I will be replacing the bushings soon in my machine because when I went to go switch buckets I noticed one of the bushings was loose in the stick and was cracked. I have a Cat305CR but not sure what size press would be required. Any opinion or suggestions are welcome. Thank you, Justin
If they're bad enough to need removing, I usually just grab the welder and run a bead or two inside the bushing, any rod or wire, just getting the heat into the old bushing. Let it cool and it should shrink enough to just slip out, or maybe with a little light tapping with a drift punch and hammer. Make sure the bores for the bushings are still going to be properly tight for the new ones, won't last too long if they're not sufficiently tight to hold the bushings solidly. There are varying methods for installing bushings, I have good luck with placing the new bushings after cleaning any preservative coating off them into a cooler with a block of dry ice for about an hour. The cold should make them contract enough to slip in. Mind you if they start in and hang up, you're in trouble as they are expanding as they warm up and when they're cold they're brittle so you can't just bang about on them with a big hammer. :my2c
To remove them I use the same welder method as Lantraxco does, to put them in I just use a hollow cylinder, some redi rod and a few washers and my porta power, suck them right in nothing to it really, I use my smaller cylinder maybe 20 ton or so, not sure how much it actually takes, maybe a few ton or so.
If the bearing is cracked you can be 99% sure the bore is out of spec. I pressed some small bearings (2.5 inch)out of a 16M axle last week and noticed up to 25 ton to get them moving but once started less than 5 to get them out.
Unfortunately I don't have a mig or stick welder so I can't weld it but hopefully use a press or something to push them out
They should knock out with a decent hammer and cheater bar.If you have a oxy/acetylene set run a melt line through the bearing and it will tap out after its cooled.
I'll guess you'd get away with a 12 ton press/jack to put them in if you can get them out another way. To press them out you might need a 20, 30 or 40 ton press. A 12 ton press might get them out, or it might after some creative heating and cooling.
Randy88, This sounds like a fool proof way of installing bushings. I have several to install on Takeuchi tb53fr. However I don't quite understand how you do it. Could you explain in more detail or post a picture or drawing? Thanks DBS
dbs, the way I do it is pretty simple, I have several hollow cylinders, I just put a redi rod through the hole in the cylinder, install a few large flat washers and nut on the redi rod and then run the rod through the bushing and the bore I plan to suck the bushing into, install a few washers and nut on the back side and use the porta power to suck the bushing into the bore as needed. So its a large redi rod through the whole thing, nut, washer to take up the hole in the cylinder bore, hollow cylinder, bushing, then the bore of what we're wanting the bushing put in and some more washers and a nut on the other end of the redi rod as well, and just have someone help line and hold stuff in place and suck the bushing into the bore. Keep the bushing straight as you start and it'll go in just fine. We suck them out the opposite we put them in. I also use the same principle to pull pins out if they are tapped on one side for a bolt, like is in my excavator for pinning on the bucket and the pull the same pin back into the bucket to put it back on. Most of my larger pins for mounting buckets all have a bolt thread in one end of the pin, just for this purpose, or else we put threads into them at some point in time so we can. Sorry I don't have any pictures of this process, but its pretty simple to do, if you have a hollow cylinder to do it with. As for how much force it takes, depends on the tolerances the bushings are to the bore your trying to install them in.
Randy, Thanks for the explaination. Just a couple questions. Where did you get the cylinders, do you think pipe would work. What is ready rod, is it the same as all thread? Thanks again, DBS
dbs, I got the cylinders with my track press setup I bought used, it came with hydraulic gear pullers, cylinders and both hand and power pumps. Yes redi rod is the same as all thread rod, depending on where its sold at, they have many names for it. I use dual walled pipe for pulling bushings and pins in, if that's not strong enough I go to a machine shop and buy bushing stock and use that, but its really high priced, you can get it in any wall thickness you want, to take some really high tonnage ratings. I also machine the ends straight in my metal lathe so everything lines up straight and it helps to get the bushings to go in straight too. If I need adapters or anything to help line things up, I just make them myself in my lathe as well. As for where to get the cylinders, shop around somewhat and see what's out there used to buy.
Randy, How do you connect your Porta Power ?. Does it Pull or Push on the redi rod ?. As all of the porta powers I have seen only extend under pressure.
Mine extends, if I explained it right, as the cylinder extends it shoves the cylinder towards the bore, and the bushing into the bore, or you could put the bushing on the opposite side of the bore and suck it in as the cylinder extends. Either way you'll have to find a buddy to help or set up something to hold things in line and get things moving. When removing them, insert a section of pipe between the cylinder and the bore, point the cylinder so it extends away from the bore and use a round flat washer or turned piece of steel that's just large enough to cover the end of the bushing, but small enough to pass through the bore and suck the bushing out with the porta power and hollow cylinder setup. It works best I find to suck the old one out and either push or pull in the new one, whatever arrangement you can make work for you. I hope this helps, if not ask more questions and I'll do what I can to help you out.