No keep going
What sort of mileage are you getting with Devol/hard chrome? You don’t happen to remember the nominal O/D of the Devols by any chance? I know they are over size but not by how much. It shouldn’t be too hard to incorporate a lip seal or o-ring.
I’m sure you are right about the grit issue imbedding in the soft plastic. Also when the harder surface of a plain bearing breaks down it can imbed in the softer material and further accelerate the wear.
