Stuck headset...

[Justinas]

Really need some help guys. Thought about starting a nice weekend assembling the bike with installing a new headset, but everything just went to a dead stop.

While installing the lower bearing seat it got freakin stuck at one point. I tried both pressing it down and bashing it with a hammer, but it just stays there. The worst part is, that I have no idea how to remove it, because it is totally the same diameter as the tube :/// (as seen in a picture).

The frame is freshly painted, so i would hate heating it to expand the metal. Maybe there is some other ,more humane way to remove it ? Or get it completely in (although if pressing it down haven't helped, I have doubts anything will...) ?

Would be dam grateful for any help !

 

[Big R]

Did you try tapping it out with a drift?

 

[Justinas]

Did you try tapping it out with a drift?

Yeah yeah, but as the tube and bearing seat is the same diameter inside (as seen in the second picture) you just can't get any drift or screwdriver to sit on that bearing cup. The original cup inside diameter was slightly bigger than the inside diameter of the tube, so it was possible to tap it out. This one seems to be made to stay there for life.

I hope my explaining doesn't suck too much, as it's not too easy to talk technical in foreign language... :/

 

[Big R]

Sorry- I can barely see the pics on my phone......

What about taking a thick allen wrench, cutting it, put it on the inside of the race, and pounding it somehow? Im kinda worthless without seeing the pics.

 

[suddenlycalm]

What about a bearing puller? With the expanding jaws? Or just cut it out carefully with a dremel?

 

[crazypj]

You really should have fixed the frame before you painted it, the lock stop is bent out of position and also has a divot in it.
I can see high spot in your picture, you need to tap it down so it goes in square.
You can knock bearing back out with a bar about 18" long, 1/2"~5/*" dia, ground flat on one end with an inverted 'keystone' shape to catch on edge of bearing.
You need to start at the 'high' point to get it square in frame, whichever way you decide to go
Press is not even close to the best way to fit steering bearings, unless your trying to break things

 

[Justinas]

Thanks. A proper bar and a fresh head in the morning did the job. Lock stop is also in position now (as this is my first build and motorcycle, I didn't knew the position it should be in). I was able to but headset properly now and finally the bike is standing on it's wheels :]

 

[mcnicol]

Justinas
I'm new to this forum, but here's my 2 cents worth. You may have already knocked the inner race out of round and the bearing may be hard to get adjusted right, so you may have to replace it again, no big deal they're cheap enough. For future reference though, getting misaligned races off/out can usually be done quite easily by running a bead of weld about 1/4 of the way around. The heat from the weld usually cracks the race and then you can tap it out easily. If you still need to pull it and there's nowhere to put a drift behind it,weld a couple of nuts to it and pull it out with a slide puller!
Bottom races are often even harder, nowhere to get a bearing splitter behind them, nowhere to tap on them. The bead of weld works even better here. Or you can take out your aggression and use a 4 inch angle grinder to very carefully grind through the race, it'll crack when there's about .25mm left then it comes off easily. Don't worry too much if you go a bit too far and grind through the race into the steering stem, as long as it's only a little mark it won't really serve as a stress point, just reinstall the new inner race and slap the bike back together.
Oh, and always chill bearings if they're going into tight interference fit, plastic bag in the freezer is a good start, although dry ice is better, and liquid nitrogen (if you can get it) is best, they just drop in. I tried liquid helium once (good luck getting that!), but the bearing totally shattered, -271 degrees C is a bit too cold. Just be careful not to freeze your fingers, wear suitable gloves. Inner races on bottom steering head bearings need to be heated to expand them, boiling water for 5 minutes is more controllable than a propane flame but the hotter you get it the easier it'll be to install. Just if the colour changes you know you've gone too far.
Ken

 

[Justinas]

Justinas
I'm new to this forum, but here's my 2 cents worth. You may have already knocked the inner race out of round and the bearing may be hard to get adjusted right, so you may have to replace it again, no big deal they're cheap enough. For future reference though, getting misaligned races off/out can usually be done quite easily by running a bead of weld about 1/4 of the way around. The heat from the weld usually cracks the race and then you can tap it out easily. If you still need to pull it and there's nowhere to put a drift behind it,weld a couple of nuts to it and pull it out with a slide puller!
Bottom races are often even harder, nowhere to get a bearing splitter behind them, nowhere to tap on them. The bead of weld works even better here. Or you can take out your aggression and use a 4 inch angle grinder to very carefully grind through the race, it'll crack when there's about .25mm left then it comes off easily. Don't worry too much if you go a bit too far and grind through the race into the steering stem, as long as it's only a little mark it won't really serve as a stress point, just reinstall the new inner race and slap the bike back together.
Oh, and always chill bearings if they're going into tight interference fit, plastic bag in the freezer is a good start, although dry ice is better, and liquid nitrogen (if you can get it) is best, they just drop in. I tried liquid helium once (good luck getting that!), but the bearing totally shattered, -271 degrees C is a bit too cold. Just be careful not to freeze your fingers, wear suitable gloves. Inner races on bottom steering head bearings need to be heated to expand them, boiling water for 5 minutes is more controllable than a propane flame but the hotter you get it the easier it'll be to install. Just if the colour changes you know you've gone too far.
Ken

Thanks Ken !
I've saved this info and it will be very useful for future builds !

 

[FrankDaTank]

Wow, the search function works!!! I have a stuck lower race on my steering stem. I think i will try the 4" grinder. If I try welding a bead on the race, my firecracker box would create too much splatter on the stem.

 

[hillsy]

Wow, the search function works!!! I have a stuck lower race on my steering stem. I think i will try the 4" grinder. If I try welding a bead on the race, my firecracker box would create too much splatter on the stem.

The weld method will only work on the race in the headstock, not the bearing on the triple (the weld shrinks the race and it falls out of the frame....shrink the bearing on the stem and you're in deeper water than before....)


You might be lucky and be able to get a punch behind the inner bearing race on the triple, or grind it off as you have suggested.