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Re: Hydraulic press

To: <shop-talk@autox.team.net>, <schauss@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Hydraulic press
From: "Tim Mullen" <Tim.Mullen@trw.com>
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 07:34:42 -0700
"Peter Schauss" <schauss@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> 
> I am thinking about getting a hydraulic press for such things
> as pressing wheel bearing races in and out of hubs
> and pressing the bearings on and off of the third motion
> <...>

I bought a Harbor Freight press about 12 years ago.  It's served me well.
As someone else pointed out, it bolts together and it's "tweaked" a little,
but that's never relly caused any problems - one of these days I'll straighten 
it out...

Things to look for:

Mine's a 12 ton, and it's done everything I've needed - it's strained a few 
times, but it's always worked.

Look for a wide opening on the "table" part.  you many need to drop your
transmission shaft (with attached gears) down between the sides.  Mine is 
a little more narrow than I'd like, but I've always been able to figure out a 
way to push things in a way that works.  I've even had to resort to dropping 
the "table" way down low, resting the gears/bearing on the table and 
pushing the "wrong" end to get things to happen, but it's worked.  Still 
wish it was wider though...

Get the press plates.  For transmissions, you will absolutely need the
bearing separators - you can slip them between the gears and press, 
otherwise you have no good way of gripping the gears/bearings.

Look for a long stroke on the jack.  You might also want to find one that
has close spaced verticle "settings" for the "table.  Mine has holes in the 
verticle supports.  Rods are inserted in the holes and the "table" rests on 
the rods.  The problem is, the stroke on my jack is about 6 inches, and 
the spacing of the holes is about 8-10 inches.  Makes it hard to position 
things easily.  I have to screw out the tip of the jack to adjust things, and 
that's a pain - I can do it, it just take longer to set things up.

Little scraps of metal come in handy.  The chunk of steel channel combined
with the press plates, some heavy walled tubing, and old sockets, and you
can press just about anything...

Tim Mullen
Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint - bought the press to rebuilt the trans.



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