...Also packing the races in dry ice for a half hour or so would shrink them and make them go in easier. Just got to be quick doing it before they warm up. Our local Walmart sells dry ice. I've been known to put small housings in a 275 degree oven and dry ice the bearings. Then they just fall into place. Wife's don't like this!
I was able to remove the old spindle via my bearing puller and a few soft taps with a plastic dead-blow mallet. Piece of cake.
Parts were ordered and arrived today. Unfortunately, I only received one of the two bearings
The customer service agent at LMS was quite apologetic an is shipping the other one out ASAP, so all is well there.
I suppose that's actually a good thing; this will make me slow down a little and give me time to check everything thoroughly. This will also keep me from rushing the spindle / bearing fitting. I've got my wood lathe set up with a couple of oak dead centers; that should make the polishing process go a little quicker.
Does icing the race have any down sides? Do they build up condensation as they are warming up, possibly trapping moisture between the race and the headstock casting?
Also, how bad will it smell if I put the headstock in our kitchen oven? If it's that bad, I have a propane smoker or a gas grill I could use instead. How long do I need to leave it in there?
Thank you!
Yeah, a bit of a bummer, but really it's no big deal. They're making it right, and that's good enough for me.Sorry to hear about the bearing shortage. LMS seldom makes mistakes. They are are honest dependable people.
That's probably what I will do as well. Much safer than me and any combination of flammable stuffThe spindle repair shop where I worked used to just use a heat gun on the housings. They would prop the heat gun up to hit the bore and leave it for about 1/2 - 1 hour.
The new tapered bearings must slide on the spindle shaft in order to be pre-loaded. You could do this in a drill press by holding 400 grit wet/dry paper to the bearing seat areas on the spindle. Stop and check the fit frequently. They must be a palm fit to the new spindle. Just loose enough to move but not pressed tight.
So, about the fit of these bearings...
How hard should I need to push to get the bearings to slide? I've read the term "Push Fit" a number of times in conjunction with tapered roller bearings, but am still not sure (in practical terms) how much of a push should be required to move them. Push hard with both hands and something pressing the internal race, or slide with just a bit of force, one hand, no race tool needed?
Also, do both bearings need to be like this, or should it just be the rear bearing? It seems like one bearing that slides on the shaft would be enough assuming I understand the concept properly.