More Montjuic woes

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AndyB_11

Full member
Location
Bedford
Are the bloody wheel bearings always solid in the wheels? I got bored this afternoon so dropped the wheels to fit some nice new bearing that my company had generously paid for and can't even get one to move  :(

I'm using a proper bearing extractor with a 4lb weight on the slide hammer and have given them some serious hits but not one has moved. There's no way I want to be attacking them with drifts and a lump hammer so the next logical approach will be the application of some heat which doesn't bother me because they need repainting but I'm not used to having to heat hubs to shift wheel bearings.

I wasn't going to bother with them at the moment but because of the earlier problems with a split inlet manifold I thought I might as well do something constructive as well as drink beer, smoke tabs and listen to the radio in the workshop.
 
I was going to try putting the sprocket carrier into my ultrasonic tank with the heater on so it gets it up to around 60c and see if that worked and I suppose I could wrap clothes that had been in boiling water around the wheel hubs for a while to see if it helps.

Thanks for the pointer.
 
You'll probably find that Loctite has been used which needs some heat to persuade it to release its grip.  Ideally 180oC - but any temp elevation is good to weaken its strength.  I stick the offending item on a gas ring to get some heat into it....it's hot enough when smoke appears from the bearing grease!  And I do the same for wheel bearings - saves mullering the bearing bore when drifting the old bearing out and new in.  Factory paint finish is unaffected
 
I usually use a heatgun but it takes some time to get the hub hot enough to make a difference.

Once it is hot I give it a squirt with release oil which usually smokes if its hot enough.
Put it face down over a gap in the Workmate, pop in a rawlbolt with the long anchor end sticking through the hub give it  a couple of taps with a 4lb club.
 
I warmed up the sprocket carrier to an even 60c and still no movement so I'll take them to work and give them some proper abuse. I wouldn't be bothering if it wasn't for the fact that I want to have the wheels blasted and repainted so the bearing need to come out.

I'm beginning to suspect that Loctite is involved in which case my fading memory suggests that about 110c is needed to crack it but localised heat will do that rather than needing to heat the whole thing up to get it to expand properly.
 
Thanks Rob. I did say my memory was fading but now I know what to aim for. I've got paint markers that change colour at certain temperatures so I'll go for 150c and see what happens.
 
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