Looking for an old time Delta serviceman

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
New bearings and belts.

Your friend was right a power link belt won’t work on that variable pitch pulley.
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
Nice! I'd agree - it looks like you'd have to at least partially drive out the shaft to get that belt remounted anyway, (I'd also recommend a new belt while in the process), and bearings are relatively cheap, so I'd definitely recommend replacing the bearings while it's apart.

For the bearings, there are lots of sources, but McMaster is likely the easiest to navigate online. Just have calipers handy and measure the inner race, outer race, and thickness, and you should be all good. Given the age of your lathe, I doubt the original bearings were sealed, (though maybe), vs open, but I would suggest getting "sealed" replacements. I doubt you'll spend more than $50 on new bearings, maybe less, and they'll likely "forever". Another ~70 years anyway if those are still the original bearings, (likely).

Enjoy the process, take your time, and in the end, you'll certainly have a very high quality beast of a lathe to work with!

There are whole other rabbit holes you can go down from here if you're not happy w/ the speed range from the reeves drive - VFD's for "modern" ~infinite electronic speed control, etc, but I'd suggest tackling one hurdle at a time.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
New belts won't guarantee it will run smoother. If it runs smoothly now, don't mess with it.
Front bearing 5205LL (sealed double row bearing)
Back bearing 6205LL (sealed single row bearing)

The few of those I've rebuilt, I've had to take out the VS split pulley and re-machine the surfaces true. Same with the top pulley and motor pulley. That machine isn't going to like those big bulky link belts. The nice thing about that model is that it is easier to get apart than the later wire cable control models.
 

Commodore

commodore
User
What is the process of removing the shaft? I have been scouring youtube but, no one has a video of this model. I bought a manual off ebay years ago, and go figure when I turned to the section that deals with changing the belts they seemed to have omitted a page!
 

Commodore

commodore
User
Today I got the shaft and the bearings out! I cleaned up all the parts. Tomorrow I plan to drive the front (larger) baring off the shaft.
 

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Commodore

commodore
User
So what technique/tools are yall using to press the bearings back into the head stock? I figure one can press the front bearing (the larger of the two) onto the shaft in advance but the rear one would have to be added to the shaft afterwards. I have an idea but want to hear everyone else's before I commit to it.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
Some sort of hollow cylinder with a bore diameter slightly over 25mm. Drive against the inner race of the bearing. PVC or regular pipe may well work.
 

Commodore

commodore
User
Thank you Bob, that is what I was thinking too. With any luck I can find something that diameter this weekend. These appear to be modern bearings or at least they look fancy for 1950s. Since I have it apart it seems like a small expense to put new ones in. I am looking more closely at the bearings so I can get an exact match or better. They rear one is marked "FAG Germany 6205 C2 W-B" (or W- 8). The other one is still on the shaft but has similar markings it is just wider. I checked Amazon for these and saw some marked FAG 6205 but they are also marked Korea which gives me pause. What brand bearings are yall going with?
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
10-15 years ago brand names meant something. These days, I'd call Accurate Bearing and ask for Nachi or equal. I trust their judgement an choosing a quality bearing. In the last few years KBC (Korean) has put out some respectable bearings. Decades back Japan made the worst bearings. Now they can make great bearings. I've used some premium grade bearings from China and have not been disappointed. Beware of low priced bearings. You don't want to buy them twice.
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
To echo what Bob said, any high quality bearing will certainly get the job done. For what it's worth, I recently purchased F.A.G. bearings (this is the brand that McMaster Carr stocks for their standard bearings BTW), and found them to be high quality. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. Accurate bearing is a great company to buy from, and McMaster is super easy to buy online, (you'll just need to measure the critical dimensions in either case), and you'll be good to go!
 

Commodore

commodore
User
I took the shaft to the Physics machine shop at work and they pressed the bearing off the shaft in a giant arbor press so I am good to go there. They even offered to press the bearing back on one end when I get the new ones, and they gave me a 1" 8tpi nut to press the last bearing on. What I need now is help making sure I get the correct replacement bearings. The rear bearing is generic enough that finding its replacement was easy enough. The front bearing is marked MRC 205 SRRC Pat No. 2919100 USA SRRC. MRC is a sub brand of SKF, but this bearing may be original and I am having a hell of a time finding the exact specs so I can match it to a modern offering.
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
Re: bearings - if they are standard, (ie not tapered, (thicker on one end of the other), really all you need are the dimensions, (inner diameter/ i.e shaft diameter, outer diameter, and thickness - all 3 of which to me measured in mm). In this case, you just need “standard duty” bearings. Nothing too exotic there. Measure the above dimensions, and go to McMaster and filter the “permanently lubricated sealed ball bearings”, by your sizes above, and you should be all set!
 

Commodore

commodore
User
This 20.6mm thickness is getting me jammed up. I managed to find a new old stock bearing that matches the one I destroyed trying to get it off. If these work out I hope never to have to do this again ;)
 

HMH

Heath Hendrick
Senior User
For what it's worth - if you've found a replacement, great, but for future reference - I really don't see the additional 0.6mm (0.0236", just shy of 1/64"), over the standard 20mm bearing thickness making a difference here. If the shaft diameter is right, (i.e. a tight press fit on the shaft), and the outer diameter is correct, (same, in the casing), then you're all set.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
I really don't understand the confusion about finding a sealed 5205 bearing.
A 63205 is 20.6mm wide. (.8125", aka 13/16") It has a single row of bearings and it is not what that lathe uses.
A 5205 is also 20.6 mm wide but inside are two rows of balls (much better for a lathe).
If there are internet sellers of wide outer race bearings stating that their bearing is 21mm wide, keep on looking.
 

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