Remove crankshaft bearing

[Marqs1979]

Hi

Is it possible to remove your crankshaft bearing without tearing it? How do you do? Is it enough to heat it?
I intend to adjust the end play.

[muskrat]

G'day Marqs.
 You need a bearing separator type puller http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12pc-Bearing-Puller-Separator-Thrust-Bolt-Tool-Kit-Set-/310451964535
Being very careful use a scribe/thin sharp poker to pries the rollers out of their cage. Important to mark the cage where you start and lay the rollers in sequence and direction so they go back the way they came out. Now you can use the puller on the inner race, change the shim, replace the race and return the rollers to their slots.
Be very accurate with measuring your end float and selection of shim/s. You only want to do it once.
Cheers
ps there other methods, do a search for "crank end float"

[terryk]

Thanks for the link Muskrat I just bought a set of these from this ebay link thats a good price.

[bsa-bill]

at the risk of appearing dumb, how do you use those things, I bought one for the same reasons as  Marqs. and thought it didn't work that well as it seemed to pull on the bearing outer, did I get the wrong size or am I missing something,

[Marqs1979]

Must say it muskrats way sounded very good, but also sounded very difficult. So therefore, I made an attempt to heat the bearing and working very carefully with two screwdrivers, the bearing came off without violence. but I will say that bearing was brand new and I had just mounted it by heating it while cooling the crankshaft.

Now I have adjusted the end play to 0.02 mm, please excuse me ... I can not think in inches;)

[bsa-bill]

 1mm = 40 thou so your 0.02mm is less than 1 thou - pretty good I'd say

[RichardL]

You need a bearing separator type puller http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12pc-Bearing-Puller-Separator-Thrust-Bolt-Tool-Kit-Set-/310451964535
Being very careful use a scribe/thin sharp poker to pries the rollers out of their cage. Important to mark the cage where you start and lay the rollers in sequence and direction so they go back the way they came out. Now you can use the puller on the inner race, change the shim, replace the race and return the rollers to their slots.

Muskrat,

I just took the main bearing off my A7 crank using my home-made puller. I thought others might find this amusing, so I shot a video of it. In looking for a place to post that video I came across your post that is quoted above.

In your post you are saying to pop out the rollers and pull directly on the inner race (and I assume you mean the outer shoulder). I thought, "Wait a minute, this is not how my puller works and I might be promoting something that will damage the bearing because my puller works by pulling on the cage." So, as an experiment, I went about trying to remove the rollers from the bearing already removed and I could not manage to get out even one. I thought that I might be able to force them out by beating on them with a punch sitting outside the top cage ring, but then I figured that might be worse on the cage than my puller. Now I'm thinking that the bearings you use might not have as stong a grip on the rollers as mine does,  which could explain why I find them almost impossible to remove. Am I missing something about how you get the rollers out? After removing my bearing using my puller, which forms a full circle under the cage, the cage and race appear to still be in good shape. Am I kidding myself with this? i think I might post the video with a warning to read this discussion.

Richard L.

[muskrat]

G'day Richard.
The rollers do come out, the steel cage is a bit harder than the plastic cage. I use a scribe placed between the cage and inner race and get under the roller and push it up and out.
Cheers

[RichardL]

Yep, I have the steel cage. I ground a thin awl to get between the cage and race but could never get enough leverage to pop out the rollers. Any thoughts on whether or not pulling by getting behind the steel cage is a problem?

Richard L.

[muskrat]

I did it that way (very careful to keep it all square, use a thin hoseclamp to hold the rollers against the race) a few times without damage. Depends how tight the bearing is on the crank.
Cheers

[RichardL]

Whoa! Hose clamp is a great idea. Thanks. Maybe it's a while before I have to pull off a tight one again (bearing, that is) anyway. The longer the better.

Richard L.

[BVSR]

Hi,

I use outer race to that purpose.

Markku

[RichardL]

Markku,

That's also a great idea, though, requires more reach to get under the roller cage. I'm curious to see the tips of your puller legs. I assume you have not had problems be pulling on the roller cage.

Richard L.

[BVSR]

Hi Richard,

No problems but do not pull under the cage but under the rollers. Otherwise You can destroy the cage. I have a standard Belzer puller.

Markku

[RichardL]

Is that a plastic cage? Mine is robust steel, but I take your point. I looked up Belzer pullers and they are cheaper than I expected. For my home-made puller, I needed to buy about $3.00 in parts. I think I will be modifying it to catch the rollers and not the cage.

Richard L.