Struggling to pull the large pinion bearing
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I am swapping gears for the first time and found an odd problem. I bought new AAM gears which should be identical to stock for tolerances. I used a puller to remove the stock pinion bearing to retrieve the shim. Came off not badly, no real struggle. It was 3-4 times harder to push the new bearing onto the new pinion gear. After doing a pattern check I almost could not remove the bearing again. My digital vernier only meaures in steps of .0005" but I definitely see .0005" difference in the size of the shaft where the bearing presses on. Is there a trick to making it a little easier to swap on a new bearing onto a new pinion gear? Could I grease it maybe? My bearing separator isn't going to live and I will be stuck with the bearing half on.
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Heat the bearing. It will drop right on. To do the pattern check, I usually use the old bearing. Open it up just a little bit with a sanding wheel of some sort, (Dremel) so that it will slide on and off of the pinion. Once you have the right shims - Heat up the new bearing and slide it on the pinion. Not the way a shop would do it, but I don't have a shop...
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Originally Posted by chuckyt1
Heat the bearing. It will drop right on. To do the pattern check, I usually use the old bearing. Open it up just a little bit with a sanding wheel of some sort, (Dremel) so that it will slide on and off of the pinion. Once you have the right shims - Heat up the new bearing and slide it on the pinion. Not the way a shop would do it, but I don't have a shop...
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I should have mentioned that I did hog out the old bearing to do my trial fits and that made life easy. I put the new bearing on, installed it and decided I didn't like the final result, that is why I am having to pull off the new bearing. Like I say the tolerances are different on the new gear diameters, the old gear was a decent press fit, but the new one is more lke its welded in place.
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[QUOTE=BJM]
How hot do you heat it? Do I need a torch? Put the pinion gear in the freezer overnite. Heat the bearing in the oven for about 15 mins as high as it goes. Hold the bearing square to the pinion gear and it should slide right on. Make it count the first time, cause after the pinion heats up and the bearing cools down, its back to fighting it.
Originally Posted by chuckyt1
How hot do you heat it? Do I need a torch?
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[QUOTE=BriancWS6] That's exactly how I do it. Only problem is I have to make sure the wife is gone for the day. Makes her mad as hell when I cook car parts.
Originally Posted by BJM
Put the pinion gear in the freezer overnite. Heat the bearing in the oven for about 15 mins as high as it goes. Hold the bearing square to the pinion gear and it should slide right on. Make it count the first time, cause after the pinion heats up and the bearing cools down, its back to fighting it.
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#8
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My favorite, and the only bearing puller to use: http://www.drivetrainspecialists.com...roduct-69.html
Or...
Pinion set up bearing kit: http://www.precisiongear.com/setupkits.htm
Or...
Pinion set up bearing kit: http://www.precisiongear.com/setupkits.htm