woodless
03-13-2007, 08:13 PM
I've pulled an old Enya 40X out of storage. When I hand turn the prop I feel a grinding vib, as though the bearings have rusted. I'm thinking of replacing the front and rear bearings but have never done anything like this. Has anyone ever done this?
okelly
08-20-2007, 06:26 AM
Hey woodless,
IMHO the best way to do this is by use of heat. When heating the drive washer or the crankcase (or front housing) they will expand and loosen. I prefer using a heat gun to only heat the washer or case evenly by rotating the engine while heating, but you can heat the whole engine since the bearings and crank are made from steel that will expand less then the aluminum washer and case.
This is my way of doing it:
First remove the carb, rear cover, head, liner, piston & conrod (make sure you mark the piston and head
Heat only the drive washer and pull it, preferably using a puller. There are special drive washer pullers made for RC engines but you can buy a battery-terminal puller, it will probably cost less then half.
Now heat up the crankcase place the engine's rear end on a wooden board or block, place another block of wood on the threaded end of the crank and press it. If you must, use a hammer. Do so GENTLY and only on the block not directly on the crank.Pounding might ruin the bearings.
When reassembling, I freeze the crack and bearings in a sealed bag (so they won’t rust) over night and heat up the case, this way in all falls into place very easily.
Ofir