Before you do anything check to identify the bearing type!!!!!!!!!!

otherwise you will have a real mess on your hands-beacause you will probably loose all those bearings from inadequate lubrication.

It sounds like the oil pump you are using has to much pressure feeding the bearings at first glance, or if the seals were recently changed they were installed improperly- the lips of oil seals always face the pressure side of the application- another possiblility is that the springs maintaining pressure on the shafts are broken.

Another possibilty is the most obvious where the seal has been put in backwards-maybe it was done at the plant where these feeders were built -I just can not tell you

since I am not at your location I would not be able to identify the problem.

The Derrick brand screens I used to work on used a lot of oil while they operated-the oil was feed from a barrel pump on the screening plant first floor and passed through the motor and bearings and in to a waste bottle. I am curious as to whether your feeders have a waste bottle set up- please let me know about the schematic for the oil feed if possible and possibly we can stop this problem.

lzaharis@lightlink.com

lzaharis ■

Hello: Please advise oil system being used:

Splash Oil: Oil is in the shaft assembly tube and splashes from one side to the other OR

Oil in the end covers: Each side of the shaft assembly is filled separately to a point.....typically 1/2 way up a oil sight gauge. This equates to 1/2 way up a roller.

GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: If overfilling is happening: the oil will typically be blown out the oil breather at the 12 o'clock position.

If JM rubber seal is worn out.....the oil will leak out at the bottom or six oclock position of the bearing housing typically. SOLUTION: replace with a new double lip seal .

TRICK: if you do not have a new seal readily available.....pull the stainless steel wire on the back of the seal apart. SNIP about a 1/16th of an inch off the male end and re-enter or push together into the female end. THIS tightens the coil on the rubber and the rubber contact on the back of the seal and makes a tighter fit to the SHAFT. STOPS LEAK.

REGARDS, GEORGE BAKER MODERATOR ■

DEPENDING on size of the bearings and HOW FAST you intend to run will dictate oil or grease.

THE bearing manufacturer's typically define these parameters quite clearly. On higher speed screens oil is a better pick usually than grease.

ON very big bearings.......150mm, 160mm, 200mm ETC.....oil is often the pick due to speed limitations with GREASE.

George Baker - MODERATOR

Synthetic oils and greasing have very nice wide temperature ranges vs conventional EP rated greases and oils. ■

another item to check:

If leaking ...........this could be as a result of PLUGGED BREATHERS on the oil system or in the housings. Depends on your design.

Breathers are meant to VENT excessive vapours out of the shaft housings and allow air to be sucked in on shutdown and re-equalize or balance the pressure inside the bearing housing assembly.

IF BREATHERS are plugged and they usually are......we build up pressure in the inside of the bearing housing and can force the double lip seals on the oil seal to LIFT off the shaft or not maintain tight fit to shaft and leak out to sideplate or leak into the inner tube assembly.

GEORGE BAKER ■