Conundrum

Hi all,

A few weeks ago our washing machine went wrong - the bearing at the back collapsed. Getting the inner off the shaft was no problem but the outer gave me no end of grief. I eventually ground it apart. That was when I discovered that the seal had collapsed and that too would need replacing.

At this my wife descided a new machine was in order - so we are now back in action again.

During my ordeal I borrowed a bearing puller - it worked on the inner to get it off the shaft. But for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to use it on the internal problem.

It's a matter of minutes to strip the puller and set it up for internal pulling -----BUT --- there is nothing for the threaded shaft to push against.

So eventually my query is how do you use this device to remove an internal bearing?

regards

B

ps I've no idea why all my text is underlined

I'm guessing some sort of spigot would have to go in the hole?

Tony

Reverse the three legs so the 'toes' point outwards - but this type of puller is mainly meant for using this way round so this model is unlikely to fit a small bearing - but there are slimmer ones available

The bearing I'd tried to remove was about 2-1/2" diameter so plenty of room for the legs of the puller I borrowed.

Incidentally the picture is lifted from the net, but is pretty much the same as I had.

As I said its a matter of a few minutes work to reverse the legs.

The problem is what does the centre screw push against.? I even found a U-tube video which spent ages showing how to reverse the legs (rather longer than it actually took) - it then finished without showing the critical part

regards

B

Often the way with the outer is to whack the exposed edge with a drift from the other side.

I would never have imagined that that type of puller is for anything other than external use

This won't work as an internal pulller unless the race is in a blind hole ot you can bolt a support across the back of it

The oft-used method is to use the electric welder to shrink the race. Also the simple way to remove dry liners from engine blocks, if suitable hydraulic kit is not available.

Exactly, what makes you think it was ever intended for internal bearings?

Google - slide hammer bearing puller Robert Butler

Remove the centre screw and replace with a slide hammer shaft.

Looking at the puller I would suggest that you unscrew the bolt completely then put it back in at the bottom (upside down) and then the top of the three legs can be used on an internal bearing.

Quite a few different designs of this style of puller. Depending on the details they may or may not be able to work on internal bearings.

As Ian says the key is to reverse the bolt and swing the arms the opposite way so they point away from the bolt head.

If the puller can work in expanding mode curve of the legs where they contact the spider must be such to force the legs further, or rather harder, apart as the bolt is tightened. Sometimes you may have to attach the short flat steel arms to the legs via the second hole. Mine is a 1970's (ish) vintage Sykes Picavant, allegedly the original one, and that essentially won't work in expanding mode to remove a bearing from the inside. Only one hole in the legs and the shape is such that generally there can be no reliable forcing out effect except over a limited. pretty much impractical, range.

You still have to find something for the screw to push against.

I tend to make up internal pullers on an ad hoc basis using an expander in a slotted alloy tube alloy with a small flange to grab the bearing. Or for smaller ones a threaded end expanding concrete fixture (Rawlbolt style) may do the deed. For larger bearings the same sort of expanding fixture may work is padded out with a suitable alloy tube saving significant work in making the device. I've gotten such to behave at tube wall at a thickness approaching 1/4". Hafta say I didn't really expect that one to work but I had appropriate sized parts so it was just a matter of turning a flange and cutting some slots. If it hadn't done the deed I'd have made a proper expander.

Clive

I have used the slide hammer bearing puller which has several attachments suitable for extracting bearings and the debris left from failed bearings in blind housings on a number of occasions. Robert Butler

If the bearing is in a blind hole you can just poke the screw through the bearing, otherwise you need to improvise a bridge of some sort.

I've found it easier to improvise a custom puller with a bar with a central threaded hole pulled up towards a bridge piece with a couple of screws heads against the end of the casting.

Neil

Or you can combine the two and use an angle iron bridge like Neil's above and pass the centre bolt of the commercial puller in the OP through the bridge so when tightened it extracts the bearing.

For a blind hole you can often use the ‘bread trick’.

You ram in as much doughy bread as you can get in the space behind the bearing. You then hydraulic the bearing out by thumping in a close fitting drift. Works a treat on spigot bearings in engine crankshafts, but a flimsy washing machine tub might not stand it. Other problem might be limited space behind the beating.

Do you have a carbide burr? A last resort, but works. The electric arc welder would be the favourite for me if it is too tight for simple means of extraction.

Hello Bernard,

I had a similar problem about a year ago, we also bought a new washing machine. This puller may have been the solution but probably costs as much as 2 or 3 new washing machines !

Link

Thanks guys,

I tried something similar to Neils set up and also tried an slide hammer lash up but couldn't get a lasting grip on what was left of the bearing. It was at this stage a friend lent me the puller

At least I now know that the puller would not have worked despite being sold with int/ext suitability.

I eventually removed the outer race with a grinding point but to no avail.

Its water under the bridge now - we have a new washer and I'm glad I didn't fork out for the puller as well.

Stay safe

regards

Bernard