Grease spindle bearings; HAAS TL-1, 2003

Dino B · Jan 8, 2020

Greetings group.

I have a first generation HAAS TL-1 Tool room lathe, 2003. Anyone know how to re-grease the spindle bearings? I haven't torn anything apart yet. I do know I can get at the front bearing by removing the front black ring around the spindle. But this only exposes the very front of the bearing.

Thank you.

BGL · Jan 8, 2020

Put it back - leave it alone!

This is the 21st century. We have sliced bread and Permanently Lubricated Bearings,enjoy!

Dino B · Jan 8, 2020

Fair enough. But are you familiar with this machine specifically? The bearings don't have seals on them. I can see this from the front as I can see into the bearing. Balls and retainer are visible. I can see there is very little grease inside. I am able to pack a grease in from the front. but I am wondering about the back one.

aarongough · Jan 8, 2020

You don't just 'pack grease' into a precision spindle bearing set... The exact amount of grease has to be controlled very carefully, otherwise it will cause overheating and shorten the bearing life dramatically. You also have to be very careful to avoid contamination when packing grease into a bearing like this. Fine contaminants in a closed system at high RPM and high forces will turn it into a very effective grinder and also shorten bearing life dramatically.

Is the spindle actually giving you any reason to be concerned about grease?

Dino B · Jan 8, 2020

@aarongough
Thanks for the reply. Understood about proper process.
Yes. I have had this lathe for over 15 years and am very familiar with its sound. I can hear the spindle is more noisy than it used to be. No vibration just a different sound. About 5 years ago I noticed this and removed that front ring and pushed in a little Kluber NBU15. It fixed the problem, but I never added more since then to the front and none to the rear. Realizing these are not sealed bearings (to my surprise)I wanted to be proactive and service both bearings.

Dino B · Jan 8, 2020

@aarongough
Packing wasn't the term I should have used. I have a syringe I use and can inject some into the bearing. The max spindle RPM is 1800 RPM, so not what I would consider high speed. I am just trying to prolong the life of the bearings.

aarongough · Jan 8, 2020

Gotcha! Well I'm honestly not sure what the service interval or process should be for a bearing set like that, most spindle noses will have a labyrinth seal (a non-contact rotating seal) that should keep pretty much all contaminants out but they are not perfect. If you're not hearing any undue noises or seeing heating then I would be inclined to leave it alone personally. If you really want to add something to it then a small dot of kluber is unlikely to hurt, especially given you have already done that once!

BGL · Jan 8, 2020

Dino B said:
Fair enough. But are you familiar with this machine specifically? The bearings don't have seals on them. I can see this from the front as I can see into the bearing. Balls and retainer are visible. I can see there is very little grease inside. I am able to pack a grease in from the front. but I am wondering about the back one.

To be perfectly honest no, I don't have intimate knowledge of this specific machine. I am surprised it is as you describe. Have you looked into the service manual. Are you the original owner? If not perhaps someone fooled with it before you?

TotesMcGoats · Feb 19, 2021

Hi Dino B,

Did you ever try getting into your spindle? My TL-1 has just started making a concerning noise, and I'd like to see if anything can be done to service the spindle before calling for a replacement.

I haven't tried tearing into anything yet. Hoping for some information about whether the bearings are accessible and any other comments on serviceability.

Thanks

BT Fabrication · Feb 24, 2021

If its making noise, the bearings are already shot. They only load it to 15% by volume and have a finite life for all 4 bearings in it.

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