CC RZT 42 Mower Spindle

A spindle bearing is out on the CC RZT.   I figured I would have spindle on something else.  No dice.  This one even uses larger bearings than the craftsman mowers.

The top bearing died and balls must have dropped down into the cavity between the bearing and cut grooves into the spacer.  The spacers and the top bearing race are stuck on the shaft.  I am wondering if tossing it in the burnout oven for a while to free it up.  But how hot and how long.

Originally I was thinking it was a rust bond but the blue color from heat has me wondering.

July 17

Used the hydraulic press with two short bits of bed frame backed up by the press plates.   Stuck the bed frame between the bearing and the hub below it and it worked great.  This worked so well I am going to tidy them up a bit and create a center hole then save them in the wheel pullers!

But the spindle has a slit on top where the pulley needs to go.  Thinking of brazing it so the pulley centers.  Maybe cut down the top spacer to let the pulley ride below the cut.   Maybe between that and the brazing it will work.

And it will give me a chance to try my hand at brazing.

But:  I just remembered that the upper bearing had hogged out the housing.  Time for a new spindle.

But But:  Well I found the housing on my office desk.  So it must have been some other bad spindle housing I melted.  But with the shaft looking the way it does I am sticking with the new spindle.  Keep the old housing as a spare.  Hopefully will never need it.  Best insurance is having one on hand.
Now to put it some place safe.