NissanDiesel Forums

claybodie wrote:So I just checked the runout, and it looks fine to me. It was <= 0.5mm as near as I could measure. It isn't the easiest thing to measure with household tools...
Does anyone know a good supplier for center bearings? I know RockAuto has them and sometimes they show up on ebay.

Clayton

NAPA has it listed for $91: BRG HB128020
(Al adds a picture from NAPA's site)


But ... as Al says, bearings DO vary in quality.

Advice needed:
I found the rubber outer part without the actual bearing for quite a bit cheaper than the whole center bearing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0017209528

Question: Will it be difficult to pull out the bearing from the old rubber disc and put it into the new one? Since it will be $41 with shipping, it had better work, or I may as well buy a brand new center bearing for $70 or so...
Comments appreciated.

claybodie wrote:Advice needed:
I found the rubber outer part without the actual bearing for quite a bit cheaper than the whole center bearing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0017209528

Question: Will it be difficult to pull out the bearing from the old rubber disc and put it into the new one? Since it will be $41 with shipping, it had better work, or I may as well buy a brand new center bearing for $70 or so...
Comments appreciated.

This is akin to replacing dried out / torn ball joint rubbers.

claybodie wrote:I found the rubber outer part without the actual bearing for quite a bit cheaper than the whole center bearing.

I've replaced several of the assemblies, but never only one or the other (on Nissan stuff). I don't know how difficult it is to replace the brg without the rubber (or vice versa). If you do this, can you take a couple of pics, and let us know?

Ok, so far so good.
The only difficult part about getting the driveshaft off was pulling the front propeller shaft out of the transmission (pressure seal).

The question is now - how to 'un-stake' a nut without destroying it? The manual says 'Use a punch to unstake the nut.'
Does anyone have a tip on doing this effectively?

I don't want to permanently damage anything - I'm one of those people that has a nack for breaking things that shouldn't break.

The other question: is possible to find that special tool for holding the driveline in place? I rigged something out of unistrut and 2 bolts that may work ok, but that would be a sweet tool to have.

Thanks,
Clayton

If you use an impact wrench, you don't need to unstake the nut, nor do you need to have a driveline holder.

For non-impact wrench: use a Dremel to cut out the staking portion of the nut, and your Unistrut brace would be a good solution to handle the reaction torque of removing/installing the nut.

Un-staking the nut was pretty easy. I took an old punch and ground it down to the appropriate size.

My unistrut 'special tool' is not so hot though. I'd be interested in hearing some more ideas on how to fabricate one (pictures would be great).

I torqued on that bolt until I bent the unistrut and bolts, so I plan on taking it to a shop tomorrow.

Have any of you removed the bolt without an impact wrench?

Clayton

I was able to take the front propeller shaft to an auto shop and had they removed the bolt for me. Removing the companion flange with the puller I got from Autozone was not sweat.
I'm a little confused by the manual at this point though. When they say to use a press to get the center bearing off, the front propeller shaft is put into the press and then pushed out through the bottom leaving the center bearing on top of the press?
Since I have a part that is just the rubber bushing, it would be great if I could just get that off and leave the bearing attached. I tried using the puller to pull that bushing off with no success. It doesn't sound like anyone has replaced just the bushing before, but I don't understand how the whole bearing comes off.

As far as putting it back together goes, could one use a rubber mallet to knock the companion flange back into place?

claybodie wrote:SNIP- I'm a little confused by the manual at this point though. When they say to use a press to get the center bearing off, the front propeller shaft is put into the press and then pushed out through the bottom leaving the center bearing on top of the press?

Yup ... page PD-5 in the '82 FSM. Seeing a press was needed is is why I opted to have a machine shop replace the whole bearing/support rubber assembly.

I think that I used an air hammer and a piece of hardwood to remove mine, but I don't really recall. It's been a while. I had a press, but I didn't use it.

So took the propeller shaft to the engineering machine shop here at OSU. There was this very cool old german guy there who helped me out and used a huge hydraulic press to push off the center bearing.

I don't think it will be possible to get the bearing out of the rubber bushing in order to replace just the bushing. So I think I'll go to Napa tomorrow and just shell out the $91.

Could I use a rubber mallet to get the new bearing back on to the propeller shaft? I don't really understand how the press would be used to get it back together (what holds the propeller shaft in place?).

Clayton

Use a large deep socket, or a suitable iron pipe, as an installation tool. The idea is to press on the brg's inner race only. Beat on the tool you've chosen (directly on the pipe if using a pipe; use some hardwood on the back of the socket if you use a socket).

Use anti-seize compound (or whatever you like) to reduce the sliding friction, but this is a light interference fit and will require some force to install.

how about putting the brg in the oven for a bit to heat it up so it expands and is easyer to slide on? or would that damage the rubber or...?

ocd wrote:how about putting the brg in the oven for a bit to heat it up so it expands and is easyer to slide on? or would that damage the rubber or...?

Do not. Doing so runs a high risk of damaging (melting) the grease seals. The interference fit Al mentioned is usually 0.0005 to 0.001". That takes a lot of force.

To the point, get your new bearing assembly and look up again that kind German gent with the hydraulic press. People with these things generally know how to use them and have some press anvils on hand.

You can't heat the brg enough to expand it enough to make a difference. You'll ruin the brg's seals trying.

philip wrote:To the point, get your new bearing assembly and look up again that kind German gent with the hydraulic press.

Looking at 1984 FSM PD-2 illustration, I don't think a press can be brought to bear on the problem. There is no good purchase on the shaft. You can't brace the other end, because the driveshaft is thinwall tubing and will deform. The only way that I see to install the brg is with repeated impacts: a pipe, deep socket, or similar -- on the INNER race.