Heating a bearing to fit it

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pietpetoors
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Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by pietpetoors »

I recently fitted new bearings to the Touareg's front diff and heated it to fit it. The first one I heated too much and it became blue.
Will that definately cause it to fail?
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by Mud Dog »

I think that it might just. Doubt that it would have warped the race but may have slightly altered the hardness of the steel, in which case it won't last a long as it should. I would say to just run it and see what happens. It shouldn't collapse, but would become noisy quite a while before it actually lets you down completely.
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by niclemaitre »

Ya,the blue-ing usually suggests that you've changed the temper of the metal. It's better to cool the shaft to shrink it rather than heat the bearing to expand it
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by Mud Dog »

niclemaitre wrote: Fri Dec 07, 2018 8:52 am Ya,the blue-ing usually suggests that you've changed the temper of the metal. It's better to cool the shaft to shrink it rather than heat the bearing to expand it
That's exactly what my concern would be. But then who knows just how much it may have changed the temper and the bearing could be fine for many years to come. the way I see it, if it has become a little 'softer' it will wear quicker than it should but other than that it should be OK ..... it's running in oil, so it's well lubricated and that will help a bit.
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by Thunder02 »

Tool Steel Color vs Temperature
2000°F Bright yellow 1093°C
1100°F Slight red 593°C
1000°F Very slight red, mostly grey 538°C
0800°F Dark grey 427°C
0575°F Blue 302°C
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by pietpetoors »

Thank you. 302 degrees is not much , but I guess it should be enough to soften it.
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by Dowe Koos »

Hi Pieter. I have done a lot of bearing changing in my life. With Bearing heater, oil bath and hot plate. Blueist colour was the norm to tell you bearing is ready to fit. No metal molecule change unless you cool of with water, air or oil. So you are safe.
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by blom »

Rule no 76
Thy shall not heat a bearing more than 138 degrees to fit
just replace it piet
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by Mud Dog »

SKF site says to heat bearing 80 to 90°C more than the shaft but not to heat bearing more than 125°C. Also not to use a gas torch but rather a heat gun or bearing heater. Read more here ....

http://www.lubsys.com/knowledge/knw_heatmnt.htm
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by Mars »

Hi Piet. You have probably already assembled the whole shebang? I suppose it depends on what you intend doing with the car. I certainly would not want to be in the middle of the Kalahari and have the bearing collapse. On the other hand it was probably only the thinner wall on the outside of the races that turned blue so it may be allright.

For me it is more about having the confidence to go anywhere than the actual state of the bearing. I hate driving somewhere with that constant worry that something I know is not 100% might fail. So if it was me I would replace it. I might add that it would not be the first time that I would end up stripping something to check or "fix" something that I worry about having screwed up.
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Re: Heating a bearing to fit it

Post by pietpetoors »

Thank you Marnus
Will rather replace it. Each little noise now worries me.
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