A Tale of Three Bearings.
So turning my attention to the bearings and their condition/replacements, we look first at the most heavily loaded bearing in the washer, the radial or spin bearing.
At the top here is the original bearing, made by the respected Japanese firm NTN. It is a common size, stamped 6206Z. The first number (6), means it is a deep groove ball bearing designed for radial loads. The second (2) identifies it as a light duty bearing. The third and forth numbers (06) designate the bore size as 30MM.
The suffix (z) would have designated steel side seals at the time it was made (mid '80,s). Today some bearings have only one side sealed, and therefore the stamping system has expanded slightly. Today this bearing specimen would be stamped either the suffix 2Z or ZZ.
As I hold it and pressure the inner race back and forth in an axial direction, I can only just detect a slight looseness. It is certainly there though, and represents slight wear in the bearing cage. So I have decided to replace it.
First off, I ordered a replacement from one of the Whirlpool parts retailers and it has arrived. It is seen here on the left side. It has rubber side seals, and that difference is a debatable departure from the original specification. Generally I believe it is fair to say that the rubber sides will seal better, at least for a while. The steel sides though, will have less rolling resistance and generally longer life.
The real issue with the Certified Replacement Part from Whirlpool however, can be seen by looking through the clear plastic cover and reading CHINA.
So, today I went across town to the Belt and Bearing firm and purchased the bearing on the right side. It is a direct replacement of the original, being stamped 6026 2Z. This item is made in USA by SKF, and will be the bearing I plan to use.
