Replaced Bearings in a Bosch Colt

[glenn bradley]

Boredom can do wonderful things. I tossed this Colt with shot bearings into its blow-mold case and tucked it up in the rafters. At the time, I just couldn't spare the cycles to replace the bearings. While sorting (read thrashing) through the pile of stuff that is waiting for the new shop to appear I found the case. To myself I think "I coulda swore I tossed all these useless things." I picked it up and it rattled . . . ah-ha!

Double sealed bearings delivered for about $15. About an hour of my time. Bear in mind I have no bearing puller or press and have never done this before. Believe me, I am not bragging. I am declaring that if you have a dead Colt laying somewhere, take an hour out of your day and bring it back to life. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

You take the three screws out and get about this far . . . helpful hint; remove the brushes

Colt-Bearings (1).jpg

Then it pulls apart easily.

Colt-Bearings (2).jpg

Oh yeah, I had no spanner wrench either. I drilled a couple holes in a scrap of plywood and tapped in a couple of punches; worked fine.

Colt-Bearings (3).jpg

The bearings didn't feel all that bad and I looked around for some other cause of the chatter and horrible noises it made while running. Nope, everything looks good and fits tight so, swap the bearings. By the way, don't lose the wavy washer that is deep inside the blue plastic housing.

Colt-Bearings (4).jpg

I used an open end wrench and a mallet to get the small bearing off the shaft. Use a puller if you have one, it would go quicker. The large bearing pushed out easily. I cleaned everything up inside, used a couple of blocks of scrap and my twin screw vise to press the small bearing on.

Colt-Bearings (5).jpg

Fiddle it back together and it runs like new.

Colt-Bearings (6).jpg

Time for a cup of coffee.

[Edwin Santos]

Good write-up, thank you for sharing.

Did your Colt have a lot of hours or hard use on it?

Edwin

[glenn bradley]

Good write-up, thank you for sharing.

Did your Colt have a lot of hours or hard use on it?

Edwin

In a word, yes. This one was bought in 2006 not too long after I became aware of them. I used it fairly regularly for at least 10 years. When it started to give a bit of chatter I realized the arbor had some play in it. We are talking about a very small amount of play but, enough to show on a profile. I bought a couple more when the 1.25 HP unit was announced and Lowe's had the 1 HP version on clearance. That was great for me since by then I had multiple bases and all sorts of kig designed around the PR-20 EVS form factor.

[Bill Dufour]

It is well worth it to buy a small bearing splitter on the bay. Probably never run into anything over 3/4" in you lifetime. Maybe one inch. I did not know it at first but the do not split the bearing, they just allow you to pull or push in a nice straight line. Best to buy a used USA made one then a china made one since they can bend the sharp lip. BTW some OTC's are made in China now and known for threads failing.
Bill D..

https://www.otctools.com/products/bearing-splitter-1

[Will Blick]

Interesting, well done...
For such a small router, I guess all bearings will get shot over time...
When a router gets old, and unused does it need to be lubricated anywhere? IF so, where? Never thought to do maintenance on a router, but I am sure its beneficial.

[glenn bradley]

Interesting, well done...
For such a small router, I guess all bearings will get shot over time...
When a router gets old, and unused does it need to be lubricated anywhere? IF so, where? Never thought to do maintenance on a router, but I am sure its beneficial.

Thanks. The bearings are sealed and lubricated for life (so to speak) so not lube required there. I blow out the dust every so often and check the collet(s) for wear. that's about it unless something irregular appears.

[Bill Dufour]

Interesting, well done...
For such a small router, I guess all bearings will get shot over time...
When a router gets old, and unused does it need to be lubricated anywhere? IF so, where? Never thought to do maintenance on a router, but I am sure its beneficial.

I have a older Stanley or Black and Decker router with a bronze top bearing. Bought in the 70's. The top berign dried out and it howled. Better ones use both ball bearings. I added a few drops of oil after I opened it up. While I had it open I drilled and tapped a small hole in the top. Now every so often I remove the brass screw in the top and put a few drops of oil on the felt pad around the bushing.
Bil lD

[Dick Mahany]

Many thanks for the helpful write-up. I have the same router, same vintage, but it has fewer miles on it. I have been using it a lot more lately now that I have the plunge base and dust collection for it. I'm book marking this thread for future reference!