# Bearing replacement help needed



## rodisi (21 Feb 2018)

New member here and my first posting so please be gentle with me.  
I'm about to replace the bearings in the three blades of my mower. Below is one of the bearing housings.





Items 4 are the two bearings and 5 is a spacer between the two. I can't for the life of me figure out how to extract the bearings. That spacer in between is putting a spanner in the works as is the circlip 7 between the two. I'm hoping that the superior mechanical knowledge in this forum may have ideas.
Thanks in advance.


----------



## woodfarmer (21 Feb 2018)

Probably bit like this

remove the circlip
support the outside of the circlip housing end so bearings can pass through the support
push the lot through from the non circlip end.
You can probably get away using the vice jaws set to leave room for the exiting bearing.
Drift the bearings and spacer out using a heavy ish hammer gently, if you dont have a press.
alternatively use the vice to push the drift through side ways note there has to be enough space for both bearings and spacer to exit (piece of pipe ?? )
hope this helps


----------



## sunnybob (22 Feb 2018)

Be very careful trying to smash them all through. there is almost certainly a seating lip on the housing and you will destroy everything.
here is a closely guarded secret, if you tell anyone else the association of bearing pullers will hunt you down and kill you.
That spacer is narrower than the bearings.
you use a BIG screwdriver and lever the spacer off centre. Then you use a drift and a hammer to tap out the bearing by slowly tapping around the inside lip of the bearing. The spacer will fall out, and the other bearing can then be tapped out as well.


----------



## novocaine (22 Feb 2018)

What Bob said. 
same as a skateboard (and quite possibly the same bearings).
you can buy a specially punch that you put though but it isn't needed, here is another secret that the association of bearing pullers don't want you to know. Light blows in an alternating cross pattern so you don't split the casting (as in, north, south, east, west then chuck in a northwest, south west, south east north east for good measure) .


----------



## sunnybob (22 Feb 2018)

novocaine
secret singing.....


----------



## Inspector (22 Feb 2018)

Since there is a third circlip between the two bearings the assembly can't be pushed out in one go. The third circlip acts as the seating lip so follow sunnybob's advice. Because they are held in place by the circlips it is unlikely that they have much of an interference fit and should come out easily.

Pete


----------



## rodisi (22 Feb 2018)

@woodfarmer - There is a circlip in between the two bearings, which is causing a nuisance.




sunnybob":2efjs3n8 said:


> Be very careful trying to smash them all through. there is almost certainly a seating lip on the housing and you will destroy everything.
> here is a closely guarded secret, if you tell anyone else the association of bearing pullers will hunt you down and kill you.
> That spacer is narrower than the bearings.
> you use a BIG screwdriver and lever the spacer off centre. Then you use a drift and a hammer to tap out the bearing by slowly tapping around the inside lip of the bearing. The spacer will fall out, and the other bearing can then be tapped out as well.


A slow learner here. 
a) When you say "That spacer is narrower than the bearings." do you mean in diameter or actual metal thickness? 
b)" lever the spacer off centre" - so when I'm looking through the middle I can see an arc of the spacer?
c)I feel so stupid asking but what is the inside lip of the bearing?
d)where will the spacer fall out from?

I really appreciate all your prompt answers and apologise for the slow uptake.
I'm including the drawing again which I have slightly modified to give the spacers and bearings individual numbers in case it helps with the explanation.
I also promise to keep stump.


----------



## novocaine (22 Feb 2018)

a) no. 5 is the spacer. 
it's outside diameter is less than the outside diameter of the bearing outer race. 
B) yes push it so you can see the arc of the spacer. 
C) inside lip is the inner race
D) the spacer will fall out with the bearing when it pops out. 
after the first tap with a drift the spacer will be rattling about, so you can move it round with the punch as you work around the edge of the inner race.


----------



## sunnybob (22 Feb 2018)

That spacer's main job is as a dust shroud for the axle. if it wasnt there dirt and stuff would work its way through the bearing and clog up the inside of the bearings. Spacing the bearings is almost a secondary use.

look at the drawing... its done to scale. see how much fatter the bearings are compared to the spacer?


----------



## Inspector (22 Feb 2018)

The lower (in the drawing) bearing is held in place by the circlips. The spacer between the bearings allows the upper bearing to float into position when the shaft nut is tightened compressing the upper bearing inner race into the lower bearing inner race. The bushing between keeps the two bearings apart the correct distance and spins with both inner races when the shaft is turned. The spacers function has nothing to do with dust.

Pete


----------



## rodisi (22 Feb 2018)

novocaine":2fh6krks said:


> a) no. 5 is the spacer.
> it's outside diameter is less than the outside diameter of the bearing outer race.
> B) yes push it so you can see the arc of the spacer.
> C) inside lip is the inner race
> ...


I think there is a break in the cloud. So with the housing upside down from what the drawing shows, the reason for moving the spacer is so I can get to the inner race of bearing 4a and then keep moving the spacer around so I can tap all around.
Thank you all very much. As soon as the temperature of the mower is at the point where my hand doesn't stick to the ice on it, I shall try and I promise to come back with the results.


----------



## woodfarmer (23 Feb 2018)

Sorry, didn't see the second clip 7


----------



## rodisi (18 Mar 2018)

Mission accomplished as suggested. Thanks very much. 

Now all I have to do is find the bolt that I dropped two inches from the wooden floor and which has completely disappeared.


----------

