Wheel Bearing Removal

[Chris400F]

Having picked up a good 350F front wheel for little more than the cost of rechroming my pitted rim I thought I would check the bearings before fitting. The wheel is supposedly from a 10000 mile bike but 40 year old grease possibly not the best.
I picked up a Bearing Retaining Ring removal tool from a very helpful guy on eBay (may give him a plug in the Recommended Sources section) so that bit is out of the way.
Next I need to remove the bearings. Any suggestions for a suitable tool? The Haynes manual suggests a soft metal drift but isn't entirely clear, the Honda Shop Manual stops at removing the retaining ring.
Bearings feel OK but at very least probably want cleaning and greasing, if they are destroyed by removal then new ones will be in order!

[totty]

For most bikes you need to tap them out from the opposite side, either pushing the spacer to one side or using a cut out in it. I would always replace after this, and if you're replacing them you don't need to worry about damaging them so anything that fits is a suitable tool. I've never just re greased but I guess to do that you'd leave them in place and just remove the outer seal.

[Chris400F]

The bearings are shielded, at least on the side facing outwards.
Sounds like new bearings are probably the best bet - who is a sensibly priced supplier?
I also read somewhere that heating the hub with a hot air gun could help - may try that too.

[Bryanj]

Basically take a long rod and push the internal spacer sideways to get the drift onto the inner bearing race and hit the end hard with a large hammer. As you are knocking on the inner race to move the outer race you should ALWAYS replace not re-grease. They are a standard bearing  that should be available from any local supplier or online bike shop but do check the Honda price as way back when it was cheaper to buy Honda at 25% discount than aftermarket with a 75% discount

[Chris400F]

Thanks for the advice.
Old bearings now out. A bit reluctant to shift at first but a bit of heat from a hot air gun and they came out with no bother.
New bearings and seals on order from All Balls, should be here tomorrow.
Have already checked out other threads on refitting so should all be sorted this weekend.

[gtmdriver]

To be honest, once the old bearings have been removed by drifting on the inner race (which is the only option) I would never re-fit them in case the balls or tracks have been damaged during the removal process.

New bearings are cheap enough to replace as a matter of course.

I also tend to use the ZZ variety with grease seals on both faces.

[Chris400F]

Yes, when I think about it replacement is the obvious option. When I started I was working on the recommendations in Mr Haynes's manual about cleaning and regreasing, but realistically that is from 40 years ago and things have moved on since then.
I went for the All Balls bearings as I have read of others on here using parts from them, and at less than £14 for new bearings and seals it doesn't break the bank.
The bearings they supply have grease seals on both sides whereas the ones I have removed have seals on one side only.

[gtmdriver]

If they have grease seals on both sides then they obviously need no additional grease.

When you drift them it try to drift on the outer race not the inner. A big socket is handy here, or even the old bearing.

Don't forget the spacer!

[Bryanj]

And on the spacer don't forget to straighten out the ears that got bent when you pushed it sideways to drift th so that it sits centrale bearings out

[Chris400F]

Bearing kit arrived today. The description of the kit said "All the bearings and seals required to refit one wheel in one convenient package". From the package it seems the same kit is suitable for bikes from the CB/CL 200 through to the CB900 and comes with three different seals, but not the O ring that sits under the Gearbox Retainer on the right of the wheel. There wasn't one at all in the wheel I am working on although there is one in a spare hub I have.

From the Parts List this is P/N 91302-317-700, described as O ring, 53.8 x 3.1. Searching on DS by P/N they seem to show the size as 54 x 2. I know thickness isn't likely to be as crucial as in something like an oil pump but that seems a bit of a difference. Has anyone else been here?