How to remove Headrace bearings?

Originally Posted by Geoffrey

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.

Originally Posted by Geoffrey

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.

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?

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

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.

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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

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]

Originally Posted by Geoffrey

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

Originally Posted by 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.

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