Removing needle bearing

Tony in WI · Sep 12, 2014

I seen the tip of the day was on removing a bearing race and I thought I'd share how we removed a needle bearing in a shallow blind hole with grease. A customer brought a solid steel high rpm 6ft long roller to me to turn a crown on the OD for belt tracking, but first I wanted to get the needle bearing out of the ID on the end of the roller without damaging it. The bore was only slightly deeper than needle bearing (blind hole) so my welder says we can use grease. He packed the bore full of grease and put a shaft in the ID of the bearing that was slightly under the ID then struck the end of the shaft with a hammer, sure enough the needle bearing slid out after a few swings. I thought that was pretty neat solution! I'm sure this has been around and in use for years, but it was a first for me so please don't bash me too much in replys

ShakerPrairie · Sep 12, 2014

Yes that usually works. On manual transmission cars we used to replace crankshaft pilot bushings that way. An old transmission input shaft was used as the driver.
I remember 2 guys who did that to remove a pilot bushing, installed the new bushing, and after 2 days of struggle still couldn't get the transmission imput to go back into the pilot bushing. They had forgot to remove grease.

bison · Sep 12, 2014

That is a good way to get clobbered with grease as soon as you hit that shaft with a hammer
Don't ask how i know.

Jiles · Sep 12, 2014

Many years ago, when I was in Tool&Die work, one job that we always did was to drill and ream a proper sized hole all the way through the dowel pins. These were "blind dowels" and if they broke they could be removed with hydraulic oil and a long dowel pin.
Crude hydraulic jack.

JRSutton · Sep 12, 2014

interesting idea. I would have destroyed the old bearing trying to gently pry it out.

Steve@Advance · Sep 12, 2014

Yep, I've heard of that method, never successfully made it happen.

Maybe if the bushing was new and not worn, but every time I tried it the grease would just come out and the bushing stay in.

And how could you use an old input shaft? The bushing would have no place to go once it hit the spline but back in!

Brian G. NY · Sep 12, 2014

Did this with the pilot bushings many times in my youth on Flathead Fords.
Always used a shaft of the correct diameter; an old input shaft wouldn"t go in far enuf. Need to displace enuf grease to push the bushing out.
I think it would work with a needle bearing as well as the cage surrounds the needles.
I don"t recall any "mess" at all!
Simply scoop the grease out of the end of the crankshaft hole when finished.
This was one of a few tricks taught me by Corwin Denny, an old time mechanic and father of a good friend of mine.

Duner Wi · Sep 12, 2014

Some people use fresh white bread or wet toilet paper to do the same thing on pilot bushing in blind hole.

Ron in Nebr · Sep 12, 2014

Yep, I've removed pilot bushings that way too. Even used a wooden dowel of the proper size to do it, but usually a metal rod. I've never had one not come out.

Geo-TH,In · Sep 13, 2014

I use a tap the right size to remove pilot bearings. Thread tap in, it hits bottom, pilot bearing is pushed out.

bison · Sep 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 06:09:09 09/13/14) I [b:c194358877]use a tap [/b:c194358877]the right size to remove pilot bearings. Thread tap in, it hits bottom, pilot bearing is pushed out.

hat will work only on a brass bushing.
I had to pull a thick wall needle pilot bearing from the crankshaft of a 94 chevy diesel 2 weeks ago.
it would not budge with a 5 lb slide hammer hooked to it
I heated the bearing up with the torch and let it cool down and applied the slide hammer again. the bearing popped right out.

Removing needle bearing

Tony in WI

New User

ShakerPrairie

Member

bison

Well-known Member

Jiles

Well-known Member

JRSutton

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

Brian G. NY

Well-known Member

Duner Wi

Well-known Member

Ron in Nebr

Member

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

bison

Well-known Member

Similar threads