Wheel bearings? I give up!!

[baddean]

I know someone here has had the same issue so I'm polling the collective minds for guidance.
I am in need of replacing the wheel bearings in the rear wheel on my 750GT. Not the cush drive just the smaller bearings in the wheel.
I have a blind hole bearing puller that has never failed to remove a bearing until now. Not only did it not move the bearings but I broke the head of the puller in the process. Before I resort to violence I am requesting ideas.
What am I missing? There does not appear to be anything holding the bearings in except that they are pressed into the hub flange.
Any and all thoughts are welcome.
Thank you in advance,
Dean

[Rick F]

Hi Dean,

I know Steve may not agree with my poor workmanlike practices, but I think I remember just using a drift from the opposite side.
It fits thru the the other bearing and it only takes a few fairly light taps & comes out pretty easy.
I think I used an old socket extension bar.

Obviously, because it is the old bearing, it doesn't matter if you scatch it a bit.

Probably about 2 years since I did it to my GT, and I got all the bearings from the local Bearing supplier, he said they were common to some of the Fiat bearings.

Rick

[BevHevSteve]

drift em out? You are right, I woudn;t do it no way. You walk out the bearing and turn your round hole into an oblong hole. Do it a couple times and your bearing swill just slip in and out whoich would be bad.

BTW I stock all the bearings for mag wheels, spoked wheels and both cush assemblies.

[Lumpy]

Hi Baddean,
sometimes with bearings in alloy a little heat applied to the hub around tthe bearing with a gas torch can be helpful. The alloy expands and needs to be done very carefully and maybe better by someone who has a little experience in the matter. Perhaps shimmy on down to your local engineering shop. I have seen bearings that have had Loctite applied and these can be very difficult to remove. One way to break down loctite is with heat. However if you attempt this yourself be sure you are fully prepared with all tools needed for removal at hand because the heat transfers very quickly from the alloy to the bearing and the bearing will expand in the hole and still be difficult to remove. Heat needs to be applied quickly and evenly, but not so intensely that it turns your hub into a molten blob. I would not use this method on mag wheels, only on spoked drums. I strongly suggest if you have never attempted this take it to someone in the know.

[baddean]

Hi All,
Thanks for the replies.
Rick, with the spacer fitting quite snuggly in between the bearings I could not even get anything to "bite" on the inner race from the opposite side. I am not a big fan of this prcedure either. This is why I have a blind hole bearing puller. This puller has never failed me until now.
Steve, I ordered bearings. Thanks.
Lumpy, my next attempt (after I get a new head for my puller) will be with heat. I have done this in the past but since getting the puller I had not needed to use heat. Guess I will now.
Thanks again,
Dean

[DesmoDog]

I seem to remember facing this same issue on my 750 GT. The spacer won't move aside to let you get a drift on it even if you wanted to. I couldn't get a blind puller on it either. So... I had a guy weld something across the inner race on the bearing so I had something to push on to press it out.

On another application I had a guy weld a nut to the race so I could get a slide hammer on it. In either case the heat from welding helps also, but as mentioned you don't want TOO much heat

[Rick F]

I seem to remember my spacer floated.

I even have minor problems now whenever I remove the back wheel, lining the axle up with the spacer to slip it thru

are 860's or 900's like this, because mine Gt is a 78 model "re-release" and shared bits & pieces with those models.

Rick

[Lumpy]

Yeah my 76 GTS860 spacer is a floater. Lots of wiggling and swearing involved to get the axle in place.

[baddean]

Well I put the heat to the hub and squirted Kroil in while it was hot to get it to penetrate better then repeated the process and the bearings came out pretty easily. Didn't require much heat either. Will be replacing with sealed bearings from Steve so he can buy more clothes for "Bevel Baby" Grace
The spacer in my bike is floater too but it has a tin piece (see pics) to help keep it somewhat in the middle of the hub so it's not too bad to get the axle back in.
Thanks to all who replied
Dean

[Den]

Could you post a picture of your blind bearing puller?
.

[BevHevSteve]

The above tool set is what you need for wheel bearings and only $58.

I always keep them in stock, click here to buy one

http://www.shop.bevelheaven.com/detail.aspx?ID=797

[baddean]

Hi Den,
Mine looks different from Steve's but accomplishes the same thing.
I also paid a lot more for mine.
Steve's is a good deal.
Dean

[Den]

Sorry for my late reply. If your puller is similar to the one Steve posted it appears to be a *bearing remover*, the kind that you use with a hammer to knock the bearing out from the back side. The kind that I understood you have is a puller that can pull a bearing from a blind hole from the front. That is the picture that I was requesting..

[baddean]

Hi Den,
Yes, Steve's bearing remover is designed for bearings that you can get to from the other side.
I needed a puller for the bearing that resides in the clutch cover that supports the left end of the crankshaft. It is a blind hole bearing. It just so happens that the blind hole puller can also be used for wheel bearings.
You wouldn't be able to use the Motion Pro puller in a blind hole.
Bearing in mind that most of us will pull wheel bearings 99% of the time, the puller Steve sells is the better deal unless you really need to pull from a blind hole.
Here is a link to the puller I use.
http://www.kingtonytools.com
Search for the 1843 Blind Hole Bearing Puller Set.
I'll take a couple of pics of mine close up so you can see the difference.

Dean

[Den]

Thanks, but no need for pic now. I looked at your link and I am familiar with that tool.