Troubles replacing arbor bearings 1979 Powermatic 66

[Patrick Curry]

Re the key, hit the _shaft_ (not the key) with a torch, rub an ice cube on the key, then yank on the key with a slide hammer. It should pop right out.

This worked! Took some muscle and a second set up hands to hold a small pry bar but it worked. Thanks!

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[Patrick Curry]

Once the bearings arrive I may take everything over to a buddy's auto brake center and see if he can get the old bearings off and the new ones on (safely) with a press. I've had enough time with this arbor for now.

two big crowbars or two crowbars may be enough to get the bearings off but the key has to come first. I would look at the slot carefully. It is probably hammered and dented. A air chisel may just make it worse, faster. I agree that a bearing puller will work if there is enough room to get the jaws under. It will damage the bearing in doing so. Problem will be to find one with small enough fingers to reach in and long enough to handle the shaft. The bearing splitter may be able to get to the inner race and save the bearing.
Bill D

[Tom M King]

That's a good plan. It's an easy job with a press. I wouldn't even bother to try any other method.

[Patrick Curry]

Interesting, what color is it(the saw)? I'm no expert, but I've never seen one like that. What purpose do the threads serve? The pulley is keyed and pretty sure has one or two setscrews.

yes, the pulley has a set screw and both ends are threaded.
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It was made in 1970. Kind of a cool story worth sharing is that the man who sold it to me was the junior school shop teacher that procured all the classroom equipment nearly 50 years ago. He told me they closed woodworking about 5 years later and the machines went largely unused while remaining at the school. The school closed down and the retired shop teacher got a sweetheart deal on all that he could store in his garage. It’s all 3 phase equipment though. It’s in my old hometown and we’ve kept in touch since the sale.

[Matt Day]

That's a good plan. It's an easy job with a press. I wouldn't even bother to try any other method.

Seriously? I do it all the time with a bearing puller or bearing splitter. It’s a worthy investment if there’s any chance you will ever replace a bearing again. I think I have 6 pullers (good ones, not counting HF) and a splitter (which actually is H and works great, lol).

[Alex Zeller]

I don't know why it would be different but my '95 PM66 has snap rings on both sides of the pulley side bearing on the shaft. So when you remove the bearings do it one at a time. I used a bearing separator and a 20 ton hydraulic press. They came off like butter. There's also a wavy washer next to that spacer. It applies a little force but not too much to keep it from moving. When you install the new bearings make sure to press them on pushing on the inner race. They should go on pretty easily. It's a little late now but I would have suggested measuring the runout on the shaft before removing it. If it's not true now would be a good time to replace it. Between the shaft and the gears for raising and tilting the blade everything else seams to last forever.

I went a bit further when I rebuilt my PM66. I removed everything, cleaned it all up and lubricated it (both dry and grease as needed). How are your raising and tilting functions? Mine worked pretty stiff. The knob that locks the handwheels was the problem. It's nothing more than a shaft with a point on the end. That point pushes on the end of a key (just like the one you had a tough time removing). Both keys were crudded up. Once the shaft the handwheel mounts to is removed the keys are easy to get out as tightening up the locking knob forces it out. From there just cleaning it up and then some grease and now they work super easy and lock great. I actually bought handles for the handwheels (see below) since they spin so easy. Before tilting the blade took a little but of effort, now I focus 100% on the blade to get the exact angle I want. if you've gone this far I would suggest going a little further.

[Tom M King]

Seriously? I do it all the time with a bearing puller or bearing splitter. It’s a worthy investment if there’s any chance you will ever replace a bearing again. I think I have 6 pullers (good ones, not counting HF) and a splitter (which actually is H and works great, lol).

I have plenty of bearing pullers, but much prefer pushing out, or pressing in a bearing, or bushing with a press. Even small things, if I can rig up a way for it to work.

[Bill Dufour]

I assume the bearing nearest the blade is locked in place and the one at the far end can float to allow for heat expansion of the arbor length as it heats up under use.
Bil lD

[Jared Sankovich]

Relatively quick to press the old bearings off and new bearings back on
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[Alex Zeller]

I assume the bearing nearest the blade is locked in place and the one at the far end can float to allow for heat expansion of the arbor length as it heats up under use.
Bil lD

The bearing near the blade is just pushed on as far as it can go, then the spacer, then the wavy washer for the spacer (this is what would take up any expansion, then a snap ring (that's too small to touch the spacer), the pulley side bearing, and then a snap ring on the other side of the bearing. There's a set screw that holds the spacer in place so the bearing nearest the blade can't move. So, yes if the arbor heats up the pulley will move slightly.

[Tom M King]

Even with a press, I like this stuff, and especially the little bottles with the needle tip. After I use it, and take something apart, the parts are almost always coated with it.

https://logrite.com/Category/bluecreeper

[mike stenson]

Seriously? I do it all the time with a bearing puller or bearing splitter. It’s a worthy investment if there’s any chance you will ever replace a bearing again. I think I have 6 pullers (good ones, not counting HF) and a splitter (which actually is H and works great, lol).

Given the choice between pullers and an arbor press, I'm going to the arbor press every.. time.

[Doug Dawson]

Given the choice between pullers and an arbor press, I'm going to the arbor press every.. time.

You can buy an acceptable 20-ton press at HF for around $200, or less if you have the coupons and/or it’s on sale. Very useful. They also sell a cheap bearing separator plate that is “okay”. I have this press, and I also have a trunk full of worn out Honda 5-speed parts that I use as jigs with it. :^) Jody drives his Honda hard. Don’t throw away your scrap metal.

[Bill Dufour]

I save the old bearings and grind down the outer race a little bit to push in the new one. The inner race I heat up in the wood stove or campfire to a glowing red. In the morning I drill the inner bore a little bigger and use that as a presser as well.
Bil ¬D

[Tom M King]

One of the best cheap Chinese tools sets I've bought was this set of press dies that has one every mm. But, as you can see in that picture of the 300 lb. tractor axle, other stuff is often required.

Always store this set flat in a drawer. It's no fun having to put all the pieces back in their correct slot.

edited to add: Even if I'm installing something as small, and delicate as a crank seal in a chainsaw, I'll use the press. It's just so much less violent than hitting with a hammer.