Owning a press for the first time thoughts.

[edcantu9]

Hi I am relatively new to auto repair. I have plenty of tools and am always looking for tools that will help me complete complicated repairs.

I wanted to give some advice to fellow newbies. I read in many articles and posts that a press will help with doing bearings and pushing them out. I should of done more research because the press is only one part. After acquiring the press you also need other items and or time to fabricate your own stands to help you press out whatever it is that your wanting to press out. As I come to find out that arbor plates to aid in this process run near the $300 range.

I am not bad mouthing or bashing a press of course. I should of done more research and wanted to give out a warning to other people to make sure they know what they are getting themselves into. You read that a press is great and will help you accomplish many projects but many of the times you don't read that you also need many other parts to aid the press into helping you do what you want to do.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Good word.

I first took some a-arms to a shop to have bushing shells pressed in. He bent the arms. My friend from whose parts cars I removed the arms went down there and did the work. That job just required a short bit of angle iron (including w/ bushings) and one arbor plate.

My next hands-on with a press was a transmission I did at a friend's house where he had bearing splitters and spare steel bits to get things done.

And then, I've collected steel, splitters, pullers, sleeves, spacers over the years to use with my press. Still using the 20t HF orange unit, though I've had a few occasions where I've wanted to upgrade. (no, I didn't get any of the short-run of cast arbor plates before the usual fray jumps in here)

You're right; an amazing amount of research can be done online with all the how-to info on youtube and other sites. And the help of a friend who has some experience with a press helps the learning curve and safety.

 

[SEV22XS]

Honestly unless your going to do a bunch of axles or differentals and the like the press will sit there most of time unused from my personal experince if you were starting a shop then you would defentily need one.

 

[zkdiesel]

I have two, one of the least used tools, but when you need it, there isnt Manu ways around not having it
Reared rebuilds are it's most common use, and random bearing housings on equipment and Mowers once in a while

 

[cruzer75]

Its like owning a rachet with no sockets
Anyway, you can make and cobble together all kinds of things for your press. You can even make a small press brake for bending metal. Arbor plates from harborfreiggt are not that much. Also keep old bearings ect around to use for pressing.

 

[kf4zht]

Most of my press tools are stuff I have saved over the years. Bearings and races, short tubes, etc.

I do have the HF plates that everyone badmouths and a cheap bearing splitter. The splitter is plenty strong if I don't push it. If there is a rusted on bearing I will use heat before the press.

I built a press brake a while back, costs about $10-20 in steel. It gets used frequently compared with anything else press related.

 

[srmofo]

Never underestimate the amount of energy stored in a piece of metal under pressure. Hardened metals such as bearing races are prone to exploding if pressed too hard.

A hub tamer kit will go a long way towards setting you up. Even the HF kit works well for this

 

[KissMyAxe]

I bought a cheap HF press several years ago. It's been used maybe a dozen times so it's probably the least used piece of equipment we have. I bought some 1.5" plate for about $20 to use under the press plates and it's worked great and done everything I've asked of it. I use sockets or black pipe couplers to press various bearings.

 

[DCarr]

I bought a used one off a co-worker about 14 yrs ago for 1/2 price and it has paid for itself a few times over. I might use it 10 times a year. When you add in fuel and time to drive to have something pressed on / off it adds up quick. And there is the few bucks friends have given me for having it available whenever they needed it.

I knew the press didnt magically seperate parts on its own, but was shocked at the price of the 1st bearing splitter I bought. Since then I have purchased them at Auctions and such. I've also bought scrap metal plates from the recycling yard, some of them being 1" x 4" x 12".

Just one of those tools no shop is complete w/o.

 

[BFBOB]

Ummm ... now, to display my ignorance ... what is a "bearing splitter"? Anything like a nut splitter?
And yes, I do have and use a HF 20T with a fair assortment of plates, tubes, etc. Just haven't heard of a bearing splitter.

 

[srmofo]

Ummm ... now, to display my ignorance ... what is a "bearing splitter"? Anything like a nut splitter?
And yes, I do have and use a HF 20T with a fair assortment of plates, tubes, etc. Just haven't heard of a bearing splitter.

Grips the race. Supported by the plates. Ram pushes the shaft out of the race. Google for a pic

 

[Hghgrad]

Yes, you definitely learn to keep odds and ends around after the first use. I usually end up using parts from my c clamp ball joint press, along with various bits of round and square tube. A few sockets, some old bearings...it all goes in the drawer.

It paid for itself the first time I ever used it on wheel bearings, and it's paid for itself 20x over the last few years. Not used often, and it takes up a lot of floor space, but it's a handy tool to have in the shop.

 

[BFBOB]

Grips the race. Supported by the plates. Ram pushes the shaft out of the race. Google for a pic

I don't Google. Direct line to NSA. Who knows what nefarious purpose they think a bearing splitter could be used for??

So I Yahood it. Totally different process.

Turns out I have one and have used it. I just didn't know the name. It was probably on the box, but it was a Christmas gift and the box became confetti in the opening frenzy.

 

[ZRX61]

Handy for straightening vise handles if you have a few laying around.....

 

[Steroblan]

Like srmofo said, hardend steel can be dangerous. I thought I would use an old tire iron for a project and cut off the ends and tried to bend it 90 degrees. Well, it snapped after about a 45 degree press bend and and went flying across the shop. Lucky, I was standing to the side.

 

[robalmal]

Don't forget to wrap a blanket around the job you are pressing to catch shrapnel.
If it looks like moving easily, I don't use the blanket, but if it is taking a bit of force then the blanket is a must.

 

[Playwme]

Old bearing shells, big sockets, random pieces of strong metal and offcuts are all perfectly good replacements. I haven't got a press yet but I plan on it once the new garage is built. Luckily I have a few local workshops I can visit when I need a quick push. I often do little jobs where it would turn a 20 minute job into a 4 minute job.

 

[Justanoldguy]

I don't Google. Direct line to NSA. Who knows what nefarious purpose they think a bearing splitter could be used for??

I've heard about extremely paranoid people but never actually seen anyone admit it till now.

 

[sloppy]

I think what really taken away from this post is that as simple as a press is, it takes experience to know how to use it..

You dont need $300 arbor plates, you dont need fancy fixtures or huge amounts of time.. $25-50 at any scrap yard should yield all you need to use a press.. The rest is just setting up the work in the press to accomplish the task safely..

 

[dlcwent]

I guess from reading this thread, you can see what most of us have added to our presses. Old bearing shells, pieces of steel, etc. I didn't notice anyone mentioning old pieces of springs. Some spring packs have a very thick bottom leaf. These are very handy when using the press.

 

[BellyUpFish]

I think what really taken away from this post is that as simple as a press is, it takes experience to know how to use it..

You dont need $300 arbor plates, you dont need fancy fixtures or huge amounts of time.. $25-50 at any scrap yard should yield all you need to use a press.. The rest is just setting up the work in the press to accomplish the task safely..

These are a little pricey, but they were a tax-write off, so I rolled with it.. I picked up these arbor plates, and I'm really happy..

http://www.swagoffroad.com/Arbor-Press-Plates_p_7.html

 

[NewLogik]

Wear safety glasses all the time and keep some different steel plates, old bearing shells, etc... like others said, this is just a matter of setting up the work on the press and making sure you do take cares when pressing your stuff as sometime it could lead to something dangerous. If you have money to buy some nice arbor plates, I'll assume it's better than the cheap ones coming with "cheap" shop press.

 

[A_Pmech]

I don't think I've ever bought a "press accessory." All of my press plates, arbors, spacers, etc. are either custom made or, more likely, junk from the scrap bin.

 

[kazlx]

I don't think I've ever bought a "press accessory." All of my press plates, arbors, spacers, etc. are either custom made or, more likely, junk from the scrap bin.

Yup. It's also one of those things that I don't use all the time, but when I need it, you can't do it any other way. I plan on building a press brake at some point, which I would probably use more.

 

[edcantu9]

I know this is a dumb question. But I am learning! This is the back of a 97 civic knuckle. Which part do I press out for the hub? Thanks all and excuse my ignorance.

 

[NewLogik]

You will first begin with pressing out the center which I outlined in red. That will push out the part where's the studs are mounted. Once this part is removed, you will have a big "c-clip" the other side that you will need to remove to press out the actual bearing.

Hope it help you a little bit.

 

[edcantu9]

You will first begin with pressing out the center which I outlined in red. That will push out the part where's the studs are mounted. Once this part is removed, you will have a big "c-clip" the other side that you will need to remove to press out the actual bearing.

Hope it help you a little bit.

Yes it helps a lot! Thank you!!

 

[DynaGlide]

I got my first press last winter and had many similar surprises. I ended up with Harbor Freights "A frame" 12 ton. Online only. Then I got some press plates by OTC. .darn things cost as much as my press but I needed them for transmission work at the time. Already learning to keep odd size races, sockets, etc in a box for pressing.

Definitely need caution using a press. Already noticed the cheap HF frame loosened up at spots from the few times I used it. Will have it welded some day. Then again I only use it for light motorcycle work (bearings, clutch hub).

 

[Kevin54]

Don't forget to wrap a blanket around the job you are pressing to catch shrapnel.
If it looks like moving easily, I don't use the blanket, but if it is taking a bit of force then the blanket is a must.

This is some very good....No..... GREAT advice. A broken part in a press can come shooting out at a very high velocity. I have watch guys use a long drift or punch to push out a pin that is rusted in, and shoot it 50' away. I alway told them to use the shorted punch possible, or to use a short bolt to get a stuck pin started, and to always wrap a few rags around what they are working on while in the press.

Actually....there really should be a short course taught for some to take to learn how to safely operate a press.

 

[Guster]

Probably no different than buying a lathe, mill, drill, tablesaw etc. They don't come with all the tooling and accessories for every possible use either. In fact an auto mechanic's use of a press is different to the needs of a general fabricator, millwright etc. and those generic 20T H-frame presses are just that... generic. Like any of the other tools and machines will need to be set up with the tools and accessories relevant to your purpose. Otherwise you spend more and buy the one dedicated to your purpose or take the time to build it along with all the accessories you need as you need them.

 

[Falcon67]

What Guster said - mill, lathe easy to spend 2X the tool cost in tooling and support equipment just to get a good start. More will come. As for a press - I use some HF bearing/seal adapters to press some things, most everything else used on the press is fabricated from something. Pressing on pinion bearings - that's a piece of 1 1/4 galvanized pipe trimmed to the right length. Wheel bearing races - the press "adapter" is a similar bearing race with about .010 ground off the diameter and a piece of steel welded across the race for the press to bear on. Etc, etc. Steel pipe cut to length or unions with the inside thread machined out make great adapters.

But yes, a little forethought on an equipment purchase like a press would/should easily reveal that other parts are needed to accomplish specific tasks. Lathe usually comes with a chuck and a tool holder, but without tool bits and some reading about grinding bits for use on the lathe there isn't much it'll do right out of the box.

 

[Guster]

Actually....there really should be a short course taught for some to take to learn how to safely operate a press.

Seconded. I don't know how many times I've seen guys struggle just due to not having their work level and well supported. Things buckling and tipping the moment the power comes on, trying to balance and line it up with one hand. Ruining seals, shafts and machined bearing registers because of it... you name it. You see a lot on work holding and tooling for lathes and mills but so little on presses.

 

[NewLogik]

Hey edcantu9, did you press in the new bearing ?

 

[edcantu9]

Hey edcantu9, did you press in the new bearing ?

Not yet, I spent some time looking at it though. Trying to figure out a way to support the knuckle flat while also letting the hub assembly to be pressed out the bottom. Any tips?

 

[NewLogik]

Get me some actual pictures of it so I'll get a better idea on how your setup is. I should be able to help you out from there. Do you have any scrap metal flat bar, big washer or other stuff to make support for the kuckle/hub ?

 

[coljar]

My dad built me my press back around 1980. As others have said, it gathers dust until you need it. I've made most of the arbor plates and adaptors for mine. I like the blanket idea, because I've had things fly apart or shift when under pressure.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Not yet, I spent some time looking at it though. Trying to figure out a way to support the knuckle flat while also letting the hub assembly to be pressed out the bottom. Any tips?

Look for a nice big steel sleeve. If you can find a flattish spot on the backside, it'll let the bearing come out into it.

The balljoint c-clamp kit used to be cheap; I've used the sleeves and disks from it with my press waaaay more than I've used the C.

 

[coolguy]

I started a thread on the "Hokey *** Message board" about 2 years ago.
The thread was about Homemade tooling for as shop press. I found it very helpful and had lots of pictures, Hope this helps some. The site is also called "The jalopy journal" and at that site search "Homade shop press tooling".
My site name there is "Lawman" !!!!

 

[Kevin54]

I started a thread on the "Hokey *** Message board" about 2 years ago.
The thread was about Homemade tooling for as shop press. I found it very helpful and had lots of pictures, Hope this helps some. The site is also called "The jalopy journal" and at that site search "Homade shop press tooling".
My site name there is "Lawman" !!!!

How about posting a link for it over here

 

[edcantu9]

Great news I was able to get the job done with the proper tools. It's amazing once you get the right tools any job is easy. Thank you for you help!