Bearing in Bore With Lip, Single Use

[YoshiMoshi3]

Hi All,

I was going to remove a bearing from a bore with a lip on one end of the bore. Are these type of bearings single use bearings? In order to remove these type of bearings, it would seem that you would have to press them out on the side with the lip, by pressing on the space between the outer race and the inner race (the seal) along with the inner race. It's not possible to push them out by pressing on the outer race because of the lip on the bore. It's not possible to press them out from the other side because of the lip on the bore keeping the bearing in. Take for example this pulley, with the lip highlighted in yellow. It has to be pressed out from this side.

Wouldn't pressing this bearing out result in damage to the bearing? You can press in a new bearing just fine from the side without the lip though.
I'm using this type of black circular disc things that are slightly smaller than the bore diameter as opposed to a socket wrench to more evenly distribute the force across the bearing.

Along with a bearing screw press like this to push the circular black disc thing into the bore and push out the bearing.

I was able to press it out just fine. The bearing was bad so I didn't mind. But I'm just wondering if this bearing application makes them single use, and I should press them out if they are still in good condition?

 

[paulsomlo]

Is that an automotive idler pulley?

 

[YoshiMoshi3]

Is that an automotive idler pulley?

Yes. I'm wondering if it's possible to remove such bearings without damaging them. It's impossible to press them out using the outer race of the bearing because the lip is in the way. When I did remove the old one from the pulley there was some veeticle play in the bearing, but I'm not sure if that was damage caused by me removing it the only way I could or from it being old.

All videos I've seen on YouTube suggest to press on the outer race to remove the bearing and not the inner race because it will damage the bearing. But what can you do when the outer race cannot be used to press on because there's a lip? Are such bearings single use and once removed, the removal process damages them and you have to get a new bearing, even if the original one was in good condition before you removed it?

I'm not sure how to remove bearings in bores with lips on them without damaging them. Is it even possible?

 

[gizardlizard]

Never removed a bearing and reused it. Ever. Just replace it

 

[gizardlizard]

that 6203 is a 10 dollar bearing. Press it out and change it

 

[garfunkle24]

+1. Who cares? Why would anyone be pressing out a perfectly good bearing anyway?

 

[alfadan]

In my opinion, if the fit isn't super tight, and you don't hammer them out, it would be fine. I think the main issue would be damaging the seal and the inside rubs on the cage. Just replace it and don't screw it up

 

[paulsomlo]

I have a similar idler pulley on my '96 BMW - but worse; there's a lip on both sides of the bearing. I'm guessing maybe the bearing was molded into the plastic. The idler pulleys are kind of expensive, which makes me wish I could replace just the bearing.

 

[bigfunwmu]

Yes you can (sometimes) reuse bearings. Yes you can pull or press on the inner race to remove a bearing that is friction fit on the outer race with a lip over it. Yes, there is a limit to how much force you can apply to do that.

Go to the SKF website and search your bearing model number, they have an online tool that will tell acceptable ways to remove the bearing if you don't know.

Most bearing manufacturers also publish static and dynamic load ratings for their bearings. Stay under the load rating and you're good for a long time. Stay under when removing and installing and you won't damage anything from that either.

Big picture, those sealed bearings are greased once when new and have a life calculation based on load. The engineer who picked that bearing knew that life expectancy and probably designed the component to match. If your time is worth anything, replace the $10 bearing and save the hour+++ it takes to get to it again when the reused bearing fails after you put it back together.

 

[Steve_P]

If you are not going to change it, why press it out? And if you press it out, change it.

The life of a sealed bearing is statistically ~forever if you keep it dry/clean and use it under the allowable design loads. There is a table in the SKF catalog that shows this. Yes, not every one will last forever, but 99.9...% will. Outside the laboratory, bearings don't last forever because of their environment, which isn't possible to account for in testing. Figuring out the acceptable axial load and then trying to stay below that when trying to remove a $10 bearing is a ridiculous exercise and a waste of time.