Looking for anyone that has replaced their Timken spindle bearings on a
Burke-Millrite or Powermatic vertical mill.

One of the guys in my metalworking club bought this machine, the bearings
were noisy, he replaced them and had to press both of them off. He
pressed them back on, there is a preload nut just above them which is
useless if you have to press the bearings on! Now the bearings have
failed again (spindle gets very hot very fast as there is no allowable
movement).

The spindle looks fine, our suspicion is that the bearings that were on
the machine when he got it, might have been incorrect, he merely matched
the numbers on them when he replaced them. My guess is that the bearings
should be a slip fit to allow for preload. Is our hunch correct?

Thanks guys,
Marty