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Thread: Help! Needle type pilot bearing removal

  1. #1
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    Help! Needle type pilot bearing removal

    Cannot budge pilot bearing. Any advice on tool that will remove it. Tried the grease/wet paper trick but only needle bearings and race came out. Still have bearing outer casing in place. Anyone been here before?

  2. #2
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    I forget if I ground down the head of a bolt, or a washer to fit in the back side of the bearing case, and sort of wedged somethings to hold the bolt in place. Then I used a socket over the bolt threads, a washer and a nut as a puller (grease the threads of the bolt). It was wobbly and took a few tries, but it worked. If you have threaded stock and a couple of nuts, that may work too
    Last edited by epmedia; 09-22-2011 at 03:44 PM.
    Tbd

  3. #3
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    do the grease trick again with out the races.
    Last edited by Shimmy55; 09-22-2011 at 04:06 PM.

  4. #4
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    The grease trick won't work on the needle bearing because there isn't enough surface area of the bearing itself. Buy a bearing puller. I've pulled this bearing before and had exactly the same situation you are talking about. Bearing puller did it in 1 second.

    http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-MTN90..._sim_dbs_auto2
    Last edited by milotrain; 09-22-2011 at 07:45 PM.

  5. #5
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    buy a length or threaded rod bout 40cm long by about 8mm/10mm wide, a couple of nuts and washers the right size, you also need something heavy and hollow like a gudgion pin or water pipe. then you can make a slide hammer, grind the end of the rod into a profile that can hook behind the race and jam it, add water pipe, secure it on with the nuts and washers, then slide hammer it out.
    B Road Blaster

  6. #6
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    I love hackjobing a solution but the moment I have to buy something I'd rather just buy the right tool.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by milotrain View Post
    I love hackjobing a solution but the moment I have to buy something I'd rather just buy the right tool.
    It goes many ways:
    Order the right tool if there's time.
    Go to local store to purchase the right tool.
    Go to local hardware store to rig something.
    Dig through hardware in the shop area to rig something
    Tbd

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by milotrain View Post
    I love hackjobing a solution but the moment I have to buy something I'd rather just buy the right tool.
    Not having a go at you or anything man, but in my experience the "right tool" in these types of situations are never worth the money you have to pay and quite often either requires modifying or just doesnt work/breaks, even factory special tools need attention. The old guy at BMW that had worked on them since the 70's had one of these tools that im describing and it worked a treat. plus i owned a similar tool to what you posted, it was for removing valve springs with the head in place, it was rubbish and it the arms bent the first time i used it.. so i made a tool out of $5 worth of scrap and worked a treat.
    B Road Blaster

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by gsumzzz View Post
    Cannot budge pilot bearing. Any advice on tool that will remove it. Tried the grease/wet paper trick but only needle bearings and race came out. Still have bearing outer casing in place. Anyone been here before?
    Harbor freight has a pilot bearing removal tool. Kind of expensive, but works like a charm. http://www.harborfreight.com/blind-h...ler-95987.html

  10. #10
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    Not having a go at you or anything man, but in my experience the "right tool" in these types of situations are never worth the money you have to pay and quite often either requires modifying or just doesnt work/breaks, even factory special tools need attention. The old guy at BMW that had worked on them since the 70's had one of these tools that im describing and it worked a treat. plus i owned a similar tool to what you posted, it was for removing valve springs with the head in place, it was rubbish and it the arms bent the first time i used it.. so i made a tool out of $5 worth of scrap and worked a treat.
    Right, that sometimes is true but what I'm saying is that with this car, this crank and this needle bearing I used this tool which was $12 and it worked perfectly. I've since used it on three other cranks with different bearings. So in THIS case, it does work, didn't break didn't need attention and while it costs more than your $5 scrap tool I don't think I could have sourced and built that scrap tool in less than 30 min so it's not worth $8 for me to do it.

    EDIT: Searched my history to find the exact tool I bought of amazon and updated the links, hence the drop in price.
    Last edited by milotrain; 09-22-2011 at 07:46 PM.

  11. #11
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    amazon deliver in under 30 mins? im guessing seeings he smashed the rollers out of it trying to get it out that it is pretty well stuck in
    B Road Blaster

  12. #12
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    no I mean that $8 for 30min of work by me isn't worth it. Unless I have to do it now I'll wait for amazon's free two day shipping (with prime). I'll build a pile of tools, and do often but after I used this pilot bearing puller I won't go back. Insert hooks, spin handle, out it comes, easy as pie.

  13. #13
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    Bottom line is that tool aquisition is based on resources that fit the deadline and budjet.
    Something like that
    My pilot was missing all the rollers and the inner race too. Took about 2 hours to get it out, but the car was ready to roll before duty on Monday (it was an unexpected weekend job to replace the clutch, pilot, etc)
    Last edited by epmedia; 09-22-2011 at 11:05 PM.
    Tbd

  14. #14
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    I bought a pilot bearing removal tool several years ago, now all the local boys have used it at least once & I don't know how many times I've personally used it over the years. Totally worth it if you need to use it even more than once. I wouldn't even buy a pilot bearing (especially needle type) if I didn't have access to one.

    Not that this helps you so much now though.
    e21: 1981 2.5L sleeper
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  15. #15
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    OK guys here is an update. Outer casing still in place after try with the harbor freight puller. Only two of three puller arms would fit inside the bearing and thats with some Dremel work to slim the arms down. Thought it was workinking until one of the cast arms pulled apart. Now have fabbed a bolt head to fit behind bearing and will play with that for awhile today. May go with milo's recommendations if this step fails. Milo arm the arms of your puller forged? Grease/wet paper trick doesnt work due to such small surface area of casing edge inside crank as stated here by a member. Thanks to all for the support and encouragement!

    Success!!!! epmedia gets the cold beer! Bolt puller worked in less than 3 minutes once set in place. Used an old Triumph TR7 air pump mount to keep crank from turn per pic. Thanks again to all for the quick offers of help. Got so excited I changed out the timing chain tensioner spring as well. Old one measured 2-3mm short of specs. Enjoy the pics! Kudos to epmedia!

    bump
    Last edited by gsumzzz; 09-23-2011 at 11:02 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  16. #16
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    Wow, you finally found a use for a TR7 engine bracket. All these years I just threw them away and only kept the parts that will work on my TR8s. Parting a spider now. I guess I had better take a look at the brackets with a fresh perspective.

  17. #17
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    rumor has it that Triumph stole the BMW design for their crank shaft securing mount for use as an engine brace. here is a picture of my old TR7 after much work. she did earn me a few blue ribbons at some British meets. do miss her.

    for the Triumph racer in all of us!

  18. #18
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    Glad the bolt puller worked for you
    Does your rear main seal need replaced too?
    Tbd

  19. #19
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    just came in from pulling seal. will put new one in the am along w mount seal. pan gasket looks good.

  20. #20
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    well done! that must have been a relief.

    so in summery, the $60 special tool required modifying and failed, then the 2c "hackerjob" option worked a treat. (only taking the piss) epmadia is known world wide for his "special tools" they might be basic but they normally work.

    glad it worked out for you man.
    B Road Blaster

  21. #21
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    I went through 2 or 3 sheet metal screws to get mine out
    My needle pilot was TOAST (all the guts already gone)
    Last edited by epmedia; 09-23-2011 at 07:27 PM.
    Tbd

  22. #22
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    Thats odd. hydraulic method worked badass for this needle bearing. 3 smacks with a hammer and it was out.





    glad your over it though!
    Last edited by Shimmy55; 09-23-2011 at 07:48 PM.

  23. #23
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    Every scenario is different, maybe the grease was not thick enough, or the cage was fubarred too much
    Last edited by epmedia; 09-23-2011 at 08:05 PM.
    Tbd

  24. #24
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    Engine still in car was a factor. Tough to hammer laying on back.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by gsumzzz View Post

    epmedia gets the cold beer! Bolt puller worked in less than 3 minutes
    i knew there was a reason we keep robert around.
    Tom D

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