OS50/55 bearing question

[fudded]

As mentioned in an earlier thread, I have a contact who runs a bearing buisness, I had time today to pop round and have a chat, it ended up being quite a lengthly chat. He couldnt understand why the bearings where failing so quickly, he said that it should'nt happen. I explained several things, ie that the nitro fuel attracts moisture, how the bearings on a bogstandard 50 engine where not great, and the problem seems to be worse with a .55. He was still adamant they should last longer than they are.

He has given me a sealed bearing to try, has anyone tried one of these?
Would they work?
Retail price for 1 is £8, on an order of over 10 it would be alot cheaper.

Let me know what you think, my contact is also very interested in any outcome

Many Thanks

Sean

[Mike W]

all my bearings are shielded when I buy them ... I just pop both shields off and install ...oh and I pay £6 each for them

TBH I just think of them as using fuel and change as I need to

Which reminds me I better get my 50 ready for new bearing tonight as well lol

[davie]

not shure about a fully enclosed bearing dont know how the seal would live up to the acid that nitro produces ,,,, might be worth a try dont think the seal would do any harm if it did break up mabe just stop the engine pretty quickly , hope you can auto lol

[waveydavey]

Edited because I don't want anyone else seeing what a plank I've just been. The bearing crucially wouldn't get lubricated though apart from the grease between the seals.

[davie]

You wouldn't get any lubrication past the bearing so your con rod etc would be un-lubricated, crucially of course, how does the fuel get into the head?. So in a word NO.

sorry mate you got it wrong the fuel comes through the centre off the crank there is a port at the front below the carb witch runs through to the end of the crank so everything would run just the same ,,, there is a small hole that lubes the bearing and that comes off the bigger hole through the crank

[waveydavey]

My apologies Sean didn't read article before putting my gob into use. Doh!!!!

[davie]

lubrication wise wont be a problem as there sealed bearings are not ment to be lubed apart from whats in them my only concern would be if the seals could handle the nitric acid there engines produce , if thats not a probem you may well get a lot longer out off them as i said mabe worth a try worst that can happen i would think is the seal colapses and stops the engine

[fudded]

the seal colapses and stops the engine

Ill practice my autos

many thanks

Sean

[Nick B]

Really cant see this curing the problem,Sean

Ive shown a few ppl my old 55 rear and all say its heat damage.

Im running a little richer since my 2 bearing changes.My head was at 88 degrees today with plenty of power still

[nightstalker]

Wouldnt the shield melt with the heat from the engine and will end up braking up the engine??

[davie]

dont think heat would be a problem as there are bearing that are designed to run in all sorts of environments most of the bearings in your car engine have seals on them and they dont melt and your car engine runs a lot hotter than ic engines