) because the groove wasn't anywhere near the edge of the bearing surface. Since i had just put the new blade on and did the flutter test i'm sure it started out in the correct position but.......

After a couple hours on a diamond stone I did manage to get the bearing surface flat again and free up the bearing but i was pretty PO'd at the whole situation and i want to replace both. I'd be open to replacing the entire guide assembly if something better is out there.

Brian :)

[Richard Butler]

I need a new pair of thrust bearings for my MM16, any online vendors sell them?

Mine are labeled GSP 456

TIA
Bria :)


Brian,

That number is not a good one as near as I can tell. Measure the bearings and see if you can't find a generic number. There are many sources for inexpensive bearings these days. Ebay is just one place where you can get them. The last thrust bearings I bought cost me $2.00 each.

[Brian Hale]

There might be some confusion as to what these bearings are so here's a couple shots of them. One shows the lower guide assembly and the single mounting bolt.

Brian :)

[Richard Butler]

yup...I was thinking of something else.