Getting my bearings...

As advised, I've just taken the swingarm off my GRiSO to regrease the bearings.  I cannot overstate what an extremely good idea this is, particularly if it had been done say, 10,000 miles ago.  

As it stands, a mere re-grease won't do the trick.  I can't say I wasn't tempted, and packing the rollers with enough grease got rid of most of the graunching, but ultimately, I couldn't bring myself to put a nice shiny new Matris on the bike and not do the bearings.

So, at the risk of sounding a bit gash, would cutting the old races with a Dremel seems like a reasonable way of getting them out?  There doesn't seem very good access to the back of the race to drift them out, but I'd love to be told otherwise.

Thanks,

Paul

Welcome to my hell. It really is a prick of a job.

Next time I get one in that needs bearings I'm going to get my toolmaker mate to manufacture me a puller to get the outer races out, there are two reliefs behind the outer race in the frame at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, they are very small but one assumes they are there to take the teeth of an expanding puller of some sort. I haven't really thought it out yet.

So far the ones I've done I've cut the races as you plan to do. Be careful not to damage the frame where the inner seal sits. Once you have the race split you can go in from the inside with a long, thin punch and use the relief slot to bash out the race. Its an arduous job and time consuming to do without damage. The other alternative would be to get a competent welder to run a bead around the inside of the race to shrink it out.

Note that the bearings are seemingly a 'Guzzi Only' item and incorporate the outer seal on the inner race. When you re-assemble make certain the inner seals that sit in the frame are fully home on their registers, (You can put them in after the outer races are installed.) and that the RH one isn't accidentally displaced by the swingarm spindle as you re install it. The inner seals are available at any bearing factor. If you have any problems getting the bearings I keep them in stock.

Pete

Thanks, Pete. Neither of the Guzzi specialists over here have the bearings in stock, but I've ordered some that appear to have the seal in the right place from a bearing factor (if I'd seen your post, I'd have asked first!).

(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281116762102&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160)

It sounds like buying the bearings is going to be the least of my worries!

Paul

Quick caution: the bearings in the link above aren't the same as the Guzzi bearings; in particular, the rubber seal covers more of the bearing face than with the OEM ones. Also, they are listed as 15mm wide, rather than 17mm (on the parts fiche).

I shall be sending them back, rather than risking it (Pete, I've sent a PM!).