Wondering where I can buy these? I think the correct name is "Radial Shaft Seal". The one on the left in the photo is for MTD/Rover, the one on the right is Victa. They go behind the wheel on the axle to keep out dust. Over time they wear out and sometimes get damaged if a bearing gets rusted to the axle. The Victa ones go brittle with age. The Victa one has the same axle diameter as Rover/MTD but has a smaller OD. I am finding that the ones on MTD wheels are a mm or two too wide for older model Rovers (the centre bit sticks out too far), so I've had to grind a bit off. They sometimes come with new wheels, but am having trouble sourcing them as a standalone product.
For some reason I didn't give cup washers a thought. That's a great idea! The only 3D printing place near me usually wants over 100 bucks to do the design/setup but then the part is around $20. We need a few others to start up to go in competition with him.
Hi again Max, Not sure what cup washers you are using as I searched and searched but can't find anything that will remotely fit. I will try to get some 3D printed, but costs are way higher than you quoted. All of the 3D print people I have contacted want over hundred dollars just to scan it in and then each one will cost around $10 each. Hardly worth it for a 25 cent part.
Yes, you could spend a lot of time looking online and still find no sizes listed for the part. The local bolt shop is usually my first stop for things like cup washers; you can usually get a bag full of bolts and washers for just a few dollars.
I’d suggest getting some scrap electrical conduit (PVC pipe), cutting a few millimeters to fit into the wheel, and simply using a flat washer against that. I don't think it's worth spending much money on these washers when you can easily make something that does the job.
I’ve made plenty of parts using scrap plastic, a soldering iron to weld the pieces together, and a heat gun to shape them to size. Large flat washers don’t take much time to make, either. I’ve made many parts out of those black Victa rear discharge doors; you can make a plastic flat washer by cutting them with tin snips and drilling a hole. Sometimes a hole saw is perfect for the size I'm after, or I'll just use—or make—a metal flat washer.
Even if you can’t find PVC pipe with the right diameter, you can cut a slot in the pipe, heat it up, and close the gap while it’s hot to reduce the diameter. If you need to make the diameter bigger, it’s easier to cut a flat piece of plastic, heat it, and roll it over a piece of steel (or socket from socket set) to get the size you need.
As for getting those pipe spacers to have two perfectly flat sides: if you can’t cut it perfectly straight at home, just cut it a few millimeters longer and grind the sides down flat on a pedestal grinder (side of the grinder wheel).
I did have another look at 3D printing in QLD but most likely not worth the hassle for these small parts.
To get parts printed cheaply in Queensland, your best bet is to head to a council-run Makerspace or Media Lab, with the State Library of Queensland (The Edge) in Brisbane, Ipswich Libraries, Logan City Libraries, and the Helensvale branch on the Gold Coast being the top spots for public access. To get started, you should first find or create a 3D design file (STL format)—you can often find mower part designs on sites like Thingiverse—and then check your local library’s website to see if they require a quick safety induction or if you can simply submit the file via a web form for staff to print. While many libraries like Ipswich offer a few free prints per year to members or charge a small fee based on the weight of the plastic (usually just a few dollars), keep in mind that they often use PLA plastic, so if you’re making a durable mower washer, ask if they have PETG filament available or print the part with a high "infill" density to ensure it doesn't crack under the pressure from the wheel retainer.
Quick Directory for QLD 3D Printing: Brisbane (The Edge at SLQ): Offers "Open Lab" sessions where you can use printers for free after a $45 induction; perfect for DIYers who want to be hands-on.
Ipswich (Central & Springfield): Excellent Makerspaces that provide free printing to members who complete their introductory sessions.
Logan (Hyperdome Library): A convenient "staff-mediated" service where you submit your file online, pay a small fee at the branch, and pick up your part a few days later.
Gold Coast (Helensvale): Features a high-quality Media Lab where you can bring your file on a USB and have staff print it using professional-grade equipment.
Townsville & Cairns: Check the Riverway (Townsville) or Smithfield (Cairns) branches for their dedicated fabrication labs and 3D workshops.
Thanks for all the ideas Max, yeah I could make some out of bits of plastic pipe and some nylon washers glued together. I'm trying another local 3D print place to see what they charge. It's surprising the mower parts stores online aren't getting repros made in China. Odd that they sell complete wheel and axle repair kits, but don't have this one crucial part.
I did come up with a possible workaround for Rover. You can buy 40x7 mm end cap bearing seals fairly cheap from China, drill out a 16mm hole in the centre, glue a 20x16x1.2mm aluminium, copper, or nylon washer around the hole on the outer face of the seal. This is pretty much the same thing.
For me if I made some it would be easy just to machine some up in a lathe out of plastic or just get a sheet of alloy and G clamp a small bit to a round socket the right size and hammer the edge over the socket then trim it to size and drill the centre out to make the larger black washers. Not sure how long postage will take but some washers are in transit.
At a pinch, I suspect 40mm medicine bottle caps - like the ones on vitamin tablet bottles - could be used. They fit over the rear bearing on modern EasyRoll wheels and will also fit the slot on the back of those 1980s-90s silvery plastic Rover wheels. They are too wide of course, but can easily be cut back to the 7mm. Then drill a hole in the centre.
I have since learned that you can still get the Victa ones but they sell them as "universal spacers suitable Victa". I guess they do serve as a spacer as well as a bearing seal.
I have also found out that Google Gemini A.I. can produce a text file that can be loaded into OpenSCAD (which is free software) to produce an STL file for 3D printing. It can interpret your crude drawings with a description and precise measurements, but you have to be detailed in what you tell it. This method sure beats paying some rip off merchant to do the same for hundreds of dollars. A local company said it would take them 3 hours to scan and design at $156 per hour, then they wanted $30 per part. Total ripoff. I designed it myself using A.I. for free in about 5 minutes and can get them printed elsewhere for around $6 per part in PETG.
Ones to avoid:
Those boutique companies with a big modern office in the centre of town with a brand new BMW in the reserved space of the carpark outside and the manager uses the word "bespoke" to describe your request with a smirk on his face. They are only out to rip off gullible people.
Here in quotes below are the text files for the two most common Rover wheel bearings. Just match up the right one with those on your machine. Generally speaking, the Classic ones fit the old 18" aluminium chassis models from the red era. The Modern ones fit the later steel chassis models and 19"-20" models. The modern ones also fit many modern wheels, such as the Easyroll wheels they sell in Bunnings.
Just cut and paste ONE of these lines of code directly into OpenSCAD (free software). After the image loads up in the viewing frame, click on "Design", select "Render". When it has finished rendering, click "File", select "Export" and save as an STL file.
All 3D printing places will accept these STL files. Get them printed in ABS or PETG.
Enjoy!
Quote
// CLASSIC Rover wheel bearing seal.
// Washer Parameters $fn = 120; // High resolution for a very smooth circular finish
outer_diameter = 40; hole_diameter = 16; base_thickness = 1.2; total_height = 7; // Assumes 7mm total height. Change to 8.2 if the lip is 7mm *above* the base. lip_thickness = 1.2;
// Bottom Rim Parameters bottom_rim_od = 18; bottom_rim_height = 1.2;
difference() { union() { // 1. Create the main solid cylinder (Outer boundary) cylinder(h=total_height, d=outer_diameter);
// 2. Add the raised rim on the bottom surface translate([0, 0, -bottom_rim_height]) cylinder(h=bottom_rim_height, d=bottom_rim_od); }
// 3. Subtract the 16mm center hole (extended to cut through the new bottom rim) translate([0, 0, -(bottom_rim_height + 1)]) cylinder(h=total_height + bottom_rim_height + 2, d=hole_diameter);
// 4. Subtract the inner ring volume to leave the 1.2mm raised lip on the top translate([0, 0, base_thickness]) cylinder(h=total_height, d=outer_diameter - (2 * lip_thickness)); }
Quote
//MODERN Rover wheel bearing seals
// Washer Parameters $fn = 120; // High resolution
// Interior Ring Dimensions int_ring_h = 1; // 1mm high int_ring_od = 20; // 20mm Outer Diameter int_ring_id = 17; // 17mm Inner Diameter (leaves a gap between interior ring and 12.7mm hole)
union() { difference() { // 1. Create the main solid structure [cite: 11] union() { cylinder(h=total_height, d=outer_diameter);
// 2. Subtract the 16mm center hole through everything [cite: 12] translate([0, 0, -(bottom_ext_h + 1)]) cylinder(h=total_height + bottom_ext_h + top_ext_h + 2, d=hole_diameter);
// 3. Subtract the cavity to leave the raised lip [cite: 13] translate([0, 0, base_thickness]) cylinder(h=total_height + top_ext_h, d=outer_diameter - (2 * lip_thickness)); }
// 4. ADD the Interior Ring with 17mm ID and 20mm OD // This leaves a 4.3mm flat space around the 12.7mm hole difference() { translate([0, 0, base_thickness]) cylinder(h=int_ring_h, d=int_ring_od);
// Subtract 17mm from the center of this ring translate([0, 0, base_thickness - 0.5]) cylinder(h=int_ring_h + 1, d=int_ring_id); } }
So I discovered a few design flaws in the modern Rover template, here corrected. I discovered there was not enough room to snugly fit the bearing inside the washer. I would suggest using the Classic Rover for ALL Rover models, old and newer, using the template provided in my previous post labelled "Classic". The one labelled "Modern" has been scrapped. I am renaming the Modern Rover template "Easyroll", because they are really only a good fit for the Easyroll wheels sold at Bunnings with the 1/2" ball bearing centres. They will also suit some of the newer 1/2" axle plastic wheels being sold on places like eBay.
Here is the corrected template for the Easyroll wheels.
Quote
// Easyroll Wheel bearing seal parameters $fn = 120; // High resolution
// Interior Ring Dimensions int_ring_h = 1.2; // 1.2mm high int_ring_od = 20.2; // 20.2mm Outer Diameter int_ring_id = 18; // 18mm Inner Diameter (leaves a gap for bearing between interior ring and 12.7mm hole)
union() { difference() { // 1. Create the main solid structure [cite: 11] union() { cylinder(h=total_height, d=outer_diameter);
// 2. Subtract the 16mm center hole through everything [cite: 12] translate([0, 0, -(bottom_ext_h + 1)]) cylinder(h=total_height + bottom_ext_h + top_ext_h + 2, d=hole_diameter);
// 3. Subtract the cavity to leave the raised lip [cite: 13] translate([0, 0, base_thickness]) cylinder(h=total_height + top_ext_h, d=outer_diameter - (2 * lip_thickness)); }
// 4. ADD the Interior Ring with 18mm ID and 20.2mm OD // This leaves a flat space around the centre hole difference() { translate([0, 0, base_thickness]) cylinder(h=int_ring_h, d=int_ring_od);
// Subtract 18mm from the center of this ring translate([0, 0, base_thickness - 0.5]) cylinder(h=int_ring_h + 1, d=int_ring_id); } }
So a lot of this has been trial and error, and I ended up having to 3D Print these to test for a good fit. As a result I have had to make some more alterations. I have also added filleting to round off the edges for a better fit.
To avoid further confusion and to allow for updates, I have put them all in a folder on Google Drive. The ones labelled Modern Rover do seem to be correct for the wider chassis, while the Rover Classic are for the wheels on the older 18" chassis. I made a separate one for Easyroll wheels, which produces a longer seal to provide a more secure fit on the modern plastic wheels.
When I find some time I will do a file for the Victa wheel seals too, seeing they are also now obsolete. The ones they are selling as "wheel spacers" on eBay are not the same thing.
Please ignore all earlier postings of code and only use the files in this Google Drive folder below:
