[Sandwich]

Bearing race is stuck in the lower headtube. Can't tap from the top without some sort of offset screwdriver. Can pry from the bottom, but that's a skinny headtube wall. Currently soaking in penetrant. Any other ideas? I can also just run an open bearing in the bottom, but I'd love to have a nice sealed setup.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Bearing race is stuck in the lower headtube. Can't tap from the top without some sort of offset screwdriver. Can pry from the bottom, but that's a skinny headtube wall. Currently soaking in penetrant. Any other ideas? I can also just run an open bearing in the bottom, but I'd love to have a nice sealed setup.

Very careful use of a Dremel with an abrasive wheel?

 

[Sandwich]

Very careful use of a Dremel with an abrasive wheel?

I may need to pick up a dremel if I polish this thing (it'll help with the corrosion regardless). That is a solid idea.

 

[gonefirefightin]

Using a rotary cutting wheel a smidge smaller in diameter than the race ID you can score it with a slight 10-degree angle to get it thin enough in one kerf to pry it out without touching the frame

 

[StiHacka]

Somehow, the idea of cutting a hardened steel race embedded in a heat treated soft alloy tube isn't very appealing to me. I'd try some penetrant and tapping action. Why does it need to be tapped out with an offset tool?

 

[Sandwich]

The large silver ring behind the race is part of the frame and obscures the top of the race. I need something L shaped.

Somehow, the idea of cutting a hardened steel race embedded in a heat treated soft alloy tube isn't very appealing to me. I'd try some penetrant and tapping action. Why does it need to be tapped out with an offset tool?

 

[Sandwich]

Woody suggested a torch, but I’m a little cagey about heat

 

[gonefirefightin]

Woody suggested a torch, but I’m a little cagey about heat

Heat will only cause tempering issues

 

[Jm_]

Blind bearing puller, i had to do the same recently.

 

[chuffer]

Can you get a sharp flat edge punch or screw driver between the top of the race and the bottom of the frame? Try tapping / wedging it in every 45 degrees slowly working the race out.

You could cut it out, but I’d use a die grinder with a small cylinder shaped burr.

Regardless how you do it, it will be a project. Have a beer before starting…?

 

[Westy]

Magnets

 

[Westy]

A chunk of oak can be easily cut into whatever shape you need to catch an edge of the race to tap out. Strong enough to do the job yet shouldn't damage anything. Temperature differential will help but not too hot, get some dry ice on the race and a heat gun on low on the head tube.

 

[StiHacka]

Hard wood saves the day, again.

 

[jonKranked]

i blame @SuspectDevice

 

[Jm_]

Blind bearing puller, i had to do the same recently.

And if for some reason there isn't enough to catch with the blind bearing puller after tightening the hell out of it, that's where a dremel comes in, you can dremel the catches in without worrying about cutting into the aluminum.

 

[SuspectDevice]

stick the heatube in a vat of coca cola, then hardwood pokey poke- the go with the cut/slice/chisel method.
That’s is an IS headtube, loose ballz would beed to go on that aluminum race, fwiw, so you need to get the scrap outta there. A bearing puller would definitely work too.
If all else fails, go visit one of the two local framebuilders with IS41 reamers and lathes set up for reaming. They’ll want to cut and slice and pull stuff first anyway though .

 

[Jm_]

stick the heatube in a vat of coca cola

Or like, just use some penetrating oil, which is actually the right chemical?

 

[Westy]

Or like, just use some penetrating oil, which is actually the right chemical?

The phosphoric acid in coke can dissolve iron oxide if the race has rusted, well convert the rust. Not intended to be a lubricant.

 

[rideit]

Me-eow!

 

[jdcamb]

Slide Hammer and Bearing Puller Set, 5 Piece (harborfreight.com)

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Slide Hammer and Bearing Puller Set, 5 Piece (harborfreight.com)

I wouldn't buy anything from Harbor Freight on a bet.

 

[Sandwich]

No luck with penetrating oil (that's what PBlaster is) and I was finally able to bend a spare screwdriver enough to contact the race from the top...but it's not getting much purchase on the ridge. I get one tap then it slides off.

I have dry ice available at work, so I may try and boil the head tube with a dry-ice-chaser on the steel ring, followed by a tap-tap-a-roo to see if that will dislodge it. Otherwise I intend on dremeling and will try a cylinder grinder attachment, if that's reasonable.

 

[jonKranked]

given the general poor cosmetic condition of the frame, i'd wager there's co-corrosion between the race and the headtube.

i would set up some sort of jig/fixture for both the frame and the dremel so that when you start grinding/cutting you can control the pressure and back off quickly when needed.

 

[Jm_]

Slide Hammer and Bearing Puller Set, 5 Piece (harborfreight.com)

I got an 8-peice (8 sizes, + slide hammer) on amazon for $40. Works fine.

 

[boostindoubles]

Maybe its just off center and wedged in - can you push it farther in and then pull it out easily?

 

[Sandwich]

Maybe its just off center and wedged in - can you push it farther in and then pull it out easily?

I'm tempted to give it a whack vertically to see if I can loosen it from it's corroded "glue". That being said, I do not see any "daylight" above the highest part of the ring. I can barely get any purchase with a filed screwdriver on the in-between.

I found a small washer that is almost exactly the diameter I need. Tried dunking in the LN2 at work but it didn't shrink enough to fit on top. I gathered some dry ice, which I will use to hot alumium, cold race this evening, but given how tricky it's been so far, I'm not encouraged.

The blind bearing pulled might work. I have to see if the 32mm collet will fit. Honestly that's all I really need- if I can get that collet to rest on top of the race, I can whack it from the top. I don't love the idea of cutting, but it's like 1.5mm of steel...I wonder if autozone will rent me the tool

 

[Carraig042]

Slide hammer with a pulling hook attachment? Or use something like the hook attachment to hammer out from the top? May need to do some grinding to get it to fit on that small lip.

 

[englertracing]

what if you cut the bike off of the part?

 

[rideit]

what if you cut the bike off of the part?

oUt oF tHe bOx tHiNkINg

 

[canadmos]

Have you tried it now?

 

[pizza diavola]

Have you tried it now?

Two-plus days for the "try it nao" response? You guys are slipping.

 

[Sandwich]

Have you tried it now?

Yes
I’m a bit stumped on this. Woody really wants me to blow torch it. I ordered up a dremel though I'm a bit nervous about using it. I'm tempted to buy a bearing puller on amazon and return it if it doesn't work. It's a bit morally bankrupt but so is amazon.

 

[jdcamb]

You can send it to me. I will take it out and send it back to you.

 

[Adventurous]

Yes
I’m a bit stumped on this. Woody really wants me to blow torch it. I ordered up a dremel though I'm a bit nervous about using it. I'm tempted to buy a bearing puller on amazon and return it if it doesn't work. It's a bit morally bankrupt but so is amazon.

Buy the bearing puller.

As far as chemical treatments, I like Evaporust.

 

[englertracing]

Can you put your oven to 200 and put the frame in there? I do it often with engine cases to replace bearings, sometimes the other bearings fall out. And 200f is nothing to the heat treat, just don't dunk it in water

 

[canadmos]

Wasn't there someone else who had a bearing stuck in a frame here recently? Or maybe it was the bearing race on a fork?

I remember them saying as soon as they made a relief cut in it with a Dremel, they were able to easily get it out.

 

[jonKranked]

Wasn't there someone else who had a bearing stuck in a frame here recently? Or maybe it was the bearing race on a fork?

I remember them saying as soon as they made a relief cut in it with a Dremel, they were able to easily get it out.

wasn't me, but many years ago i had to do this with an aluminum seat post stuck in a steel frame.

 

[Jm_]

Wasn't there someone else who had a bearing stuck in a frame here recently? Or maybe it was the bearing race on a fork?

I remember them saying as soon as they made a relief cut in it with a Dremel, they were able to easily get it out.

I had this exact problem with a BB bearing.

 

[Sandwich]

OK, well I have some tools coming to try. Been soaking it in various penetrating oils in the meantime. I ordered the bearing puller and dremel, we'll see which one I decide to use. I don't really want to keep the puller, but if it can get purchase on the race then that should work.

 

[ebarker9]

I've encountered the same and a bearing puller worked perfectly.