The Hodaka Club Forum

Another question for you guys. How do you all go about removing and installing crank bearings? I have never messed with internal parts of engines, so just trying to get some ideas of what works well and what doesn't. I do have a shop manual, but would like input from experience!

Thanks,
Ryan

A little heat on the case around bearing and they should fall out. Bearing in freezer for a few hours and they should almost fall in.

Right side crank half, pop out the seal and remove the circlip, then you can remove that bearing, left side is more straight forward.

Does the case need to be warmed for installing? Or will freezing shrink the bearing enough to fall in with the case at room temp?

I always heat the cases in the oven to remove the bearings. 250 degrees and a gentle tap is usually enough.

As for installation, heating the cases and freezing the new bearings will allow the bearing to pretty much fall into place.

Id say use the oven technique, but be darn sure they're clean as a whistle.

Otherwise the smell may be troublesome.

Also consider an electric heat gun. Takes patience, but you can do it out in the garage or in the basement. Not the kitchen.

Wear heat resistant gloves, easy to burn skin on your hands.

I had trouble with them till I picked up one of those small table top ovens that was being junked . Even though its only working on one element it makes it relatively easy. Never been game to sneak the cases in to the kitchen....

I hate to say for years and on dozens of dozens of engines I just drove them out and in with a punch, bit I did freeze the bearing for installation. Now I use the toaster oven @ 300 degrees for about 6min.------------Clarence

I have a heat gun. But I think I could find a toaster oven for not too much $$. Does the oven work better because it heats the whole case and not dissipate by concentrating on one spot with the gun?

Probably. Ive used the heat gun. Takes more patience. Give it time and it will work .

I never thought of the toaster oven. If you could pick one up for, say, ten bucks at a goodwill store I'd spend the ten.

Wear gloves!

There were no toaster ovens large enough for Hodaka engine cases available at the local used-goods emporiums when I needed one, so I went with a new one. It cost about $20 - $25 as I recall. Cases will fit completely inside with cylinder studs removed. With studs on, I'd think about sort of, kind of, plugging the opening with a big wad of fiberglass insulation while the case heated. (with the oven sitting in the middle of a concrete floor, away from everything else . . . and watched over during the whole heating cycle)
Ed
PS: For those watching the photo posting thread - this appears to be the second in a row of successfully posting a photo using the Chrome browser.

If you have the room, an old electric stove does the job, you can use the oven for heating cases, curing paint, use the stove part to boil parts. ( cook lunch).

I heated my cases in the oven one time. The house smelled like kerosene for days.

What I do now is - The day before, I put the new bearings in the freezer. When I'm ready to change the bearings, I fire up the BBQ. I put the cases on the Weber so that the case is facing down. When the cases come up to a spit sizzle, the bearings will fall out. Turn the cases over and leave them on the grill. Get the new bearings out of the freezer and drop them in. A couple thousandths of an inch makes all the difference.

Larry S

Don't use the stove in the house, put one in the garage or your shop. I have one in the shop.

Danny told he he uses the toaster oven technique. My next trip to Restore, our local Habitat For Humanity funding store, I'll be looking for one. Victor

So I have been practicing on an old G5 Kawasaki engine with my heat gun. It works real good! Freeze the bearing and heat the case to about 230 degrees. I gave bearing slight tap and it fell right in. Nice and smooth turning. No binding. Heated to remove old bearing. Slight tap with a socket and bearing fell out. Didn't even tap with a hammer. Hope this method will work with a Hodaka engine as well.