Bearing heating for installation

[AlanCasida]

I ordered a new Detroit Locker for the Galaxie to replace that noisy Nascar style Locker. I have always just drove my bearings on but I would like to try heating the bearings up so I can slip them on. I was wondering if I could use a small toaster oven to accomplish this and if so, how hot do I need to get the bearings?

[Heo]

I use a old electrical oven the wife dont let me use the
one in the house ::)About 90-100 degrees celsius and
 put the diferential in the freezer ( 200-212deg F)

[My427stang]

Holy cow, absolutely, and you will never go back.

Generally 160 degrees or so will get you there, but I tend to set the oven at 350 and give it some time, it sure won't hurt it at that temp, but truthfully anything over about 200 is overkill

They drop right on, no real need to cool the male part either.  The change in temp of the male part is only 30 degrees or so, doesn't make nearly the difference of 150+ of the female part

[Heo]

I use 90- 100 celsius beacuse thats what we learned in
school to use when we learned to construct machines. So i haven't
realy tested what temp you need but you are probably right
and i put the male in the freezer just to get some "extra"

[427Fastback]

I'm with Ross on this one..As a machine fitter I do this all the time but with way bigger bearings..If I am using my SKF bearing heater I set it at 280F for a little extra comfort.It is factory set at about 230F..You only have one shot at it so have some sort of driver handy for back up.I always oil the shaft and make sure it is level/true...
I fully understand chilling the other pc but I don't do it 99.999% of the time.At best it will gain you .002.The bearing will grow much easier and we are only talking a interference of 1/2 to 1 tho....

The oven will work just fine for what you are doing...

[GJCAT427]

Back when I was a kid growing up with a dad who worked in construction equipment repair, I watched him change bearings on shafts a lot. He always took a coffie can and put a quart of oil in it, the bearing, and heated it with a torch. He would get it to about boiling, lift it out with a large set of plyers and drop it on the shaft, very seldom did he have to tap it in place. I helped to do tons of bearing this way and he never had any fail. Was it the right way? Don`t know ,but I still do it today and Never had a bad bearing as a result.

[Falcon67]

I set my bearings on a coffee warmer.  Doesn't take up any space, stores in the tool box, also works for the original intended purpose.

[machoneman]

Chris beat me to it: a coffee mug warmer, under $10 everywhere. Or, just use the hot plate under your current coffee pot. Warning: heating them inside your place may make a stink!

[Drew Pojedinec]

I'm curious....
What is the benefit of doing this?
I mean, I just toss the locker on the shop press with the bearing, and I'm done.

[427Fastback]

I have seen reference to heating bearings in oil before..Its actually a good thing as the bearing is heated perfectly every where and the oil certainly helps in the install..
I once heated a hunk of aluminum up with a tiger torch and sat the bearings down on the hot plate...You use what you have...
I like the coffee warmer...dual purpose tools are good..

[cjshaker]

I'm curious....
What is the benefit of doing this?
I mean, I just toss the locker on the shop press with the bearing, and I'm done.

Drew, a press is usually much better than beating them on, less chance of damage being done. But heating is probably the best way, zero chance of distortion or damage to the bearing and requires no special tools or pipe sizes. It's not always possible though, such as with bearing cones and such.

I have a toaster oven in the garage just for jobs like this, but I'm guilty of using the kitchen oven for many things. If the wife disapproves, well...she has to leave sometime.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Decent answer.....  Thanks Doug.  I'll stick to pressing stuff on, my $140 Summit 12 ton press does everything a Ford 9 requires with minimal drama.
At work, I've seen some massive bearings pressed on, and sometimes cold being used, but almost never heat.  Did a winch shaft awhile ago with some tapered roller bearings that cost $2k each (needed 4 of them), we were pretty paranoid about damaging them in any way for obvious reasons.  Only time we use heat is to remove a bearing that we intend to replace (so the offending part is tossed).