Summer's coming up and I must replace the bearings on my swamp cooler. I've got things torn down to the point where I'm ready to remove the bearings and pulley. I've removed the pillow blocks and the shaft and squirrel cage are hanging loose. I've also removed the outer collar that keeps the shaft from moving lengthwise.


My question is, is there anything affixing the actual bearing to the shaft, or can I simply pull it off with a bearing puller? Someone told me that there is an inner collar or something that needs to be removed.

It should slide off.  Yours may be rusted on.   There should be a collar or something to prevent the shaft from walking to one side.

There is a youtube video on this.

Is it really a bearing or just a bronze bushing in a stamped steel housing with a rubber grommet around it?

It's the bronze bushing, surrounded bya  horseshoe-shaped stamped metal holder. I've removed the staped metal and the rubber thing, revealing a bronze-colored outer bearing and a bronze inner bearing.

SOMEone on Youtube wants everyone to believe that the bearing SHAFT is the bearing surface!

Post a pic or two?

I would put in new pillows with a actual ball bearings.

There are several different makes/models.  This is quite possible.  On many Chevrolet rear axle setups, the actual axle is a bearing surface that rollers ride on.  Retrofit self contained bearings are available for this.  

I'm not too sure that ball bearings would work well in that environment: dusty, damp all the time.

They will work just fine.

Yep, with the right grease, they'll work fine.

 

Come on Frank just ditch that swamp thing and go refrigerated air, its only money

Okay: to my astonishment, the shaft IS the bearing. It's up to the homeowner to keep it lubricated during the hot months when it is operating.

The shaft turns on a large brass/bronze ball. In my case, the shaft had seized and the ball was turning inside the rubber mount. It was well-lubricated but I didn't catch on till I tore things apart.

I had the devil of a time removing it! Eventually I ground the shaft off on either side of the air impeller (the inside of the 'squirrel cage'). I did this inside and outside, thinking I could pound the shaft out of the boss on the air impeller.

The swamp cooler told me to pound sand. Those shaft parts might as well have been epoxied inside the boss; for all I tried, I couldn't get them out.

Finally I disassembled a hack saw, pushed the blade through the inside of the hollow shaft (thank God these shafts are hollow!) and cut a notch lengthwise in the shaft. A couple taps with a punch, and they slipped out!


This is what was left on one side:



I'm including this AAR to illustrate that it can be done. I had to block the air impeller with a couple of 2x4s to make it solid enough to use a hacksaw.

If it'd been a professional job, they would have replaced the entire cooler assembly before doing all this work; installers typically charge $75/hour for this work. However, I have more time than money to spend on this project. And I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

Sealed greasable pillow blocks.

AAhhhhhh....  !!

I now bask in the flow of cool, damp air coursing through my house and across my pate! Finished the job, water is pumping, air is blowing... the world is good!

Thanks to all for the advice and good wishes!