Johnson rotary valve bearings

[dmbono]

Working on an S-45 Johnson, and just pulled the rotary valve apart. The bearings need replacing, and were open radial ball. I can buy shielded or sealed bearings- any reason not to use them?

[Buccaneer]

I don’t know much about bearings, but know I was able to "pop"
out the shield on a bearing where one wasn’t used.
I can’t remember the brand nor the application, but it
might be an option.

Prepare to be boarded!

[PM T2]

Dave I suggest that you contact Jay Walls about your rotary valve bearing question.

Best,
PM T2

He's livin' in his own private Idaho..... I hope to go out quietly in my sleep, like my grand-dad did..... and not screaming, like the passengers in his car...

[Tubs]

I have also removed seals from bearings
to be used where an open bearing is
required. Was the recommendation of
a bearing supplier some 50+ years ago
and seams to be a reoccurring solution
over the years.

A "Boathouse Repair" is one thats done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.

[amuller]

Yes, you can pop the shields or seals and use them as open bearings.

[dmbono]

I worded the question badly- Can I use shielded bearings instead of open?

[david-bartlett]

quote dmbono:

I worded the question badly- Can I use shielded bearings instead of open?

I guess you could. The original open bearing would have been lubricated from the fuel mix going through then engine, which is pretty foolproof if one adds the correct fuel/oil mix to the motor.

A sealed bearing will not benefit from this obviously, and would work fine until the original lubricant inside the seal/shield gets use up, worn out, or contaminated. You probably won’t use the motor enough to do this.

Just my $.02

If it were me, I would go with open ball bearings.

[eltoquad]

I’ve used the sealed bearings (not shielded) in my V65 and P65. I think they’re better than the open ones and have had no problem in 10 years or so of light use.

[dmbono]

Thank you all for your response! I’m installing shielded bearings

[Randy in Tampa]

ditto go with the sealed bearings make sure they’re all metal
😉

quote eltoquad:

I’ve used the sealed bearings (not shielded) in my V65 and P65. I think they’re better than the open ones and have had no problem in 10 years or so of light use.

[Author]

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