Intermediate Bearing

[James Cornell 10]

I hate to let things out do me but after referring the to Haynes, googling and looking on the forums I am completely stumped on removing the drivers side driveshaft.

 

I have removed the hub, rear engine mount pivot bracket and the two bolts with the rectangular ends that hold the bearing in but I just can't shift it and it is the last thing stopping me removing the engine and box.

 

I have tried all sorts of methods, I have soaked the bearing in WD40, tried drifting the bearing out with a thick punch, prying the driveshaft out with the bulky part of the driveshaft against the engine mount housing...even swearing at it but it is just stuck in there.

 

After two night on the bugger I am at the stage where I may have to resort to chopping the driveshaft with an angle grinder and sorting out the bearing once the engine mount is off.

 

I know the driveshaft is good and I really don't want to do this but I am at my wits end with the bloody thing. I just wondered if anyone else had experienced any issues like this and had any guidance?

[welshpug 1,661]

bigger hammer and a stout punch/chisel.

 

it is possible to remove the 5 bolts and pull the bracket off the block, however its easiest to remove the shaft with the bracket bolted to a block.

 

people need to learn also that wd40 is pretty useless for most car tasks, there are far better stuff out there.

[dcc 855]

Undo the bearing housing and take it off. Put it in a vice and twat the shaft out

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Easy, you want a ball joint fork remover as this but's pressure on both sides of the shaft, punch is useless as it only does one side, failing that some heat works wonders

[James Cornell 10]

Hmmmmm welshpug I could only find 4 bolds holding the housing on....maybe that is why I can't take the shaft and housing out :-)

 

Dcc that's sounds like a plan...once I can get the housing off

 

Heat sounds good miles, the block is scrap and I don't mind getting the rubber bush hot as I will change that anyway

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

There are only 4 bolts from the bracket to the block, there are also a couple of dowel pins.

 

A big cold chisel and a good pisser from a hammer has always got them out for me.

[mowflow 67]

I got stuck at this bit. I sprayed it with plus gas and had a go at it with a BFH and a cold chisel. It didn't shift so I sprayed it again, left it overnight then hit the area with a blow torch the next day. 1 tap and it was out.

[James Cornell 10]

Well I spent another hour on it last night and tried the blow torch method which did move it a bit but after heating it up a second time I was knocking it with the punch/chisel and smashed my knuckle with the brick hammer and just thought f### it for tonight...

 

I will have another go tonight

[James Cornell 10]

Well I have finally got it out after another two hours...obviously the bearing is mullered, does the driveshaft come apart to replace the bearing or is it scrap?

[B1ack_Mi16 67]

The bearing can be pulled off and a new one slid on. They are standard dimensions, so I just ordered a few from eBay when I changed mine last time.

 

Old one can be cut off, but do not cut as deep as the shaft itself as this might lead to cracking later on.

I prefer to pull the old one off just to be safe.

 

Then new one can be pushed / lightly hammered on by use of a tube of a suitable diameter and length matching the bearing inner race diameter.

 

I made a puller to get it off, there it a kind of metal bush just pressed onto the shaft after the bearing that needs to come off at the same time also.

 

[Davy 18 1 Cars]

Just replaced a stiff intermediate bearing recently myself. The bearing came out of the housing easily but had to use a puller like above and a waft of heat to get the bearing and collar off.

 

Learned something new when I went round to the local bearing company for a new one... the old guy asked what it was being used on. I told him and he said "ah, you'd be better with a 3C one then as it's seeing a little bit of heat." Turns out that's a very slightly larger clearance value for bearings that are likely to expand a little with heat... £5 all in and a free education at the same time!

Edited August 5, 2014 by Davy

[James Cornell 10]

That is great news and hopefully I can take the knackered bearing to my local specialist (transmission of power) and get a replacement one for the rebuild

[welshpug 1,661]

its a 6006 you need, I've got a pair of SKF 6006-2RS1/C3's to freshen up some shafts myself, iirc came from bearingboys.co.uk.

[James Cornell 10]

Cheers welshpug, bearing ordered so I will rebuild that soon :-)

[petert 588]

Anyone handy with a gas axe can cut it off without nicking the shaft. A 30 sec job really.

[James Cornell 10]

The only axe I have has a wooden handle :-)