Help - fitting lower head race bearing problem

[maviczap]

Having problems fitting the lower bearing race into the frame. Its a taper bearing I'm fitting, not the OEM caged ball bearings.

I've popped out the original OEM lower race easily enough

Original OEM bearing number is SAC3055-1
bearing size is 30 x 55 x 17

The replacement is 32006
bearing size is 30 x 55 x 17

The roller bearing has been pressed onto the bottom yoke, so that's fine

But I cannot fit the lower bearing race into the frame far enough, so that the yoke is sitting in the right place. I've tried using the threaded rod with a locknut at one end and trying to press the race into the frame by turning a nut at the other end, as per Haynes manual.

Even ****ting the race really really hard only gets it to about 10mm from where it should be. It shouldn't be such a tight fit should it

Before anyone says, I haven't been hitting the bearing race directly.

Any ideas on why I cant fit this?

[yorkie_chris]

Have you got it c*cked off to one side?

I warm frame up by wrapping headstock in a rag and pouring hot water on it. Gives a tiny bit more clearance.

Feel above race, there is a step the bearing must seat against. Are you on it? If not is the gap to it even?

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Have you got it c*cked off to one side?

I warm frame up by wrapping headstock in a rag and pouring hot water on it. Gives a tiny bit more clearance.

Feel above race, there is a step the bearing must seat against. Are you on it? If not is the gap to it even?

Intitally I was having this problem, but I did get in square eqventually. But hard as I could hit it, I could only get it to within about 10 - 12mm of the step in the frame.

I popped the race out, an you could see the score mark where it had got to in the frame.

Hot air gun ?

[yorkie_chris]

Yeah hot air gun or water from kettle will heat it.

If it has scored like that then it must not have been going in evenly. Use the old race as a driver

[Spanner Man]

Good afternoon all.


These can be a sod to get in squarely. I use a blowlamp to gently heat the frame, & use plenty of grease on the frame & the outside of the bearing race. This will usually do the trick.
You ideally need to have something of the correct diameter to drift the new bearing race into position. An old bearing race that's had it's diameter ground down, so it doesn't stick in the frame is ideal.
The problem is your old race, being the caged ball type isn't hefty enough to use a drift againt the 32006 race. So, you'll have to find something suitable.


Cheers.

[maviczap]

Cheers YC and Spanner man. I think a bit of warmth might help here, although if I'm going to be using the hot air gun, then I'd better remove the tank!

Bloomin frustrating I can tell you

[maviczap]

YC & Spanner Man it worked! With the application of heat from the gun the bearings almost flew in. Took as long to remove the tank as it did to drift the bearings in.

Why couldn't it have been this easy this morning

Top tip, I used an SV oil filter wrench mounted the wrong way round on a long socket extention bar as a drift.

Greased both bearings as Mr Suzuki seem to have forgotten to do the top one when he made my Sv

I owe you 2 a pint, as I was on the point of ring my local bike shop

[Spanner Man]

Good evening all.


Glad to hear it's sorted.


Cheers.

[fastdruid]

FWIW I just used hot water and didn't bother removing the tank, did use 4 kettle loads though (one to remove each bearing and one to insert the new one).

Druid

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by fastdruid

FWIW I just used hot water and didn't bother removing the tank, did use 4 kettle loads though (one to remove each bearing and one to insert the new one).

Druid

Its a long way from my kitchen to my garage, 4 kettle loads would have been even more hard work

Thank godness for the Aldi hot air gun I bought ages ago, for those just in case moments

GSXR top and bottom yoke installed now, so sometime this week some install pics