Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

did you remove the inner circlip?

It really is the only thing holding the axle in

I did not have great tonnage available when first I did these, and that was not a huge issue

david.g.chapman wrote:I changed my rear bearings a few weeks ago using a short length of scaffold tube crushed in a vice to form an oval. The oval shape just cleared the bearing shaft on its minor axis, and just fitted inside the bearing housing on its major axis.

In this way you can contact the inner and outer bearing races at the same time. Good for drifting in the outer bearing as a last step. As you drift the bearing in, rotate the drift to apply force around the bearing, as the oval contacts each bearing race in two restricted areas.
Dave Chapman.

A bit of scaffold pole is a good idea. However I doubt the bit I have would compress in a vice. I use a 2 metre length to lift the whole end of the +2. It is seriously tough.

Still worth a try. Thanks!

Vince

All you need is a dirty great lump hammer.. I bet you have one of those, Vince!

JonB wrote:All you need is a dirty great lump hammer.. I bet you have one of those, Vince!

Ah the subtle approach! I've had a quick dig and there seems to be loads of hammers.

Copper / lead / leather / wood / rubber and a set of dead drop (in case I go to Spyder?).

A couple of the others should be useful?

Just need a couple of rolls of duct tape and that's a complete toolkit

ideally + an "adjustable" assuming the OE tool roll is empty / missing

I think, that in the interest of added lightness, I should dump a few of the rubber hammers.
5 seems excessive!

Perhaps add a bag of string to supplement the duct tape?

gus wrote:did you remove the inner circlip?

It really is the only thing holding the axle in

I did not have great tonnage available when first I did these, and that was not a huge issue

Yes, both circlips have been removed. I suspect that some corrosion might be sticking things together.

The Veg wrote:Yes, both circlips have been removed. I suspect that some corrosion might be sticking things together.

Or some serious loctite some time in the past? Did you do the last bearing change ? OR A.N.Other left a surprise for the next owner?

Surely it has to be either "loctite" or corrosion? Can you remove the inner race and get at the outer with a "dremel" to split it?

vincereynard wrote:

JonB wrote:All you need is a dirty great lump hammer.. I bet you have one of those, Vince!

Ah the subtle approach! I've had a quick dig and there seems to be loads of hammers.

Copper / lead / leather / wood / rubber and a set of dead drop (in case I go to Spyder?).

A couple of the others should be useful?

563 Feb. 28 14.03.jpg

There is no problem so great it cannot be solved by a appropriately sized hammer


If the inner circlip is removed, and any visible corrosion is scraped off it is hard to imagine that more than a few tons of force is required. My car was winter driven on salted roads prior to my ownership and I removed them in a vise IIRC.

Assuming that both bearings are still in place, on the shaft and in the housing, isn't the issue to do with the force needed to move the bearing(s) relative to the shaft, not the force needed to move them relative to the housing? I think ideally you really want significant and continuously applied force (ie a press) to force the shaft out so that the inboard bearing comes out of the housing, and the outboard bearing comes off the shaft.

Paddy

vincereynard wrote:

The Veg wrote:Yes, both circlips have been removed. I suspect that some corrosion might be sticking things together.

Or some serious loctite some time in the past? Did you do the last bearing change ? OR A.N.Other left a surprise for the next owner?

Surely it has to be either "loctite" or corrosion? Can you remove the inner race and get at the outer with a "dremel" to split it?

PO -or somebody- did the last change. The inner race seems as well-stuck to the shaft as the outer race is to the carrier. Nothing is coming loose, but it's been a few days since I shot some penetrant on it so I'll give it another whack or two this weekend. If that fails, the old racing mechanic can help but it'll be a couple of weeks until I can get it to him.

The Veg wrote:

vincereynard wrote:

The Veg wrote:Yes, both circlips have been removed. I suspect that some corrosion might be sticking things together.

Or some serious loctite some time in the past? Did you do the last bearing change ? OR A.N.Other left a surprise for the next owner?

Surely it has to be either "loctite" or corrosion? Can you remove the inner race and get at the outer with a "dremel" to split it?

PO -or somebody- did the last change. The inner race seems as well-stuck to the shaft as the outer race is to the carrier. Nothing is coming loose, but it's been a few days since I shot some penetrant on it so I'll give it another whack or two this weekend. If that fails, the old racing mechanic can help but it'll be a couple of weeks until I can get it to him.

When I did mine years ago, removal required a hydraulic press and mandrels. It is an interference fit on the shaft and a light interference fit in the alu housing. When I installed new bearings I used an induction heater at my employer to heat the bearing to 150C to slip it on the shaft without a press. Do not use a torch.

It's possible the PO or previous mechanic found the outer bearing race to the housing clearance excessive and used an anaerobic sealant like Loctite Red to install the bearing in the housing and possibly the shaft. Heating to about 250C per Loctite/Henkel. https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/us/en/insights/all-insights/blog/how-to-remove-red-threadlocker.html

The issue is, 250C is near the plastic temperature of most aluminum alloys. I'd be nervous about getting the housing that hot, but it will also grow the housing enough to release the bearing under load in a press.

If you are uncomfortable doing that, your old race mechanic friend can help.

Regards,
Dan

With the circlips removed and the circlip area cleaned out, the bearing should come out.
You dont need that much heat that you are going to destroy the alloy. I have played the Mapp gas torch around the area to soften the loctite or whatever has been used.
I think the slide hammer attached to the spider ears is best as you are not having to hold the assembley either in a press (which can be awkward) or in free space while hammering the shaft. The latter even with some protection is a pain. Knock up a slide hammer using a cut off and drilled out old hub shaft or diff output shaft. So handy.
I have used several types of Loctite for different amounts of wear and been able to get them out again. Also split lots of old nasty hub shafts from weathered struts
The loctite sticks more to the actual bearing than the alloy. You will see this when you split one that has been recently worked upon. Must be the moisture in the alloy.
Also note that the the inner bearing has a circlip on the shaft. When the shaft has been tight, this circlip ends up stressed and a bit bent with the stress of getting the inner bearing outer race to break seal with the case.

The Veg wrote:PO -or somebody- did the last change. The inner race seems as well-stuck to the shaft as the outer race is to the carrier. Nothing is coming loose, but it's been a few days since I shot some penetrant on it so I'll give it another whack or two this weekend. If that fails, the old racing mechanic can help but it'll be a couple of weeks until I can get it to him.

Veg,
I have an old inner drive shaft if it is any use?

V