Steve, Shaft runout should be more in the .0015” range than .004” for sure. If it is making noise it is on borrowed time. A bearing failure could allow the shaft to drop onto the endshield hole and rub damaging it or worse (tearing up commutator, brushes and winding). The fan is a pretty good centrifugal and large diameter load. If you can pull the DE endshield off and leave the armature in the frame, it may be an easy fix but you will have to remove the bearing from the shaft with a puller. I think it is a shielded bearing and no bearing cap on the inside. If you pull the armature out you can blow out the windings and carefully clean and inspect them and also polish the commutator and check brushes – do not use any solvents on the windings as it can lead to more problems (washing carbon down inside and grounds). Getting the brushes in the holders and onto the commutator can be tricky but not impossible. Check the fan for large nicks or gouges and grind them down. It needs to be symmetrical. Good luck. …Walt From: Pieter Litchfield [mailto:pieter_litch yahoo com] Steve: I have no experience with the blower, but your measurements suggest (to me anyway) that maybe the fan itself has bent fins? Can you figure out a way to check the balance of the blower wheel and determine if all the parts are more-or-less straight? Pieter From: steven1955 comcast net [mailto:steven1955 comcast net] Hi again GE tractor folks, |