They still use CONE bearings?? LOL Is Fred Flintstone the manager??
Only way to get water in my 31,000 mile SA XL-FDD is thru the sealed bearings. NOT happening.
What did happen at 17,000 miles is it ate 4 bearings on the elec side and the magnets sucked in the crumbs. LOL. Wasn't a speck of grease still there.
Took me all day to make a 34.5 mm hex tool and figure it all out, including soldering the wire. Bearings were about $8 each at an industrial supplier.
Last year I took the other side apart because something else was rubbing. Was still just fine. But getting them out kind of wrecks the bearing.
This year I had to design a new pull arm to get more life from the pads. It was at it's designed end life.