Gilmer Drive System - Bearing Installation without a press
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:07 am
Since I don't have a hydraulic press, I spent $30 on a Harbor Freight Bearing Separator and Puller Kit. It works to both remove and install all motor, quill, and drive shaft bearings. Excellent quality and price. It's made by "Pittsburgh". I googled the name to see where the company is located but I didn't find anything within a minute so I quit. It's probably China!!! If anyone knows, post it.
The kit worked great. Pulling was a no brainer. My thread http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=3178 shows the pulling of the original bearing. Installation makes you wish you had a third arm because you have to make sure that your pulling on the inner race surface and as you start off, it's real easy for the set up to move around until everything is good and tight. Here's pics of installation of the Gilmer drive shaft bearing.
My first setup didn't work. It was too tall and I couldn't keep a straight pull and the bearing wanted to go on crooked. I could tell because it was hard to turn the center rod.
[ATTACH]3532[/ATTACH]
I removed a set of spacers to shorten it up and this worked perfect.
[ATTACH]3533[/ATTACH]
Since the end opposite the bearing had the splined hole of the quill spindle, I had to use one of the tube lock bars since there was no center for the tip of the puller to ride in. I drilled a shallow countersink into the tube lock bar for the tip of the puller to sit in to keep everything straight during the pull.
When installing the bearings, you use the flat faced side of the puller jaws. The other side has a knife edge that works great for getting behind bearings that where there is little room to grab behind them. This picture shows the knife edge.
[ATTACH]3534[/ATTACH]
It also shows how you have to make sure that the jaws are pulling on the inner race close to but not touching the shaft. This was the most difficult part of the process and also one of the most critical. If jaw is too close to the shaft, you can scratch the shaft as the bearing is being pulled on. If the jaw is not on the inner race, you can damage the bearing. Bottom line, GO SLOW and look frequently until your sure that the bearing is going on correctly. Also, it doesn't take a lot of turning force to pull the bearing on. It should start easily and continue on as the bearing slides up the shaft. If it doesn't start easily, it's probably starting off crooked and you DON'T want to do that. You'll ruin the bearing and/or the shaft surface.
Here's the other bearing. I didn't need the tube lock bar since the shaft end had the center countersink hole on it already.
[ATTACH]3535[/ATTACH]
Here's the final product.
[ATTACH]3536[/ATTACH]
Anyway, I thought I'd share this with the group.
The kit worked great. Pulling was a no brainer. My thread http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=3178 shows the pulling of the original bearing. Installation makes you wish you had a third arm because you have to make sure that your pulling on the inner race surface and as you start off, it's real easy for the set up to move around until everything is good and tight. Here's pics of installation of the Gilmer drive shaft bearing.
My first setup didn't work. It was too tall and I couldn't keep a straight pull and the bearing wanted to go on crooked. I could tell because it was hard to turn the center rod.
[ATTACH]3532[/ATTACH]
I removed a set of spacers to shorten it up and this worked perfect.
[ATTACH]3533[/ATTACH]
Since the end opposite the bearing had the splined hole of the quill spindle, I had to use one of the tube lock bars since there was no center for the tip of the puller to ride in. I drilled a shallow countersink into the tube lock bar for the tip of the puller to sit in to keep everything straight during the pull.
When installing the bearings, you use the flat faced side of the puller jaws. The other side has a knife edge that works great for getting behind bearings that where there is little room to grab behind them. This picture shows the knife edge.
[ATTACH]3534[/ATTACH]
It also shows how you have to make sure that the jaws are pulling on the inner race close to but not touching the shaft. This was the most difficult part of the process and also one of the most critical. If jaw is too close to the shaft, you can scratch the shaft as the bearing is being pulled on. If the jaw is not on the inner race, you can damage the bearing. Bottom line, GO SLOW and look frequently until your sure that the bearing is going on correctly. Also, it doesn't take a lot of turning force to pull the bearing on. It should start easily and continue on as the bearing slides up the shaft. If it doesn't start easily, it's probably starting off crooked and you DON'T want to do that. You'll ruin the bearing and/or the shaft surface.
Here's the other bearing. I didn't need the tube lock bar since the shaft end had the center countersink hole on it already.
[ATTACH]3535[/ATTACH]
Here's the final product.
[ATTACH]3536[/ATTACH]
Anyway, I thought I'd share this with the group.
