So I've installed the new bearing (Timken as was stated above) on the shaft but it doesn't seem to sit as flush with the shaft end as the old one. Should I still put the same shims behind the top race? Only very slightly different. Pics probably wouldn't help. Thanks!
Same bearing as far as I can tell. I see the inscription on the inner race of the old one and it matches. Can't see anything on the old cup. I did not use a press. I turned it upside down with the new bearing on a block of wood and used a dead blow on the splined shaft end. Manual 14 shows pressing against the gear. My large bearing is still on. Thanks for working with me.
Posting an update to this. I decided to start over. Removed the first new bearing/race. Bought another one and had a shop press it on. The clearances look the same as the previous so I think I overreacted. Oh well bearings aren't expensive. This time I heated the top cover in a 250 degree oven for maybe an hour and the race went into the freezer overnight. It dropped right in without any force. Let it cool and tapped on it with race/seal setting tool but it appeared to be all the way in to begin with. I just hope all this jacking around with the top cover hasn't loosened the tolerance and the race spins on me. Still too cold where I'm at so the jury is still out. How will I know if it's turning on me? Top cover hot?
Posting a follow up to this thread. I put 80 hours on it this season and as far as I can tell all is well. Changed the gear lube mid season. The magnet had some fuzz but nothing that seemed beyond normal especially given a new bearing/race. The cap does get hot but I've read before that Alpha 2s run hot so not worried. Thank you Chris for talking me through this one.
If in doubt, popping the top cap off and looking again at that bearing is a great way to see how it is holding up. That bearing, for me, is always the canary in the coal mine. Tells a lot about what is happening in the rest of the upper gear case.
