Gilmer Drive System - Bearing Installation without a press

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mickyd
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Gilmer Drive System - Bearing Installation without a press

Post by mickyd »

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.
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Mike
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Post by JPG »

Keep On Sharing!!!!!!:)
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a1gutterman
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Post by a1gutterman »

mickyd wrote: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....
China would be correct.
Tim

Buying US made products will help keep YOUR job or retirement funds safer.
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bucksaw
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Post by bucksaw »

Great information you are posting Mike! I'm keeping them all marked for future reference.

I purchased a hydraulic press from Agri Supply. Makes bearing replacement a snap. The image they show on the website is for a 20 ton press but it is pretty close to what you actually get. Does a good job. Only $89 plus freight.

Note: The press only comes with a couple of press plates. You will need either a small or large bearing separator...similar to the the separators sold at Harbor Freight. I was not aware that HF sold a kit when I bought the press. I may have gone that route if I had. I've now overhauled 3 headstocks with the press. My idea was to sell the press on Craigslist when I was done with it.

What you get looks more like this press from Harbor Freight.
Image
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mickyd
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Post by mickyd »

bucksaw wrote:I purchased a hydraulic press from Agri Supply. Makes bearing replacement a snap. The image they show on the website is for a 20 ton press but it is pretty close to what you actually get. Does a good job. Only $89 plus freight.

Note: The press only comes with a couple of press plates. You will need either a small or large bearing separator...similar to the the separators sold at Harbor Freight.

What you get looks more like this press from Harbor Freight.
Image
I was tempted to go the route of a nice hydraulic press similar to the one you bought but the show stopper was both the space it took up AND the expected use I would give it. It is however much easier for bearing replacement. Although the manual puller worked just fine, initially getting things lined up and pulling straight made me wish I had a third arms. If I can get 10-20 years out of the bearings I installed, I figured I didn't mind going through the extra setup time.

Nice press you got yourself however. I am sure you can find other applications for it other than SS bearing replacement
Mike
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robinson46176
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Post by robinson46176 »

mickyd wrote:Nice press you got yourself however. I am sure you can find other applications for it other than SS bearing replacement
They make a really great glue press... One can sometimes do the same job as a bunch of clamps on something like gluing heavy blocks together. The trouble is mine in in the other shop 200' away from the woodshop.
-
I just flashed on an image of about three of these presses sitting in a row so you could glue up long pieces using all three with blocks to spread the pressure...
I better go haul some firewood before I "think" my way into a costly corner. :D
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