Freezing shafts and baking bearings

Re: Freezing shafts and baking bearings

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>If you can find a piece of pipe that's just larger than the shaft just in case it doesn't go all the way on and needs a little help:) I'd preheat the oven to 200 then put the bearing in for 10 min. Put hundreds on like that but we have a bearing heater.

Re: Freezing shafts and baking bearings

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Second the pipe trick. Make sure to never press on the outer race to move the inner race onto a shaft and vice versa. Always use pressure on the race that has the resistance. That way you cannot damage the balls or rollers of the bearing. I install bearings all the time this way and never have to heat/cool the components. JR

Re: Freezing shafts and baking bearings

Michael R

>I used to do that with pistons and wrist pins, especially on Volkswagens. I put the pistons in a 250 degree oven for about half an hour, and put the wrist pins in the freezer overnite. The aluminum expanded just enough to change a force fit into a sliding fit.

That said I agree with the others about using a nice squarecut piece of pipe that just fits over the shaft. Faster and easier, and you don't have to worry about the bearing seals or lubricant. 100 degrees won't do you much good.

Michael R

Pipe size

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Be sure your pipe is bigger than the shaft all the way down (sometimes there'll be a subtle shoulder down where the bearing fits on), and just bigger so it's pressing on the inner race. Also watch the outer diameter of the pipe, which shouldn't touch the outer race.

What you don't want is a piece of pipe that winds up hanging up on the shaft. DAMHIKT

Thanks all

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>Got the bearing on with no problems. Sawed off a piece of conduit, took the shaft out of the greezer where it had spant the night, and it seated down with just a few minor light taps. :~)

Thanks again,

Todd O.