Bearing Failure

[Jennmarr]

One of the two side door bearings failed in my '07 FLHTCU. Anyone know a shortcut to changing that bearing, or will I have to pull the whole gearset as per the service manual?

 

[dolt]

If there is a shortcut to pulling the gear set, I haven't found it yet.:nosad If you find a work around, please post it.:worthy

 

[Jennmarr]

Seems to me that I remember replacing those bearings on a 5 speed Evo without pulling the gearset, but maybe I'm confused. I can't see any way to get the bearings out of this one without pulling everything.

 

[stray dog]

I don't see how you would press the shafts into the side door bearings properly without taking the shafts out.

 

[Jennmarr]

I don't see how you would press the shafts into the side door bearings properly without taking the shafts out.

The shafts are threaded. I could make something up to push them back on. Getting the old ones out seems to me to be the bigger hurdle. So far, I haven't come up with anything that isn't more work than just pulling the gearset out.

 

[stray dog]

Good luck to you. I've only did this once with my 5 speed, and if I don't have to do it again that's OK by me

One thing that worries tho, what about the other bearings if one of those is bad? Just sayin

 

[Jennmarr]

Good luck to you. I've only did this once with my 5 speed, and if I don't have to do it again that's OK by me



One thing that worries tho, what about the other bearings if one of those is bad? Just sayin

Thanks. Calculated risk....but the weather is too nice. Hope I don't regret it.

 

[Jennmarr]

All done. With my boys helping, we got everything reassembled this afternoon in about three hours. Rode to Ivanhoes in Upland, IN for ice cream to celebrate...'course dad got to buy since everyone helped work on my bike.

 

[stray dog]

The shafts are threaded. I could make something up to push them back on. Getting the old ones out seems to me to be the bigger hurdle. So far, I haven't come up with anything that isn't more work than just pulling the gearset out.

So, are you going to tell us how you managed to get the side door off?

 

[Jennmarr]

So, are you going to tell us how you managed to get the side door off?

I did not find a shortcut. Followed the service manual procedure with the exception of using a press. I do not have a press in my garage. Once the gearset was out I finished breaking the cage out of the failed bearing and used a die grinder with a carbide rotary file to make a spot in the race so I could remove the balls. Repeated the procedure on the remaining bearing. With the side door free of the shafts I pulled the shifter fork rods and removed the forks. The shifter drum stayed in the side door. A properly sized socket and a dead blow hammer sufficed to remove the old races and seat the new bearings in the side door. The inner race had to be cut off of each shaft. I then used the old nut the draw the counter shaft into the bearing and repeated the process for the main shaft. From there, I again followed the service manual for reassembly.

Now that I have completed the job, I see no way to shortcut the procedure. The entire gearset must come out of the case in order to replace the side door bearings.