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Bearing outer race in a blind hole, ideas on removal

laminar-flow

Stainless
Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Location
Pacific Northwest
I have a spindle to a milling machine that has a bearing outer race that is pressed into a feature and I need to replace it. The bearing is a roller and the inner race and roller came out with the spindle. The outer race is a cylinder and there is no lip to grab on.

I know the procedure of TIG welding on a valve seat and the reduction in size from the cooling makes it drop out, and I'm guessing it would work on the race alloy. But we can't take any risk with the spindle. Real scary stuff here.

Looking for ideas
 
Yup, just weld it, let it cool, and it will fall out. I use this procedure on bearing races very frequently.


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I understand your hesitation welding inside a precision spindle.

I'd make a plug about .005 smaller than the race and the same length as the race. Put an appropriate tapped hole in the center for your puller. Use Locktite 603 to install the plug in the race. Use primer for full strength. If it doesn't work you have only lost one day and on to the welder.

You could also make a split plug out of aluminum. Use tapered pipe plugs to expand the plug. If its not to tight it will work, but to get a good bite you are expanding the race.
 
I thought about the loctite but wondered if it would hold.

Back to welding, it is quite accessible so I might give it a go. Describe the way to TIG it? Just run a puddle around the center? I would rather not get close to the edge.
 
I have done that lots of times with an oxyacetylene torch. Heat a stripe bright red all the way across the bearing. Do it quickly and very little heat will transfer to the housing. The bearing will try to expand but cannot so the red area crushes, then shrinks when it cools.

You can also remove bearings with a cutting torch. When I had the car repair business a fellow in a Triumph TR3 came in at night when everything was closed. A bearing in his generator failed and the races had separated, similar to your problem except that it was the inner race on the shaft. He suggested cutting it off. When I wasn't so sure, he said he would do it, relieving me of responsibility. He turned his nose up at my MECO torch but used it to snip the race off as neat as could be. Didn't even leave a discolored line on the shaft. Turned out he was a Smith torch salesman.

Bill
 
if the hole is truly blind then turn up a plug a nice sliding fit in the bearing race, get as much grease in the blind hole as you can, start the plug in the race and tap it with a hammer. hydraulic action will push the race out as you force the plug in.
 
Tig, and HOT fast is your friend, a typical say 3" od bearing race, i will run about 3/4" of weld, circa 200amps, and add some filler too big hot puddle to shrink is your friend here, move fast, hotter and faster is best, you want the race hot and soft so it swells as the heat makes it expand, done right they drop out as they cool and the housing wont be more than warm to the touch. Certainly nothing like hot enough to even effect paint.

I have done this for everything from tractors, to large litho presses and even landrover wheel bearings, i have never seen it cause damage, weather the bearing be in a machined steel, iron or aluminum houseing, i have though seen a lot of damaged bearing bores by people trying to hammer shit out though.

Can't also stress enough a hotter fast weld always works better for me though i know people that have had good success doing it even with tiny mig welders too. I have done more than a few with stick too, just splatter is a obvious greater risk than with tig.
 
If its a blind hole I would use the hydraulic methode lumley 32 mentioned
Realy works great
One can also use clay or silly putty or simular The fit of the plug can handle bigger tolerances then

Peter
 
if the hole is truly blind then turn up a plug a nice sliding fit in the bearing race, get as much grease in the blind hole as you can, start the plug in the race and tap it with a hammer. hydraulic action will push the race out as you force the plug in.

^^This preferably, if there is enough room for the grease to get behind/under the race. The hydraulic forces will lift it out. Used this method 1,000 times atleast on pilot bearings in automotive flywheels. Another trick that has been hit or miss situationally; I have rigged up a small nozzle that I have then piped into a propane tank and quickly used that propane to chill and shrink the offending culprit out of its hiding hole. Good luck!
 
I thought about the loctite but wondered if it would hold.

Back to welding, it is quite accessible so I might give it a go. Describe the way to TIG it? Just run a puddle around the center? I would rather not get close to the edge.

TIG high amps and fast movement just like Adama said.
Run a puddle around the center or do some zig-sag for added effect.

I use TIG also for inner races, preload with bearing extractor and hit the bearing race with high amps and fast movement and it gets off before shaft is even hand warm.
Note you need 4 arms ;) to operate the bearing extractor and tig torch almost simultaneously or some "springy" style extractor to keep the bearing race moving after its heated up.
With inner races you don't need/want puddle, just get it hot as fast as possible over large area.
 
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I'm with the Tig method particularly for smaller precision spindles.
You just go around the center say 30% of the race groove. You won't hurt the hole.
It actually seems to work a bit better if you use filler rod as if you where trying build up a surface. Very low to almost no penetration, weld up top.
Stick welders work also on decent size bearings but harder to precisely control.

If the hole or race is accessible once you do this you'll never use any other method.
Bob
 
I've never been a fan of the smoke wrench unless it's only for tractor linkages and such.
They make blind hole pullers just for that purpose, should be able to rent one from United Rental or something similar. To use all you do is install the proper gripper, expand them and pull the bearing.
Dan
 
if the hole is truly blind then turn up a plug a nice sliding fit in the bearing race, get as much grease in the blind hole as you can, start the plug in the race and tap it with a hammer. hydraulic action will push the race out as you force the plug in.


Took to post #7 for this to come up eh?

Sounds like we are getting to be a younger crowd all time...

Obviously very few have ever changed a clutch in their truck before.... :(


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
I've never been a fan of the smoke wrench unless it's only for tractor linkages and such.
They make blind hole pullers just for that purpose, should be able to rent one from United Rental or something similar. To use all you do is install the proper gripper, expand them and pull the bearing.
Dan


I'm not seeing how this is gunna werk at all.



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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
Just removed an outer bearing race from a blind bore in a LSA supercharger last night. Way down in a bore, no way to safely run a bead around the inside. Only about 1/8" at the bottom of the bore beyond the bearing. Tried to hydraulic it out first, no go. Ended up turning the head of a 3/8" carriage bolt down to just slip down through the outer race and could catch the inside of the bolt head on the race. Used a nut, washers, and blocks to jack it out. A little heat may have expanded the aluminum bore slightly to help.
 
Right, I meant a feature. there is no way to get behind the lip of the bearing. Sorry. The ID of the bore and the ID of the outer race are the same. It is a cylindrical outer race for rollers. No way to grab anything.
 
I've never been a fan of the smoke wrench unless it's only for tractor linkages and such.
They make blind hole pullers just for that purpose, should be able to rent one from United Rental or something similar. To use all you do is install the proper gripper, expand them and pull the bearing.
Dan

Except that spindle bearings are angular contact not full race. (Which is why they come apart so easily.)
Basically nothing to grip on and the attempt to grab what little there is expands the outside too much.
One can also weld nuts to the race and pull from them.
Bob
 








 
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