Michael Angelo 

Hello everyone,

Every so often I see threads about how to remove or install bearing cups on Campagnolo hubs. I've also read how someone needs to Harvest cups from donor hubs so they can try to fix other hubs. They get reaponses like cut them out, drill them out, unlace the wheel, heat the hub.......lots of suggestions. All seemed wrong to me, so I made a bearing cup puller and self centering cup installer. Look at the before and after pictures.
Wheel belongs to a good friend, who lives close by.

This is how I got the wheels, bearings as rough any.



Not looking good



Surprisingly the cones were smooth and unmarked



Pretty nasty



Pitted cup



Cup Removed



Bearing cup location dirty but in great shape



Replacement cups ready for measuring

Michael Angelo 

More .....








Cups installed




Wheel almost ready for new bearing balls..




Dust caps installed ready to be returned to my friend.



Bike cave/workshop





Wheel is done, ready for road duty. I'm sure most any cup can be removed without damaging the hub, or unlacing the wheel. No heat or cold was used for this repair.

Mike

pastorbobnlnh 

Mike,

If you don't provide some pictures of the tool(s) you made, we can only guess you used black magic to remove those cups. How did you do this?

cudak888 

I don't know how to thank you, Mike. That saves the original front hub from the '61 Paramount - the only original thing on the bike save for the headset and frame itself. You are an artisan at your craft.

Looks like the Paramount will be put back into rider service once again soon as I can swap the worn-out 151 BCD chainring; the last of the issues that put it in temporary retirement.

Take care,

-Kurt

Michael Angelo 

Hocus pocus.....I'll take pictures of the tools I made. Not to different from what I use everyday at work. If anyone needs this type of work done.....

Epicus07

There is something beautiful about servicing hubs. I did it for the first time a few months ago. It was intimidating at first but essentially very easy.

Thanks for sharing. I hope it encourages folks to try it themselves.

Chris_in_Miami

The real voodoo is sourcing the replacement races, I always assumed new units would be made of unobtanium?

cudak888 

Easy - get a wrecked hub. In this case, the donor raceways came out of a Record low-flange front hub that had pulled a spoke through one of its flanges. Someone probably laced it radially after previously lacing it up 3-cross, stressing the ovalized hole.

The axle and cones came from the donor as well, hence why they were in decent shape. I knew the rotten 1960 races would eat the rest up, so I parked the '61 Paramount with this front hub until something could be done about it. Mind you, my '61 had probably been a Homeless Hot Rod before I wound up with it - the wheels weren't even true enough to spin in the frame.



-Kurt

Michael Angelo 

Loose screws has them, but they are really expensive. I see them on ebay alot, also expensive. They only cost effective way if to find a donor hub. Also it's much easier to replace cups on unlaced hubs.

pastorbobnlnh 

Can we change your name to Merlin Angelo? Are you certain you did not cast some Harry Potter spell on those hubs? I can only imagine a few ways to make this work and they all have hurdles I can't figure how to jump over.

Michael Angelo 

And did I mention the tools are non-maring?? Look at the pictures again, not one scratch. And being Large flange hubs, the sides of the flanges are prone to bending if the tool presses against them while removing the cups. Again, no damage done. It took me longer to clean the junk out of the bearing cavity than to pull and press the cups.

Mike

rootboy 

Neat pictures. Always difficult to do a series of "how to" pics while including the actual how to, as your hands are full of tool during the critical steps. Would love to see your puller and press set-up though.

miamijim

In more detail:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...?highlight=101

Michael Angelo 

Just read that post, that procedure seems a bit violent. But seems to work. I didn't use a slide hammer. I use a threaded bearing cup puller. And a threaded cup installer. Maybe I should market them as a set? What would a tool that does this kind of job be worth?

miamijim

A pullers a puller and they can be found for every inexpensive prices and what more do you need than a socket to drive the race in?

Michael Angelo 

Cause it's custom made not to hurt the hub in any way, works on small and large flange, laced or unlaced hubs. Also removes cups from donor hubs the same way. No heat, no vise used and no hammer to drive anything in. ALso works great on rear hubs, clears the threaded protion of the freewheel thread, not damaging those in any way either.

Mike

cudak888 

Mike, is that to say the puller was slightly modified for the task?

-Kurt

23skidoo

I have a few Campy races for both front and rear I'd be willing to place with decent, smoke-free homes for the repair of a beloved hub that will NOT be subsequently sold. Most have some surface rust from sitting around in a box in the back room for 25 years but nothing a little OA or wire brush and steel wool wouldn't solve. I've also got 4 complete NR front axles, one used axle, assorted cones, washers cups, nuts mostly NOS and may have a dust cap or two as well.

Mike, I'd like to see photos and read a detailed description of the removal/re-install process. I sent a couple of races to fellow member kroozer a couple of weeks ago and I'm sure he'd love to hear all the details before he tackles the job.

miamijim

The only issue I've found with that technique is that the hubs sheels get work as the races is pulled out and then re-installed, I've encountered a few loose races due to this and a few loose sealed barings as well. Heat simply expands the aluminum a touch, alot isnt needed, just enough to expand the diameter.

BTW...nice Var cotter tool and nice work area in general!!!

cudak888 

We'll see what the results will be, Jim - you can bet that I'll put the Paramount back to work.

-Kurt

rootboy 

[QUOTE=miamijim;12536786]The only issue I've found with that technique is that the hubs sheels get work as the races is pulled out and then re-installed, I've encountered a few loose races due to this and a few loose sealed barings as well. Heat simply expands the aluminum a touch, alot isnt needed, just enough to expand the diameter.

I have to take issue just a tad, Jim. Properly removed and installed, using the right tools, which it sounds like Mike's custom tools are ...shouldn't work the metal in the shells at all. But straight in and straight out is the key. I also question the heat theory, though I'm no expert practitioner. I would think heating an aluminum hub shell would indeed expand the material, theoretically shrinking the bore and not enlarging it. Make sense? Perhaps not.

randyjawa 

Nope, that is not the way it works. Both the outside diameter and inside diameter, of the alloy, will expand and do so quickly. The trick is to prevent the heat from reaching the steel cup, which will also expand.

As for the application of heat, done properly, no issues. However alloy, without the slightest change in color, or warning, will go from solid to liquid, in the blink of an eye. Also, though the Record hub might not be anodized, many hubs are. My guess is the direct flame heat would prove unfriendly to the anodized surface.

None the less, it is wise to learn how to preform such procedures and I applaud those who try. I applaud, even more, those who understand the concept of sharing and helping others.

Absolutely! This, heat or no heat, is the most critical concern one has, when installing, or removing, size for size fits, or even for interference fits. Slightly cocked, with either, will dramatically impact opportunity to remove or install.

Michael Angelo 

The puller rests as close to the bearing cup register as possible. So as not to strain the flanges in any way. The bearing cups in Kurts wheels were very rusted and pitted, needing a good cleaning and crud removal before any attempt at removing. In fact as I tightened the puller I kept the cup lubed with MP50, very similar to WD40. Today I'll try to remove some Normady Hub bearing cups. I'll take a picture of that too. I may have to make another small adapter so it rests in a safe place on the hub flange.

Mike

rootboy 

Thanks Randy,
I was curious about the heat application and its ramifications, and this helps. I too applaud Mike's contribution here. Fascinating stuff. Eager to see the custom tools he fabricated for the job. Interested also in his pic of measuring the new race. Had it been a bit oversize for a proper fit, what is the next step? Mount the hub in a lathe and take a half a 'thou skim cut off the interior of the shell? Spooky thought. Thanks. RB.

BassNotBass

Don't want to derail this thread away from an awesome tool idea but maybe it wouldn't have been necessary if the bearings were packed with grease instead of caramel.