Modern bearings to replace babbit?

[ventport]

Years ago I read somewhere about some university students that as a school project, replaced the bearings in a windmill with modern bearings and some teflon bearing material. They got the resistance down so low that the mill would spin at very low wind speeds. Has anyone ever replaced the babbitt with modern roller bearings or anything else but babbitt? Just wondering if my Aeromotor 602 could be updated with modern parts to work better.

[windybob]

Everything you could imagine has been tried, and done. Some still have bearings, some have babbitt, and some have Hyatts. Some have 'plastic' (or a derivative). Hard to beat babbitt, it's incredibly forgiving, and lasts a very long time. Some have replaced babbitt with needle bearings also.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Sometimes it is easier to use oil impregnated bushings also. Michael on the forum likes them. I don't know if you can use them on a 602 never had tried it.

[CTXmiller]

Welcome to the forum.

I do like oil impregnated bushings, whenever and wherever they will work. Babbitt is good and versatile, like Windy says.

You can press a bronze bushing into an older A602 pitman arm as opposed to repouring it. As for the main shaft and saddle, that would take a little machining and is probably outside of my simplistic mind.

Before I got into windmills, my dad had an A702 rebuilt by a machinist and he relayed only bronze bushings were used. The A702 is up on a 27’ tower and has been for about 25yrs now. I’ve never seen inside of this gearbox as every time he changes the oil or does maintenance generally coincides with putting up a new windsock at the adjacent runway beside his property via a lift.

[Paul Behrends]

I have taken down 2 or 3 8' A702's thru the years that someone years back had converted to sleeve bearings. They had all self-destructed inside. I dont think you can beat a proper rebuild with standard Babbit bearings....running in oil! Why re-invent proven success?