Die Cutters for Bearing Removal?

[lastcowboy32]

I have this bearing removal task more often than I would like. Removing an old bearing with a lock collar, mounted in a pair of sandwich flanges from a shaft, and I can only get the outer flange out of the way.

Examples? Bearings on the end of haybine conditioning rolls... All of the bearings in a baler's thrower assembly, something like 12 of them.

I usually go in there with a torch and try to cut parallel to the shaft as best I can. I can usually, but not always, get the bearing cut with minimal scarring of the shaft. The inner flange? I don't know that's 50/50. But flanges are replaceable and cheap. I don't like scarring the shaft.

I always have shop air available, and I have an air chisel.

I was looking for air chisel blades the other day and saw a little 3" die grinder for 49 bucks.

Looking at it, it's thin, like a screwdriver almost, and that little 3" wheel could get in and definitely cut a groove in a bearing, especially if I sacrificed the inner flange.

Is it quicker or easier or less chance of shaft-scarring to cut a groove in the bearing races with a die grinder and then split them with an air chisel?

 

[MJMJ]

I feel it is. I ve used a grinder several times and its always been the best and fastest way, for me at least.

 

[caterpillar guy]

A toss up.I usually blow the side off the race next to the shaft rather than try to cut parallel with the shaft less chance of cutting the shaft and if most of it is cut it will probably move when you drive on it outward. I have also just broke them off by hitting them a few times. Cutting a groove in a bearing race is slow work and can still hit the shaft with it. I have also just heated them and pried them off or pried off what was left after cutting the most of it off.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Look into a a scarfing tip for your torch if you don't have one. It is bent so that the flame is perfectly parallel to the shaft, as opposed to a slight angle with a conventional tip.

 

[rockcreek4630]

On a roller bearing remove the seals then
remove the carrier for the rollers and
move the balls to one side hit it with a
hammer then the outer race and flange can
be removed. Cut the inner race with a
cutoff wheel you don't need to go to the
shaft take a chiesl and hit it in your cut
and the race will Crack.

 

[paul]

I had success with the little grinder when I tried it, but really less room and easier to hurt the shaft or the machine itself with that grinder wheel than the torch.

Less chance of fire.

Seemed a toss up to me.

Paul

 

[RickieBlue]

Once you get the outside race and balls out, I prefer to heat the inner race up to red hot in one place, slam it once with a hammer, and the bearing will slide right off.

 

[lastcowboy32]

The scarfing tip WOULD solve the problem of why I'm scarring the shaft. I feel like I'm fairly controlled when I go in to cut, but the head of the torch is shaped such that you can't get that inner race without tipping the flame at the shaft.

It would also help me with the same issue when I'm trying to cut the heads or nuts off of bolts that I can't remove with other methods.

A good one can cost as much as a little die grinder.

Decisions...decisions...

Thanks for the advice, people.

 

[lastcowboy32]

(quoted from post at 23:12:55 08/17/23) Once you get the outside race and balls out, I prefer to heat the inner race up to red hot in one place, slam it once with a hammer, and the bearing will slide right off.

I had to think about this one...now I understand... you aren't really "cracking" a cold bearing with a chisel, after setting the torch down grabbing a hammer and chisel, you're deforming it when it's hot...probably easier than cracking it. Literally, striking while the iron is hot ;-)

Anyway... I did get the bearing off that I wanted to this weekend, but... I couldn't really try anything much different than I've done previously. Why?

Saturday morning, I took the head off of my torch to go to the welding supply shop to get a scarfing tip... both welding supply shops in the area are now closed on Saturday.

Strike One.

Well... I figured that I could at least get some chisels for my air hammer. Went to Lowes...they sell air hammers-with-chisel sets.

Strike Two.

The friendly guy at Lowes said to try TSC (in the same strip mall just a short drive away in "the 'burbs"...

TSC's air tool section was picked over. Looked like what happened after Scar took over the pride.

Strike Three

I don't mind shopping on Amazon. I do it a lot. But, my torch is old... it has some markings from Linde on it. The air hammer is a craftsman that a friend gave me...with no chisels.

I really wanted to take them with me to make sure that the tip fit my torch, and that it was meant for oxy-propane... I wanted to make sure the chisels fit in my hammer.

Recently, I needed Truss head screws to fix an old NH 155 elevator that we bought. Both local fastener sources that have oddball stuff (Fastenal and Grainger) are closed.

Five years ago, I liked the mix of "local vs Amazon" parts/hardware support. I could get stuff that I was sure about from Amazon. I could get oddball stuff, where I needed to take something with me to make sure it fit... locally.

Now? It seems like the next tool that I need to buy for the farm is a caliper/micrometer set, because I'm going to have to buy more stuff online by specifications.

 

[GarryinNC]

Once you are down to just the inner race left on the shaft, cut it with regular cutting tip and cut at a tangent to the shaft. Cutting parallel always caused way to much blow back. My dad cut many tangent cuts and never damaged a shaft. Also, he did not know what the word 'tangent' meant, but I learned how to do it from him.
Garry