Plus 2 rear wheel bearing

[Stevie-Heathie]

Quickie this boys and girls:

Chistopher Neils reckon on 6 hours of labour to change a rear wheel
bearing on my Plus 2S. This sounds like a hell of a long time. Can it
be true? For a Lotus specialist?

Many thanks for everyone's input on the oil-free diff and gearbox - more
to follow.
Steve (on the verge of getting p*ssed off with Christopher Neil and his
outfit)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RPS Consultants Ltd
3 Linenhall Place
Chester
CH1 2LP
UK.
Tel +44 (0)1244 313486
Fax +44 (0)1244 317471
Part of the RPS Group plc - The Environmental Consultancy

This message is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It may
contain privileged information. The contents are not to be disclosed to
anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients are requested
to preserve this confidentiality and to advise the sender immediately of
any error in transmission. If you experience difficulty with receipt of
the email please telephone on 01244 313486 or fax on 01244 317471.

[daves56]

Steve,
I changed my rear bearings about 8 months ago (this sounds bad). Six hours
sounds about right. Could even be more. First you need to remove the strut.
Which means removing at least one donut and the pinned nut at the top of the
tower. The cotter pin on mine had rusted in. Fortunately the body was off or
it would have taken me six hours just to remove the nut. Once you get the
strut off and to the bench you need to remove the hub. This involves a
special puller, a big torch (not some small butane thing), a big hammer and
lots of swearing. After removing the hub you pop off a snap ring and press
out the shaft. Also good fun. If you do this yourself I suggest you cool the
bearings and shaft in the freezer before reassembly. It helps some when you
press things back together. Good luck.
Dave Sutcliffe
69 Elan +2


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Heath [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 1999 9:59 AM
To: Lotus Cars Discussion Group; [email protected]; Dave McKay
Subject: [lotuselan] Plus 2 rear wheel bearing


From: Steve Heath <[email protected]>

Quickie this boys and girls:

Chistopher Neils reckon on 6 hours of labour to change a rear wheel
bearing on my Plus 2S. This sounds like a hell of a long time. Can it
be true? For a Lotus specialist?

Many thanks for everyone's input on the oil-free diff and gearbox - more
to follow.
Steve (on the verge of getting p*ssed off with Christopher Neil and his
outfit)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RPS Consultants Ltd
3 Linenhall Place
Chester
CH1 2LP
UK.
Tel +44 (0)1244 313486
Fax +44 (0)1244 317471
Part of the RPS Group plc - The Environmental Consultancy

This message is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It may
contain privileged information. The contents are not to be disclosed to
anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients are requested
to preserve this confidentiality and to advise the sender immediately of
any error in transmission. If you experience difficulty with receipt of
the email please telephone on 01244 313486 or fax on 01244 317471.

[dave at tape-gallery.co.u]

Steve

My Plus 2 is in the shop, having 1 rear wheel bearing changed as we
speak (type?).

20 hours labour so far, although this includes changing a rear disc, and
disassembly of front end.

As I understand it, if the body is not off (as per Brian's contribution)
the interior trim at the back needs to come out to access the top of the
strut (which comes out as well), and yes the whole thing did need
heating/soaking and the blood of a virgin to get it apart.

I have cancelled Christmas and sold the dog in anticipation of the bill.

David

[dave at tape-gallery.co.u]

By the way...the 20 hours does not include putting anything back
together...

[Stevie-Heathie]

So at least Christopher Neil isn't stringing me along on this one . . .

Cheers David - makes me feel a little more confident in CN's ability.

Steve

[gobw2]

Takes me about 1 hour on Elan - maybe +2 uses different setup?

On Thu, 28 Oct 1999 15:58:50 +0100 Steve Heath <[email protected]>
writes:

[gobw2]

"Not knowing any better" I do mine on the car - 2 hose clamps for donuts,
impact wrench - 3 bolts each end, drop shaft, hose clamps hold donuts at
proper diameter for new bolts. back off axle nut, bearing puller on
spinner - found that if I pull at studs, hub distorts, gets tighter on
shaft. Propane torch to gently warm hub - not enough to discolor paint.
wrap rag around puller in case comes off, so it does not hit me, use
spinner hammer - copper face side and tap puller. when pops - undo axle
nut rest of way, remove hub. remove bearing retainer, put an old axle
nut on axle, hit with copper side hammer. use bearing puller on bearing.
find suitable tool to press only on center race - if nothing else - put
old bearing in vise, crack outer race, remove and use that inner race.
lightly lube, install. Put in freezer, clean up axle housing, lightly
lube with anti seize compound, gently heat with torch - make sure you
start bearing exactly square, use brass drift and tap in center of
fingers on shaft - put in new retainer, bolts, nuts, anti seize on axle
where hub goes, etc.
On Thu, 28 Oct 1999 13:21:49 -0400 geo Bottinor <[email protected]> writes:

[BrianMartley]

Steve,

Depends whether they've looked at the car or not. It wouldn't surprise me to
see that sort of time quoted in the Lotus dealers guide. I've done the job
several times now over the years (which says something I suppose) and would
reckon on an evening per side - say 3-4 hours. Preparation is the key, the
job isn't that bad and would be even easier in a large garage.

Jubilee (hose) clips on the doughnut, unbolt, disconnect handbrake, unbolt
calliper but leave hose in place, tie with string to the spring. Pull hub
using butane torch to aid release (I use an old spinner, re-inforced cap),
drift out axle protecting end with piece of aluminium, drift out bearings.
then just put it back together, normally less than an hour.

I'd expect someone younger , or with the facilities CN has to be able to
do the job faster. I've read the other posts of lengthy times - this is
catastrophe time and sounds like the car has been left for a very long time.
As such I'd be replacing all mechanical parts, doughnuts/dampers/springs and
so would simply cut them away. It will be quicker and if the parts are so
seized, wouldn't put them back.

Brian

[peter at rolotec.ch]

Steve

Yes 6 hours sounds reasonable. I fully agree with Dave Sutcliffe.
(my 2 Rappen)

Cheers
Peter


----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Heath <[email protected]>
To: Lotus Cars Discussion Group <[email protected]>;
<[email protected]>; Dave McKay <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 1999 4:58 PM
Subject: [lotuselan] Plus 2 rear wheel bearing

[Foxie]

-----Original Message-----
From: geo Bottinor <[email protected]>
Date: 28 October 1999 18:45
Subject: Re: [lotuselan] Plus 2 rear wheel bearing



Yes, George you covered most things here.

Here my tuppence on this.

You may be lucky, and get the shaft out without dismounting the strut. I'd
try this first.

If you have a SPYDER IRS (like me !) it makes dismounting the hub easier
still.

I find the intruder type hub puller which I got from CN works fine, maybe
with some Camping Gaz on the hub if required.

For beating the drive shaft out of the hub, I have used a brass spark plug
socket , as in the cheap 1/4" drive socket sets, but with a 9lb hammer (in
the end). For complete protection I would recommend using a suitably sized
collar to bear on the land on the end of the drive shaft, and a series of
nuts on the threaded portion to transfer the impact to the land. Using just
one nut on the end of the threaded portion may not save the rest from
distorting.

I changed a bearing one time, but shortly after I put everything together
and was driving for a while the hub came loose. It turned out that the
outer end of the shaft had "belled" from taking the impact of the hammer,
and there was no hub-to-shaft surface contact over most of the shaft.

On another occasion I had to break the inner bearing and grind and chisel
off the inner race, with the assistance of an acetylene torch

Another time I had to take it to a shipyard to pull it off on a 50 ton
press. The press was groaning !

Now I have made up a jig with some 1/4" x 2 " angle iron and a hydraulic
jack which does the job.

I have also made up pullers, using steel tube which matches the outer
diameter of the hub, and some threaded bar to remove the outer bearing.

I reassemble after putting the shaft in the freezer, and the inner bearing
in a bean-tin of hot engine oil. I then use an expanded Ford Cortina
bearing retaining ring (which usually comes with the bearing kit) which I
have filed out to make it a loose fit, a piece of pipe, and a 9lb hanmmer
to get it on the shaft. The shaft is placed on the ground facing up, and
supported underneath the centre to avoid distorting the three drive fingers.

Don't forget to put the inner race circlip in position first, although it
can be jiggled on later !

Don't forget to check the torque on the shaft nut soon after you take the
car on the road, it will probably take a bit of a turn. Keep checking
until it holds the correct torque.

I've had my problems with CN in the past, but I reckon 6 hours is a fair
time for this job.

Hope this helps,

Sean Murray
Wexford
1970 Plus 2S

[gobw2]

Wow - a 9 lb hammer! a good swing with that could damage the new
bearings. The shaft appears to be mild steel, so your thoughts on belling
it seem accurate. I use the hammer that was supplied to remove the knock
off spinner. I also use a good high temp anti seize compound, and
believe that is why they come off without a big fight. Like you, I have,
over time devised special tools - my hub remover is a heavy wall tube
with threads to match the hub on the inside. The tube has a heavy plate
closing the end, with threads to match the shaft of my bearing puller.
This fits the indent in the end of the axle. I tighten up, hit with
spinner hammer and it pops loose (so far). My puller evolved to a steel
plate with four fine thread rods connecting to another slotted plate that
fits under the bearing.
We use a lot of salts on the roads here - sodium chloride and calcium
chloride. It would somehow get into the inner bearings, and I would have
to replace every winter, until I made a seal and slinger ring to protect
the inner bearing. The bearings were not designed for this application,
so moisture gets in easy, once thru a deep puddle can be enough unless
one runs it hard after to get the bearings hot and drive out the water.
The ones I have bought have a special high temp grease inside, so I was
afraid to immerse in hot oil, thinking some might get inside and dilute
the grease.
I am not sure what Camping Gaz is - or how it will help in hub removal-
could you explain?

[Foxie]

-----Original Message-----
From: geo Bottinor <[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: 30 October 1999 05:10
Subject: Re: [lotuselan] Plus 2 rear wheel bearing



George

I should explain a bit more.

When breaking out the shaft, I have found it better to give it one blow
with the heaviest hammer which can be accomodated. Many blows with a light
hammer will eventually damage the shaft but still fail to break the grip.

Your threaded tube over the end of the shaft sounds like the best way of
protecting the shaft.

Putting on the new inner bearing, I place the (cooled in the fridge) shaft
upright on the concrete floor, with a suitable sized nut underneath the
centre to take the impact and spare the drive fingers. I put the big
circlip in position. Usiing a bit of light weld wire, I remove the inner
bearing from a bean tin of hot engine oil, and drop it onto the shaft. I
slip on the loose fitting Ford Cortina bearing retaining ring wich bears up
next to the inner race, protecting it from direct contact with the pipe.
I slip the pipe down over the shaft, and usually find that only the
slightest tap is required to slip the bearing all the way down onto the
shaft. at no time is any force applied across the race.

The 9lb hammer is the reserve heavy artillery just in case the bearing
sticks half way, the last thing you want when assembling hot items to cold.

I forgot to mention that before finally reassembling the hub, I check the
hub-to-shaft
contact with engineers blue and lap with grinding paste if requied.


disposable canister with 185 gms of butane gas, and a screw-on burner. It
gives a nice wide soft flame, and can be placed in position underneath the
hub with no flame contact and a nice gentle heat up period.

Sean Murray