bearing puller recommendation?

[Testarossa]

Time to replace the swing-arm bearings. I'd like a recommendation for a decent-quality bearing puller kit -- most of the $50-$70 stuff on ebay looks like cheap crap with possibly soft collets, but the pro kits go for $250 and up. Has anyone here found a kit for under $100 made of good steel?

inner diameter of these bearings is 16mm so need something with a 15-to-16mm collet.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I have this set, bought probably eight years ago: https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4581-Hammer-Bearing-Puller/dp/B0002SRH7Y
Mine was made in Taiwan (might still be - Taiwan R.O.C.) and is very good quality. The collets are more than hard enough - I needed to modify one to clear an oil baffle plate in 4 spds. and had a devil of a time doing it. I hammer on them and use them in the press all the time and have barely even made a mark.

Some auto parts stores rent out blind bearing puller sets. 

[lucian]

I got an el cheapo from Harbor Freight and it still works good, Just used it the other day to pull connecting nipples out of some cast iron baseboard units we had to shorten up and they were stuck . You should be able to punch those bearings out with a long drift working around the circumference slowly.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

When I bought mine, the OTC kit was $75 and the HF kit was $30. It was worth the extra $45 to me.

If it's the Guzzi swingarm bearings are being replaced in, one can't just "punch them out". One can run a bead of weld around them to shrink them though.

[lucky phil]

Time to replace the swing-arm bearings. I'd like a recommendation for a decent-quality bearing puller kit -- most of the $50-$70 stuff on ebay looks like cheap crap with possibly soft collets, but the pro kits go for $250 and up. Has anyone here found a kit for under $100 made of good steel?

inner diameter of these bearings is 16mm so need something with a 15-to-16mm collet.

I made this to remove V11 Sport swingarm bearings. A slide hammer bearing puller and 50mm piece of box section steel. Has them out in under 30 seconds.

Phil

[Texas Turnip]

A Guzzi friend rode in from Washington with bad wheel bearings. We took wheel to the local AutoZone and borrowed their bearing puller and removed bearings in the parking lot. When RodeKyll was here he borrowed a puller from AutoZone and ? kept it for a week.

You would not have this option if you lived in Slapout, OK or Indianola, TX

Tex

 

[lucian]

Or you can use some bread :

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu1v3YkRgYM

[krglorioso]

I have a "Pit Posse" blind bearing puller I got from Don Van Zandt, former MGNOC NorCal Area Rep.  It works a charm, having used it on the wheel bearings on Don's SP-1000 and EV-Touring.  It's bulletproof and Don later gave it to me. 

(BTW, Don is 85, living on "Illusions", his 31' Cheoy Lee offshore in Vallejo CA.  We correspond daily and have for many years, for any Guzzisti who may have known Don).

Ralph

[lucky phil]

When I bought mine, the OTC kit was $75 and the HF kit was $30. It was worth the extra $45 to me.

If it's the Guzzi swingarm bearings are being replaced in, one can't just "punch them out". One can run a bead of weld around them to shrink them though.

Problem with that technique is it's no good for v11 Sport swingarm bearings. They are double row bearings and the weld and shrink method requires disassembling of the bearing which in itself can be messy sometimes. Together with the weld spatter protection required. It works well though at times. Also the best way to remove valve seats.

Ciao 

[Testarossa]

The OTC kit is now $175 on Amazon, $300 through CarQuest. I ordered it. I'm sure I'll use it again.

[Testarossa]

Ordered the OTC puller on Saturday from Amazon, received it Tuesday noon, had lunch and the bearings out by 1pm. Takes two pulls: the 15mm collet pulled the inner races, the big collet pulled the outer races after picking out the remains of the seal.

New bearings are in the freezer and will knock them in Wednesday morning with a 32mm socket. This is the 850T.

Also had to order new shock mount bushings for the Konis (from Ikon). Back on the road as soon as they arrive.

[Jens_L]

I actually buy quality stuff from Gedore or Kukko

https://www.amazon.com/Gedore-1-36-Counter-support-brace-0-1-30/dp/B0046YFXS0

Together with a blind bearing puller. But I buy them as I need them and spread the cost.
PRobably a little more expensive in the long run. I don't like the sliding hammer too much as you can break the inside puller shaft ( for sure if the diameter of the puller itself is quite small).

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I don't like the sliding hammer too much as you can break the inside puller shaft ( for sure if the diameter of the puller itself is quite small).

I've used the OTC kit with slide hammer here in the shop for the last 7 years or so. I use the slide hammer with lots of force sometimes and have never experienced any breaking of an "inside puller shaft".

[Jens_L]

I've used the OTC kit with slide hammer here in the shop for the last 7 years or so. I use the slide hammer with lots of force sometimes and have never experienced any breaking of an "inside puller shaft".

I didn't really know how to call the thing, since I'm not a native English speaker, I tried to describe it in a way people would understand.
Anyway, mine ended up looking like this:

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I didn't really know how to call the thing, since I'm not a native English speaker, I tried to describe it in a way people would understand.
Anyway, mine ended up looking like this:

I understood what you meant well enough - I've never broken one of those, even when using pretty serious force.

[lucky phil]

Pulling the s/arm bearings is like a few other scenarios and is as much about technique as anything. The puller mechanism image I posted is about putting some serious load on the bearing and then the critical part. Take a brass drift and tap around the outside of the bearing housing and the bearing moves. Once its moved initially then it tends to be released and keeps moving with the puller slide hammer.  If not you may need to repeat the process as the bearing comes out 2 or 3 times but in short order the slide hammer is enough to get it the majority of the way out. You could be there all day trying to slide hammer it out without the load and tap technique. It's like removing the crank primary drive gear on earlier Ducatis with the tapered crank and gear. You can putt a ton of torque on the puller and get nowhere or put a moderate torque and load on the puller and the give the gear a sharp hit with a 1 inch brass drift and a 1 pound hammer and it just pops off.

Ciao   

[Testarossa]

After years of beating up my sockets I finally bit the bullet and spent the money on a seal/bearing driver set. For $25 - $40 they are worth it.

I hear you. I don't beat on a socket with a steel hammer. The rubber mallet seems to work fine.