fesm_ndt Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 On 12/27/2021 at 7:41 PM, Gordon_M said: Since everything there is hardened, could you get the assembly horizontal under a wire spark eroder or similar, that would go straight through it with little damage and not enough heat to harm wood? I was just out to suggest that all the old machine shops had them to remove snapped taps. Another option is you can get rods for a stick smaw welder that burn holes... Was a trick played on apprentices https://forum.millerwelds.com/forum/welding-discussions/28848-cutting-rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asciidv Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 (edited) For a tap eroder to work the target metal has to be submerged in water which in this case is not quite so easy to do! ( Although a hosepipe is suggested as a possible solution by one manufacturer ). Anyway I am sure that Steve will have sorted it now, either with his favourite tool - a little Dremel, or by brute force with a hammer and chisel. My solution to applying localised heat and the removal of the bearing metal would have been to use a TIG welder. Of all the welding solutions available TIG sets are the most flexible. Edited January 1, 2022 by Asciidv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Hi Chaps. Thanks for your continuing suggestions! I haven't tried splitting it with a cold chisel as I don't think I have a deep enough groove to make it worthwhile. It is only 1/4" wide by 1/4" deep and the race itself is 2 1/2" wide so it would be a bit of a fight. Dad has ordered up some more grinding bits so I could go deeper. This remains an option. In the mean time, I have come home to make up a special puller to fit through the gap around the race. This has been today's project. The hydraulic ram centre piece is a £25 ebay find and rated at 12 tons. The disc was that we used as the centre plug when pushing the brake drum off the other wheel. Hopefully, this drum will be OK, otherwise I will have to make up another plug! Dad is in the process of borrowing an oxy-propane kit so I intend to return next weekend to have another go. Watch this space! Steve 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 I almost wrecked one of those pullers in trying to pull the brake drum of a Volvo 544 😕 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 The Battle Continues! I am back down in Devon to have another go at the wheel. I thought we might get it this time. We started off adjusting my new puller to fit into the space. That all looked good. I tried putting some load on it to see if the bearing would move but no luck. Heat must be the solution so I had a go at it with the welder to get as much intense heat in as I could. After a few rods, we gave it a good thump with the sledge and eventually succeeded in moving the race inwards by 1/16". This looked really promising so we gave it a good squirt of penetrating oil and went about setting up the puller. Unfortunately, it was not up to it so no joy. We have straightened out the puller this afternoon and I have been trying to reinforce it and adjust it so that it goes back into position. A step forward but not as large as we had hoped. A return to the fray is scheduled for tomorrow. Steve 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 Hi Steve, Personally I would continue to grind down the slot you made on the inner track and also do one at 180 degs to it, then drive a chisel down the first groove in line with the axle, that may be enough to split it, or event get some penetrating fluid in there. I remember in the distant past when I was in agricultural engineering, blowing damaged bearings off shafts on combines with oxy-acetylene without marking the shaft. With a small cutting torch you have more control. You only need a break in the track and it will release the grip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuffen Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 I'm with Richard. Cut (almost) through one side of the inner race, and split it and things will look better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 Thank you chaps, We spent yesterday afternoon straightening out the puller and reinforcing the bend point so we will have another go with that later. I would dearly like to split the race completely but it is 3" deep and I can't get in more than 1". The groove I have is 1/4" deep at the moment as I ran out of bits. However, Father has obtained another box of them so I expect to be back grinding later. I can put a shallow groove in opposite sides so we can see if that has any effect. Since we have broken the joint we can at least keep applying the penetrating oil with some hope that it soaks in. More later! Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Well, we stiffened up the puller and had another go. My pigeon wasn't available to do the welding so I had to do it myself. Nothing broke this time as Dad had cut some new pins from silver steel . However, I wound it up until I bent the tommy bar but it wouldn't let go. Dad had borrowed a model engineer's oxy-propane set so I thought to try to warm the race whilst under load by pointing the very small nozzle behind the puller directly at it. However, the oxygen bottle proved empty which put paid to that. After leaving it for a couple hours, I released it and then carried on with grinding a slot in the face whereupon Father's Dremel grinder failed so I gave up and came home. In the mean time, Father has found a replacement bearing in the stores and has set to cleaning it up. It will give in one day I guess but at the moment, I am thoroughly fed up with the job. Steve 😒 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 How about trying with a tile-cutting grit blade in a jigsaw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammoth Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 reciprocating saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Would a higher rated puller than your current one be worth trying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) With the Volvo i did heat it up, put the puller on under tension, spayed it with Imal oil and left it over night. Next day a bit more tension and gave a wack with the hammer and it jumped loose with a bang. On the cone you could see the penetrating oil did only creep half way in the bearing. Edited January 12, 2022 by Citroman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 If you have access to a compressor and a decent DC welder a gouging rod will make mincemeat of that race in minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cel Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 I would still go with a welded pipe. Instead of a bolt to act as a puller maybe a sledgehammer. The impact should make a big difference. I tried the same with a gib key and made a puller because I didn't want to damage the key. No result so I welded a bolt to the key and with a homemade sledgehammer it was only a matter of seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philb Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 When your pigeon is back on duty, ask him/her kindly to increase the welding current a bit. It will make the poop a lot runnier and might fuse your parts better. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted170 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Maybe try freezing spray? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Many thanks for all of your thoughts and kindness. It is great to have so many friends on side when a job is proving challenging! A higher rated puller would be nice as the legs will take a bit more load but I haven't found anything suitable yet. Welding a bit of tube or similar to the front of the bearing have been suggested by several people but, as you can see, my welding is awful at the very best of times. I think my ability rather than the principle will let me down there. The common thread which keeps recurring is the application of heat so I have decided to bite the bullet and invest in a full size oxy-propane kit. Hopefully, I can get the oxygen on a bottle deposit basis rather than ongoing rental as we will never use it enough to justify that. I am thinking that if I can get the bearing really hot without setting fire to the wheel and then wangle the puller in whilst wearing gloves, it might do the trick. We shall see! Steve 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Can't you rent a oxy-propane set?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Steve. Don't know if others will agree with me here, but here goes. As I suggested a long way back, get an oxy welding tip rather than the large cutting tip. Heat the bearing outside to inside in a straight line, moving the tip in and out fairly quickly. A welding tip will give you much better access to the back of the bearing than the cutting tip ever would. This will give you a localised "line" that is quite hot and will cause expansion - not a lot, only say 10 thou, which should be enough to get the bearing to move. You would have the puller on the bearing and under tension whilst heating. The advantage being the heat is localised, controlled and you are not heating the mass of the bearing. Regards Doug (the Aussie one). 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammoth Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 I agree with Doug - use a large welding tip and only heat a portion of the bearing, not the whole lot. We're with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Thanks Chaps! My problem is that once I have decided on a plan, I can't just get on with it as the lorry is 190 miles away! Anyway, I have found a local welding supplies place and will go and see him for advice and, hopefully, a purchase on Friday. Then I can plan another trip westwards. Oh what fun. Steve 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Steve 190 miles is a very long journey in England. Incentive to move closer? 😉 My journey is 1km - the advantage of living in a town in Oz rather than a city. Regards Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 25 minutes ago, dgrev said: My journey is 1km - the advantage of living in a town in Oz rather than a city. Yes, we know, one kilomile is a short hop in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 I had to give way to 6 cars yesterday, a rare event here. Having been to the UK, I well know that distance is magnified by the amount of traffic and how close together the towns are, you can't travel for hours at 100km/h the way we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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