slice Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Ok so finally got round to replacing the front wheel bearing on the bike, I have if I'm honest been thinking that the MOT bloke who did my bike way back in April was having a bit of a laugh when he said that the front and rear bearings were in need of doing. So finally got the time to slip the front wheel off, knocked out the first bearing and it was ok'ish a bit grumbly but not what you would call knackered 2nd bearing comes out and f**k me there is half the cage missing AND one of the balls is no where to be seen! I mean how can a ball bearing be missing? Counted those in the other bearing and sure enough I have one less in the off side ball race! I have been riding on this since April cos I thought I knew better, just goes to show no matter how many times you think the MOT guy is taking the piss they might actually be right. I am going to do the rear bearings tomorrow and can only wonder what horrors lay in wait. Oh and my new ABBA lift has been christened "STANNAH" in honour of your comments about my age and mobility, see I can take a joke tho I suspect some of you buggers weren't joking 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted August 6, 2019 Author Share Posted August 6, 2019 Ok part 2, Rear wheel off, try to take the bearing seal off as usual and guess what the poxy thing just crumbles to dust, oh my! Can't shift the bearings either, 2 on one side and 1 on the other that have practically welded themselves to the outer wheel hub (bollocks!) So onto ebay and order up a set of bearing extractors as I am NOT hitting these things with my usual enthusiasm (san's lump hammer and long drift) So as I have a gap in my schedule thought why not take the diff off of the swing arm and give it a bit of a birthday? New paint and a bit of a polish will not hurt, little do I know, the thing is supposed to come out with a bit of a wiggle and bob's you uncle job done, yeah right, this thing has I suspect been on since it was built in 2001. 2 crowbars and an hour later I have half of the thing in my hands, the other half, actual drive shaft is stuck in the hole. having ripped the final drive oil seal clean out of the housing. So with lot's of swearing and some lost skin I finally get the last part out, it's as rusty as f**k! Splines are fine just never had a dollop of grease or oil I suspect since first built if then. It's all repairable and will all go back nice and easy eventually but what price a simple swipe of grease at the factory? So at the moment neither job has been done, when it should have taken at most 2 or 3 hours I'm now at 3 day's! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator drewpy Posted August 6, 2019 Moderator Share Posted August 6, 2019 Never mind, think of the kudos of doing it yourself? to take bearings out , weld a plate over inner bearing then hit from other side. The welding will heat the bearing too to dislodge any corrosion 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted August 10, 2019 Author Share Posted August 10, 2019 So here we have part 3 of this seemingly never ending saga. I have the rear wheel bearings all done, great, I have the rear diff all painted and ready to go back in, equally great, BUT I don't have the one and only oil seal I need! Apparently it's in Japan? Cos most sensible people NEVER need to replace it. So more fishing around looking for things that need doing while I wait the 9 chuffing day's it will take to get here! Fowlers by the way have been nothing but helpful in my hunt for rare parts that a 19 year old bike need. So just by chance I notice a small drip of oil on the floor right by the near side front brake, I now have to replace the fork seals as well! I suppose you could say that "every cloud has a silver lining" cos this would need doing anyway, but I'm feeling hard done by at the moment as every time I sort of finish one job another bloody problem shows up! At least the weather is horrible so I probably would not be out and about but it still sucks. And finally as I will have the forks out why not just do the head stock bearings as well? Seems like a good idea to me! Pretty sure this is not the last time you will see me moaning about the bike. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 I'll give you £100 to take it off your hands. No more stress or worry mate, you know it makes sense 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted August 10, 2019 Author Share Posted August 10, 2019 As I've always heard the Scots are generous to a fault! But thanks for the offer, I suspect that I have spent more than that on the new bloody tools this damned thing has eaten it's way through 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted August 14, 2019 Author Share Posted August 14, 2019 Part 4, told you I would be back! Anyway the seal arrived this morning which is pretty damned quick, I was told 9 day's so pleased as punch that it only took 4. So offered it up to the drive shaft and it's just perfect, so slowly and carefully slide it into place, you have to use a drift to get it on as it's a really tight fit, BUGGER! It pays to look twice and do the job once cos muggings here has now got the seal on backwards, I mean you could not make this shit up. Anyway finally got the thing off and really chuffed that I didn't manage to ruin the blasted thing, so the diff is sitting there in all it's glory now ready to go back on. I ordered the fork seals from Fowlers which also showed up but now I find that I don't in fact need them as when I jacked the bike up I over extended the forks and it was just a dribble of oil from a small piece of dirt that was causing the problem, My SEALMATE fixed that in about 30 seconds. So the forks and head stock will be done in the winter as I have had just about enough of sodding about with this poxy machine. So the moral of this saga seems to be. Just do the job you set out to do and don't go looking for other things to fix when you get a bit of down time waiting for parts. But I have found out what makes the drive shaft work so not all bad news I suppose. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator drewpy Posted August 14, 2019 Moderator Share Posted August 14, 2019 Should have used a mirror to put the seal on, then it would be fine Glad it's all sorted now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Snakebite68 Posted October 21, 2020 Moderator Share Posted October 21, 2020 Something I found out recently about wheel bearings... Stick the bike on the stands and spin and wiggle the wheel around to check the bearings, all sounds and feels good! I think that's the end of it... Well, you're not supposed to get to your destination and turn the engine off while you're still moving apparently, but I do it anyway at work because it's down hill from the security gate to where I park my bike, and... What's that grumbling??? Yup, the bearings that sounded ok on inspection don't sound nearly as good with my fat ass on the bike! They sound SO much better now they've been replaced while I'm gliding into my parking space behind the air-con units! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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