How do you guys remove the wheel bearing retainers?

[FrisianWheel]

Working on my 450 project I’ve just bought a bearing puller set which enabled me to remove one front and one rear wheel bearing. I would have pulled all bearings if there just weren’t the bearing retainers. My two different 450 shop manuals are not really specific about the retainers and how to remove them but the 500T manual is. There I’ve learned that two different special tools are required. A quick search in the all knowing junk yard (internet) destroyed my hope that they can be ordered somewhere. So how do you guys get these things out? Elbow grease is certainly not sufficient here. Am I missing something or do I have to go to the locksmith for custom tools?

[middletons]

Don't 4into1, dime, Common motor etc. sell the tool?

Edit: I guess not, there are some, but not for the 450.



Get a correctly sized punch and your torch, and get after it i guess. Then buy a new retainer after you mangle the old one.

[FrisianWheel]

Don't 4into1, dime, Common motor etc. sell the tool?

Edit: I guess not, there are some, but not for the 450.



Get a correctly sized punch and your torch, and get after it i guess. Then buy a new retainer after you mangle the old one.

I agree that new retainers are easily ordered but the risk of damaging the hubs is just too big.

[mike in idaho]

A flat piece of metal with two holes drilled in it, and two pin punches. Stick the pin punches through the holes into the bearing retainer and crank away. If you don't have a pair of pin punches, two drill bits, inserted in the holes backwards will work.

[Lefty]

I drill out where they were punched to stake them. It helps save the threads a bit.

[FrisianWheel]

Thanks for the response! I'm not really into hammering the things out but fortunately I've found a front and rear wheel bearing retainer tool set on Ebay and instantly bought it.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Honda-Front-...EAAOxyRNJScDrp

[66Sprint]

Even with those, you will want to GENTLY drill out the staking (as shallowly as possible, and with the smallest appropriate drill bit size obviously)

[FrisianWheel]

Even with those, you will want to GENTLY drill out the staking (as shallowly as possible, and with the smallest appropriate drill bit size obviously)

Thanks! This had the potential to be overlooked. But just to get it right; the staking is a metal needle sunken in between the parts, right? Is it deep? The K5 450 rear hub has nothing although the 500T obviously has...

[Alan F.]

the staking is a metal needle sunken in between the parts, right? Is it deep? The K5 450 rear hub has nothing although the 500T obviously has...

Nope, it's just been center punched to prevent the bearing retainer from backing out.

A little bit of drilling will remove that area of the threads and all should be good to unscrew and reuse the existing retainers. But its frustrating and easy to bugger the retainers up because we tend not to drill deep enough.

This is a quote from a thread over on SOHC4 by member HondaMan a known authority on many things vintage Honda:
"When removing these retainers, first drill thru the staked sites with a 1/8" or 5/32" drill, to the bottom of the threads. Clean out the chips, and then the retainers just spin out easily, without damaging the threads. This was Honda's method for these parts. When installing the retainer, use a punch and stake it down in 2 new places at least."

I know I've seen photos posted of the staking locations after drilling, but that was pre-photobucket snafu, I'll see if I can find any.

[FrisianWheel]

Nope, it's just been center punched to prevent the bearing retainer from backing out.

Ahh, thats what I thought at first but the translation for stake said something like a rivet, splint or needle in German. Good to know, so I’ll drill out that first bit gently.