Whitfield
12-24-2009, 12:42 AM
How do you remove the rear differential pinion needle bearing.
It is held in place with a c-clip. It is in the aluminium caseing and in a blind hole.
Fighting one for 3+ hrs tonight we finally resorted to Carbon Arc Gouging the beaing / race assembly. Carbon arc gouging is a cross beteween arc welding and plazma cutting. This melted the bearing assembly allowing us to break it into smaller removable pieces. This is a very delicate proceedure when working with a thimble sized needle bearing in an aluminium case.
Their has got to be a better way.
I tried pressing the retaining c-clip with a screw driver while working the race out with a mini slide hammer fitted with proper duck billed puller. No luck ~ I could move it slightly forward and back but could never break it past the hold of the c-clip.
Tried welding a threaded rod to the bearing and using a plate nut washer assembly butted up to the pinion housing to work as a puller. No luck, Had close to 90 ft. lbs on the 1/2" rod working up gradually while tapping the bearing / c-clip + heating the alu housing on both sides with a torch.
Working with a machinist and 40 years experience between us we tried most every trick we knew before finally resorting to cutting it out.
It is held in place with a c-clip. It is in the aluminium caseing and in a blind hole.
Fighting one for 3+ hrs tonight we finally resorted to Carbon Arc Gouging the beaing / race assembly. Carbon arc gouging is a cross beteween arc welding and plazma cutting. This melted the bearing assembly allowing us to break it into smaller removable pieces. This is a very delicate proceedure when working with a thimble sized needle bearing in an aluminium case.
Their has got to be a better way.
I tried pressing the retaining c-clip with a screw driver while working the race out with a mini slide hammer fitted with proper duck billed puller. No luck ~ I could move it slightly forward and back but could never break it past the hold of the c-clip.
Tried welding a threaded rod to the bearing and using a plate nut washer assembly butted up to the pinion housing to work as a puller. No luck, Had close to 90 ft. lbs on the 1/2" rod working up gradually while tapping the bearing / c-clip + heating the alu housing on both sides with a torch.
Working with a machinist and 40 years experience between us we tried most every trick we knew before finally resorting to cutting it out.