head race bearings

[mickwinf]

Why is it always the easy jobs that go wrong?! My 500 is fitted with taper roller headstock bearings but they are badly worn and notchy so i thought i would replace them.Problem is the lower outer race that is fitted into the frame, it is flush with the inside diameter of the frame, so i can't get anything behind to drive it out. I have tried driving a chisel into the join from the side with no success and a drill wont touch it as its so hard. Any help appreciated, thanks, Mick

[LesterPiglet]

Hit it with an electric welder. That will expand it and hopefully free it. Failing that weld some bar or something onto it for leverage. Remember to disconnect your battery first.

[Bryanj]

The 2 "Normal" ways are to put a run of weld onto the tapered race all the way round which should shrink, and frequently cracks, the race so it falls out

OR cut through it with a Dremel

[jcknapp]

I just installed some of those babies. I heated my tube with a hairdryer(so the paint wouldnt melt). My race fittings were in the freezer for about an hour beforehand. So I recommend heating the tube and lightly tapping it out from the top with a flathead screwdriver. Or BryanJ has a good one too and hit it carefully with the dremel. That has saved my life many times in smaller areas...

[florence]

This is why I favour the standard bearing.

[mickwinf]

well they are out!! As i dont have a welder i had to grind a mm off the inside diameter of the headstock behind the bearing race just enough to get an old screwdriver on the edge to tap it out.New ones installed with heat/freezer method described by jcknapp, so on to the next job! Thanks for help guys.

[kifer]

liking the hair dryer idea thats one for my book, cracking

[Tomb]

I use a hair dryer for quite a lot of stuff on the bike, warming fuel pipe to get it on taps/carbs, carb/head rubber whilst inserting carbs.

I might as well use the hair dryer for bike jobs, its got no other use since I'm an old bald bastard now