Elgin Model 401 2.5 hp Crankshaft Roller Bearing

[Buccaneer]

I tore into the subject, froze up, parts motor today, to see if it’s salvageable.
Piston is froze at almost BDC, naturally past the ports. I may throw it into
some ATF mixture.

The crankshaft had some rust, but it cleaned up “fair” with some polishing.

The issue I’m wondering about is the upper crankshaft main roller bearing.
The bearing rollers wiggle around, but I’m not able to turn the bearing more
than a 1/16″, most likely due to rust / crud on the outer bearing race.
I’d like to pop out the bearing to inspect or possibly replace, as I see new ones
are still available.
I don’t see “how” one can remove the bearing, nor can I find any Elgin / Sears
repair manual that covers this motor.
There’s no gap to speak of to get behind the bearing to use a puller or slide hammer,
and the bronze bushing cast in the upper housing prevents tapping it out from above.
Any ideas? Thanks.

Anyone have any results freeing a piston by putting the cylinder in boiling water for a while?
Being an aluminum block, I don’t think I better throw it in a charcoal grill to cook!

Prepare to be boarded!

[lloyd]

I have freed up many stuck pistons by simply pouring hot water over the block repeatedly  to expand the cylinders.  Heat may also help you get that bearing out.

[frankr]

Yeah, I’m surprised you don’t already know this.  Heat that upper crankcase half and give it a whack on the bench top.  The bearing will fall out.

[Buccaneer]

Frank, I’ve heated one part and had the other part in the freezer before on
projects to install parts, so I guess I should have thought of heating up the housing and slapping
it on the bench. Not many of the motors I work on actually have any roller bearings.

Now, perhaps another thing I should know, but what’s the best way to get that wire clip retainer
out of the top of the housing that holds the seal in? I can’t get a bite on it with a mechanic’s pick,
but at least I haven’t stabbed myself so far. I remember the same frustration years ago on another
motor, and I ended up drilling a tiny hole on the outside of the housing, and pushing a pick in,
to get the end of the clip accessible with a little screw drive….. got to be a better way!
Thanks!

Lloyd, I may rig up a hot plate in the garage to boil some water and see if I can get the piston free.
I suppose it would be best to pour the water right into the water jacket if I can rig up a funnel.
Thanks.!

Prepare to be boarded!

[frankr]

Use a hammer.  Naw, seriously, pound some sort of pointy tool in between the end of the snap ring and pry it out.  So it’ll jimmy up the aluminum groove a bit, but who cares?

[Buccaneer]

Frank, thanks for the sage advice. Heating the housing worked after I got
out the serious torch. It still took about three heating’s and slamming’s on the
workbench before the bearing was all the way out. Thicker work gloves
may have been advised though, lol.

The seal retainer clip is out as well. I drilled a tiny hole at an angle right
behind the clip and pried it out with my pick…. only took about two
minutes, and no band-aid’s needed!

As long as I had the torch out, I heated around the cylinder some to try to
free up the stuck piston……… that didn’t goes so well. Piston still stuck,
so I threw the cylinder with piston in my vat of ATF / Acetone, which
I never had much luck with either.
I had a 12 hp Gale wedge block in the bucket for a couple of years, and
the pistons still aren’t moving!

Prepare to be boarded!

[Author]

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