How to remove Headrace bearings?

[Geoffrey]

Hi all,

My son is going ahead with the GSXR swap on his Curvy SV so we have been thinking it over and the main problems we can see are the following;


1) Keeping the front up without using a front paddock stand, Dangerous Dave offered his NSW stand a few weeks back so this could already be sorted

2) Getting the steering bearings (head-race) out, how do we do this and fit the new ones afterwards?


I have seen a few threads on GSXR swaps but none really explain the process of removing the bearings, its a Curvy remember so we need to new bearing from TWF.

Thank you in advance for the replies

[Wideboy]

2) Getting the steering bearings (head-race) out, how do we do this?


beet the living crap out of them :)

[Sean_C]

I got a round file with a flat end on it, and a rubber mallet, and knocked them out from beneath the headstock. Worked a treat, I was careful not to get too carried away though, what with the bike being on a jack and paddock stand..

[Wideboy]

try and find some way of freezing them if you can (with a spray or something) should help them coming out easier

i have a big old screw driver with a wooden handle i use as a drift

make sure you tap them out square to prevent damage to the frame

[carsounds_dan]

firstly the freezing technique is a good ruite to go down, just try and freeze the races though if you freeze the rest of the bike you could make more work for yourself...
then if you look down your pretty empty headstock you will see that there are two little half moons cut out of it that the bearing races sit against... place a punch/file/bit of wood in these little intents and batter the living hell out of them until they fall out.. try and do it evenly mind as you can damage the headstock if you get them skew wiff.. nothing terminal but will make your job harder.
many thanks
dan

[Bibio]

never ever use a file, they are brittle. they snap, it hurts, you end up in casulty.

just get the cheepest longest flat bladed screwdriver (30cm or longer) you can find then hammer the sh*t out of it using the drift points in the headstock.

top tip, once you have removed the old races get a dremmil and cut a slot out of the old race you can then use this as a drift collar when inserting the new races.

good luck.

[northwind]

If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough.

But do be careful, if you muller it out on one side it could oval the headstock, the bearings are tougher than the frame. You need to tap it out equally around the race, so that it comes out all at the same time not one side first.

[yorkie_chris]

+1 northy.

Get them moving square. They will move. Cheap screwdriver is usually best bet.

[zadar]

If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough.

But do be careful, if you muller it out on one side it could oval the headstock, the bearings are tougher than the frame. You need to tap it out equally around the race, so that it comes out all at the same time not one side first.
what he said.
you will get instructions for install from TWF.it is really simple,just follow it.
if you don't have round file get one.

[Hooligan]

I use a long engine mounting bolt for a drift. May be of use to someone. I ground the hex bolt off into a circle then used that ever since.

[Dangerous Dave]

Keeping the front up without using a front paddock stand, Dangerous Dave offered his NSW stand a few weeks back so this could already be sorted
Sorted, you have a PM, just let me know when and I might be able to give you a hand also.

Getting the steering bearings (head-race) out, how do we do this and fit the new ones afterwards?
I think everybody has answered this for you.

[Geoffrey]

Thank you for all your posts; the SV-GSXR bearing is in the post now.

Will we be needing to replace the lower SV bearing to a tapered roller too, and if so where is the best place to source one? Can you use a ball at the bottom and a roller at the top?


Sorted, you have a PM, just let me know when and I might be able to give you a hand also.
Thank you for that Dave but only if you are fully fit.

[northwind]

You don't have to... I did mine anyway, since the strip and build time is what makes it troublesome to change the bearings, so I thought I might as well while I was in there.

[airbrush_assasin]

Heat gun and a long drift. Put the new bearing in the fridge while your getting the old one out, and heat the headstock to re-fit it. it will give you time to give it a few good whacks with a hammer. Use a large socket to hammer the race in. Getting the bearing off the stem requires heat again, use a chisel and tap it with a hammer round the base, be careful not to go too far and damage the stem. refitting new one needs more heat, get a tube that is slightly bigger than the stem but same size as the bearing and tap it down till it stops.
to hold the bike get a paddock stand and 2 axle stands and support under the motor or either side of the frame. good luck. There are bearing removal tools available, just search the net.

[Geoffrey]

A quick update, we have a tapered lower bearing ordered from Wemoto. We have the whole front end almost, just looking for clip-ons and calipers (although DD is digging around in his sheds for some).

Thank you for all the posts.

[Sid Squid]

If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough.

But do be careful, if you muller it out on one side it could oval the headstock, the bearings are tougher than the frame. You need to tap it out equally around the race, so that it comes out all at the same time not one side first.

This is excellent advice. Take it. It's essential the bearing comes out squarely to avoid frame damage.

One thing surprises me though - the much given advice to spank the carp out of everything. If you bring the bearing out squarely it will require very little force to shift it.

[yorkie_chris]

Except perhaps to get it moving the initial bit, I use a bit of penetrating oil, don't know how much good it does but it can't hurt.

[fastdruid]

I've always found they came out fairly easily for the lowers, a gentle tap from side to side did the trick fairly rapidly but the uppers were a PITA as you are hitting up and can't see so well.

+1 for reusing the old bearing as a drift but I just wave an angle driver through them, far quicker and easier than a dremel. I have a goodly collection of old seals and bearings with a slice taken out!

Druid

[C9CRM]

I have just done my head bearings, I put the rear up on a paddock stand and tied the front ( around the front of the frame then a safety rope onto the front fairing bracket ) to a beam in the roof of my garage with some rope, was very stable, a lot more than when I tried it on a paddock stand and jack. The bearings came out very easily, light tapping with a long flat head screwdriver in the grooves, as long as it stays square it should come out fairly easily.

[dirtydog]

Will we be needing to replace the lower SV bearing to a tapered roller too?

You don't have to... I did mine anyway, since the strip and build time is what makes it troublesome to change the bearings, so I thought I might as well while I was in there.


I did mine as well seeing as i had it all apart anyway saves doing it later on.

The biggest PITA I had was fitting the new bottom bearings

[Dangerous Dave]

We have the whole front end almost, just looking for clip-ons and calipers (although DD is digging around in his sheds for some).
I have a set that will fit, they are six pots off of my TL but I still think four pots are much better. You can borrow these whilst you source some four pots if you want?

[Geoffrey]

I have some TL clipons now, I think that is it now correct?

[yorkie_chris]

Yes for 750SRAD forks, and also probably the later USD forks too, but not sure about later uns

[Dangerous Dave]

I have some TL clipons now, I think that is it now correct?
Yeap, you have everything now. Let me know when and i'll send the stand up....

[Red Herring]

For supporting the bike I use an old metal builders trestle, you know the sort that extend up and down. You pull it apart, slide the bottom half under the bike so it sits just behind the headstock (the bottom crossmember is just in front of the front cylinder) then put the top half back on and use two straps between the top crossmember and the bike frame to support it. Guaranteed not to fall over.....