Needle bearing nightmare

Title says it all. Trying to do the ECGS bushing swap. Bought the Yukon bushing and puller off Amazon. First thing the puller did was mangle the bearings, pulled all the needles out and all that is left in the dif is the race and the puller won't pull it. Anybody have any ideas?

 

Is there any lip at all on the backside of the race?
If so, you might try blind hole puller. But if the lip is busted clean off all the way around it won't work.

What ever you do, don't beat it in trying to "get it out".

 

Not much lip left at all. I tried rotating the tool around to try and get a bite on it but the tool just pulled through. Rented a slide hammer and the pilot bearing puller from AutoZone and that didn't get it either.

 

Hate to say it but ECGS has a tool specifically for that and many will loan you theirs or sell them on this forum. $45 new.

 

Good luck O.P

 

Hmm not looking to give bad advice here so someone stop me if so but what about adding a washer slightly larger too the tool? Cut it the same shape just a hair bigger on an end to see if it’ll bite?

 

Yes. I bought the Yukon tool on Amazon that is supposed to do the same thing but it must be out of spec, to short or something. I was trying to get a loaner ECGS for a while with no luck so I bought the Yukon one thinking it would do just as well, but apparently not.

 

Yeah, I had the same idea. I bought a few different washers that were close but none have worked so far. I'm not sure why it won't come out.

 

Even the ECGS tool takes a few trys to get right on the back of the old bearing sleeve and not on the diff tube.
Have to jam a plastic bag in the diff to avoid dropping the small end of the tool in and then wiggle it around to get just the bearing.
If you watch their video that small end that goes into the tube to pull is flipped 180 from their pic, i.e the smaller end in first and the larger flat end contacts the bearing sleeve.
I tried it the way the above pic shows and it did not fit right so maybe the Yukon tool is the same.
ECGS end has no rounded shoulders on it compared to the Yukon. Yukon shows the end the correct orientation to use.

 

In your scenario, OP, I would try using a torch to heat up the housing surrounding the stuck race. Not glowing red hot, but just enough to be able to remove the race and not heat soak and damage anything nearby. With some careful trial and error, you should get it just hot enough to pull out the race by (gloved) hand but the puller or slide hammer will remove it like it's nothing.

 

I second heating up the metal around the the bushing, there's allot of mass there in the case material so it's going to take awhile. I'd add that heat alone probably wont be enough, I'd include some type of cold spray directly on the race just before you attempt to pull it. (the aerosol spray for cleaning your computer keyboard puts out some really cold liquid when turned upside down. There's also a slide hammer setup to pull an inside bearing, the fingers on the tool grab the inner edge of the bearing race. Looks like one of these. The difference in this tool and some of the others are the there's an adjustment that forces the fingers to spread assisting in catching the inner edge of the race, that feature is almost mandatory for this job.

The last resort is cutting the race which is difficult but not impossible. For that I'd use a dremel with metal cutting disks, because it's an inside bearing it's impossible to cut a 90 degree cut the length of the race with one of those but you can cut a spiral in the race with a dremel. Put something inside to catch most of the debris and flush some oil through to catch any shavings that made it inside.

 

I did mine years ago, I ended up with a chisel/punch between bearing race and housing/tube, bending it upwards so it kinked into the center, then just pulled it out with needle nose pliers, did not need a tool to remove it, used a correct sized socket and extension to drive the new bearing in

 

It would be a slow but safe process but a single hack saw blade (unsupported), will give you a straight line cut where the two cut ends can be tapped inwards to then pull out the bearing retainer with needle nose pliers. Don't cut all the way through, just enough to bend the retainer inward. As mentioned stuff a plastic bag in the hole and you can smear bearing grease on top of the bag to catch the chips. You must not ding, dent or cut the race in the case, the slightest dimple and the EGR bushing will not go back in. Careful with a Dremel tool as can do damage quickly.

 

There's a lip in from the bearing where the opening necks down. That's going to make any straight line cuts problematic.

 

You think a propane or map gas torch would be enough? I don't have an oxy/acetylene.

 

Ya, a map gas torch would be my preference for this purpose, being patient and heating evenly around the circumference of the housing, while taking breaks after it's good and hot to check to see if it will come out.

Ridefreak's tip on cooling off the race is a good one, too. I've even had good luck with a spray bottle of water that makes for flame-free cooling (unlike WD40! Lol) but the air duster would be ideal.

 

Well I got it out. Didn't quite go as quick and easy as I thought but its done. Hammer and chisel/punch and some elbow grease. Managed to not bugger up the housing except for right on the lip and I just got a rat tail file and cleaned it up a bit. Put the new bushing in with the back side of my 35mm axle socket and some persuasion. It eliminated most of the vibes but for some reason I still got a bit of vibes at about 60mph. Might be tires out of balance, idk but it's waayy better than it was before so I'll take it. Thanks for all the help and the advice fellas!!

 

I ended up cutting a swazall blade to make it slim and slowly cutting the bottom of the race at the lowest speed, very carefully.

 

Jeez….

Glad you go it!

I just stumbled across your thread and was about to PM you and see about mailing you up my ECGS removal tool. Sometimes you just have to help a brother out…

No need for that now though.

 

Dang it! Yeah that would have been nice to get. I tried posting on a few local groups on Facebook but no luck. Hopefully the next guy to to read this thread can message you and get it.