I lost the pin that holds the bearing shield in on my Rally. Is it a big deal to use it without the shield? Can you order the pin anywhere?
Many people use bearings without the shield. You’ll be fine.
The piece you lost is called a ‘C-Clip’
It is okay to play without a shield, as vegabomb said most people do. It makes your bearing more prone to debris, but it’s never given me any hassle.
If you are really worried about the debris without a shield, just minimize how often you unscrew the yoyo, exposing the open bearing. If you do get debris in it, soak it in Acetone, lighter fluid or mineral spirits* to clean it out, then use compressed air to dry it/futher remove debris.
*Some bearings cannot be cleaned with these and you should just blow them out with air.
Good to know. I have no need to take the Rally apart unless I’m cleaning the bearing. So as long as I’m not needing to clean the bearing an excessive amount I won’t sweat it.
If there is dirt in the seat its getting in the bearing anyways.
Removing the shield even once can cause the shield to dent (perhaps imperceptibly) and putting it back on the bearing can cause brinelling of the races.
So once you’ve removed them, unless you were SUPER CAREFUL, you probably shouldn’t put the shields back on.
no, its not going to be a big deal to not have the shields on the bearing. its actually a plus because when you need to clean the bearing, it will actually be a lot easier to clean since you won’t have to struggle to take off the shields since they can, and will be a pain in the butt to always be taking off and putting on.
also, you shouldn’t need to open the rally unless the bearing needs cleaning. and when its time to change strings, leave the yoyo in tact and loop the string around the cup and into the gap. this will help to not get string strands caught in the unshielded bearing. 