Handy tip for removing tapered bearing cups

[Woodlee]

This is sort of metal work but I thought I would post it here ,If it aint in the right spot the Moderator is welcome to move it.

I've been working on a project restoring a large industrial power hack saw .
Today I got around to the bearings in the main drive pulley and pinion gear .
They are tapered roller bearings and the cups were pressed into the pulley and pinion gear (one on each side) with no relief at the back of the cup to get a bearing puller into remove them for replacement .

Jarvising for a while , I dug deep into the recesses of my failing memory and dragged up this little beauty .It's an old trick and not my idea ,just took me awhile to remember it.
Run a weld bead with an arc welder around the inside of the bearing cup ,as the weld cools it will shrink and shrink the bearing cup enough to let it fall out.
Not sure if this will work with mig welders as I've never tried it

I dragged out the old Lincoln arc welder ,grabbed a rod from an ancient packet of welding rods and let rip with a weld bead about 2" long around the inside the tapered cup races .
As I turned over the pulley to do the other side ,the one I just welded fell out on the bench.

Sweet job ,worked a treat .
No cussing , no losing of temper , and definitely no metal butchery needed.
Just have to get two new bearings and install.
Kev.

[wheelinround]

Its a top idea Kev seen it done once it litterally popped out and done it a few times removing tappered rear and front axle bearings on coaches

worst one was the whole bearing case had welded itself in and couldn't do that

[Woodlee]

The " welded " in bearing cup is definitely a PIA.
If you are very good with a gas axe they can be cut with out damaging the seat ,other wise its a die grinder and mounted point to cut it into two pieces.
Kev.

[wheelinround]

There is one other way Cryofreeze saw a boss use LPG to remove piston liners :doh: the gas pf course spread across the floor, a fellow sharing the workshop walked up to the grinder:)( a :burnt: shot across the workshop floor up he wall and burnt his hands and face at the grinding wheel almost 30 foot away.

[Woodlee]

Before the hole in the ozone layer issue ,at the mine where I worked we would up end a bottle of freon ,(aircon gas) with a hose connected to it and douse the bearing with that .

Not very friendly to the environment though.

Kev.