Terry Smythe was asking about the availability of ball bearings for
the Ampico pump.

First of all, definitely replace them.  Art Reblitz covers the procedure
in his book, "Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding".  It takes patience
to drive the old ones out.  Also, after you remove the grease seals
measure how deeply the bearing face is set into the opening and match
that distance when you install the new bearings.

Surprisingly, the numbering system for bearings has not changed since the
original bearings were built some 70 years ago.  For the two larger
bearings in the cast housing all you need to give a bearing supplier is
the number, in this case 200.  I went there armed with all dimensions,
etc., and the only thing they looked at was the number.  You now have an
option which wasn't available in the 1920's: for slightly more cost you
can buy sealed bearings.  That is what I did.  The number on those was
200CC and they cost $9.10 each.

The two bearings in the spider are smaller and I believe the number on
those is 203.  Those cost me $6.25 each.

By the way, bearing dimensions are metric.  When I expressed surprise
that even in 1927 bearing manufacturers were using metric dimensions,
I was informed that bearings have always been measured that way.

Howard Wyman
hwyman@digital.net

 [ Clare Spencer, the So. Calif. master tech from many years ago,
 [ told me to press the inner race of the new bearing firmly against
 [ the crank boss, to avoid knocking of the inner race upon the shaft.
 [ I don't know what other effects it had, but I never heard that
 [ annoying sharp knock again.   -- Robbie