Remove rusted steel bearing from aluminum housing?

[Bonnewagon]

It used to be made by TRAVACO and the two old gents that invented it used to be at all the boat shows. They lugged around a big chunk of an old row-boat. Part of it was coated with the Marine Tex, part was coated with GLUVIT , and the rest looked like it was raised up from Davey Jones' locker. Gluvit is a flexible epoxy used to seal wood, aluminum, and fiberglass. Very good stuff. Now these are made by ITW Performance Polymers in Pennsylvania. https://itwperformancepolymers.com/products/marinetex/ They also make DEVCON products. Any Marine store would have it even Home Depot. I used the GLUVIT on the outer hull of a 1969 aluminum skiff. It never leaked a drop.

 

[Max Headroom]

If a taper bearing and you are trying to extract the cup, then weld it out. You wrap a cold wet rag around the outer case or carrier and just leave the race face exposed. Or tape everything to be protected off with duct tape or McGiver tape or even multiple layers of masking tape.

Then you warm up your MIG welder or stick welder and make a single pass in the middle of the race face all around the face. The heat from the weld causes the bearing race to shrink as it cools and the shell becomes loose and pops out. Done this a few time before with aluminum wheels and it works fine. Just keep the pass on the steel and keep the aluminum protected and covered. Once you pop the race out let the housing or casting cool naturally; no water or air blow dry.

Had the brother of a old friend use his stick machine to make the passes on an aluminum bike wheel and he had never seen this done before and thought we were nuts! Worked as advertised and boy was he amazed.


Changing wheel bearings in aluminum hub - welding method - Bing video






Nick

This works most of the time. I have done it three times and it worked twice. I had a welder friend try the one that didn't work and he got it out.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Man am I glad I found out about this robust tool. OTC makes it. The puller head folds down to get behind the bearings. Then it folds over and grabs the bearings from behind. Even with lots of penetrating oil it was a chore to extract the bearings. Now that this parts gearcase is empty of rusty bearings I can clean it up and use it for a re-build.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Coppernick, here is what I did about the frozen stuck bearing carrier in the original gearcase. I used the OMC puller to put as much pressure as I dared on the carrier. Then I used a Dremel tool cutting disc to slice the housing alongside the carrier. Just as I got past the outer carrier flange area I heard a loud POP and the carrier broke loose. After that the OMC puller pulled the rest out easy. Now that I saved that bearing carrier I can remove the rest of the parts and use them to rebuild the other gearcase that had the rusty bearings.

 

[CopperNick]

So basically you sacrificed the outer housing to save the carrier? Aren't Dremel tools just the handiest devices to have? Hope you had a mask on for the cut on the case, aluminum dust in the lungs is just plain nasty. Nice pictures of a nasty mess. Can that carrier be salvaged or it is too far gone as well, now that you have had a chance for an up close and personal eyeball check of it?



Nick

 

[Bonnewagon]

Yes, once I got those rusty bearings out, I knew the parts gearcase was good for a rebuild. I was then willing to destroy the frozen case. And yet it can probably be repaired if needed. But I had to do it without harming the parts inside. The bearing carrier is obsolete and expensive if you can find one. I was careful not to hurt it and it is soaking in solvent right now. The bearing inside is OK. The O-ring flange you see is the most critical part. It seperates the oil-filled gearcse from the exhaust/water cavity. Yup, a Dremel is just one of those tools that when you need it, nothing else will do. I especially like the extension cable to get at hard-to-reach spots.

 

[CopperNick]

+100 on the Dremel. Seems though that the newer ones that I have bought have had very short working lives. You can repair them but the internal structure is all one piece including the brushes. =$$$$$



Nick

 

[Bonnewagon]

I used to have a Dremel that was re-branded by Sears and sold as a chain saw sharpener. I used it for everything except sharpening a chain. Inside was a plastic shaft that continually got hot and failed. I replaced it with all kinds of things until I got tired of that and dumped it. Since then I have bought several on Fleabay but the best is another Sears unit that was factory refurbished. It came with the long extension cable/shaft and lots of adapters and tools. It is the one I used to cut that case open. What I learned was to often back off while cutting to let it cool. Then once you are finished let it run unloaded for a while to let the innards cool down. That will extend the life tremendously. As for the good gearcase I tested for leaks and the stupid thing blew air out as fast as I pumped it in. In the parts kit the OEM double propshaft seals were superseded by a single double lipped seal and the instructions warned against using any sealer on it. Well, that was a dumb idea because it leaked like a sieve. I carefully worked the seal out without damaging the bearing behind it and ordered some of the old style double seals. This thing was mostly a rubber casting with a very tiny steel ring inside. The OEM is a normal steel seal with rubber lips and is installed with sealer.

 

[Ugly1]

I have come across this many times. Right now I have some rusted roller bearings in an aluminum outboard motor gearcase. But I also had aluminum transmissions with stuck steel bearings. Obviously water got in and caused the galvanic corrosion. I try heat, oil, force, nothing really works some times. I once was working on an aluminum bicycle rim with stuck bearings. Heating worked as the steel and aluminum expanded at different rates. At one point the bearing just popped out from that. But usually the aluminum part is big and acts as a huge heat sink. Any tricks I should know about?

Not sure if anyone mentioned it ,but you can try two different things that my dad mentioned to me. One is vinegar( acts like a very low acidic) the other was coke cola( again a low acidity item)

 

[Ugly1]

I called my only auto parts place with a machinist and hot tank. They only do ferrous metal. Even though they do Marine parts service there was little call for a non-ferrous tank. I saw those tools too and there are special ones that work with the OMC puller kit. On another gearcase I wrapped a small link chain around the internal crossbars and used a big gear puller to try removing the propellor shaft seal/bearing housing. It won't budge either. But check this out: I found a website where the guy spent enormous time compiling service tools and parts for older OMC motors. http://www.everythingoutboards.com/ He listed all the tools I need to take apart this gearcase. Once I knew the part number I actually found the bearing removal/installation tool for sale and I ordered it. I "think" the flat is folded over and slipped past the bearings. Then it flips up and grabs the bearing cage from behind. No idea if it is strong enough to remove it without oil and heat but I am at my wit's end here. We shall see if I spent the money well or wasted some more again.View attachment 189657

Sometimes though I have had them fail. Then again they where Harbor freight tools🤣