I'm replacing the stationary gear main bearings. I have one done but on the
other two the small screws won't budge. I can tell the heads are going to
strip if I try to force them any more. As I was getting ready to drill them
out I wondered if maybe I could just use the hydraulic press to press the
bearing out and let the screw be sheared off. I had planned to replace the
screws anyway.

1) Anyone done this or is the risk of scratching the surface under the
bearing too great?

2) Is replacing these screws mandatory? Are the bearing fits not tight
enough to keep them in place? I'd hate to have one of these screws fall out
later.

Jay

Warm it in a kitchen oven to 500 F. That might kill any lock tight put on
the screw. I would not press the bearing out with the screw in there. Try
drilling and then use a eazy out to un screw it.

Paul Lamar


Jay, If these screws can go thru to the inside of the bearing you can use a
milling machine bit or a drill to remove the head of the screw only, then
use a slightly dull drill smaller than the inside diameter of the threads to
screw the threaded part into the center of the bearing. As with any stuborn
screw, you might use a punch to hit the screw head which will make them
looser. If you heat the stationary gear screw, put a drilled piece of flat
bar around the screw hole and heat only the screw with a torch.

All
stationary gears since 1994 and all cosmo gears are heat treated and I would
prefer not to heat the gear. In industry we heat the bolts whigh are
prevented from expanding by the surrounding part, then when they cool the
crush caused by the heating has made them looser. I generally hit them with
the punch while they are hot.

Some bolts have the head wring off trying to
get them out, then we weld a washer to the end of the bolt using about three
successive tack welds and they come out with just pliers. I do this on 300HP
wood chippers and Ford truck exhaust manifold studs and rarely have a
problem, but for a bolt shank that is completely threaded and can screw thru
to the inside the milling machine or an electric drill is easier on the
part. In any event the loc-tite needs 340 degrees to break down.


george grimes