Mercury 8hp 2 stroke rebuild question

[xyourobob]

I am rebuilding a 8hp 2 stroke and I am looking for someone in the greater Washington DC area (I live in Annapolis) that can pop a bearing off the crankshaft and press on the new bearing, can anyone recommend someone?

 

[bilge rat jim]

Do it yourself. As the old bearings are going in the garbage, you can use any method to remove it, as long as you don't mess up the crank. A 3 jaw gear puller or slide hammer will work- as will clamping the bearing in a vise and removing the crank with a block of wood and a hammer (carefully!)
Installing the new bearing is a bit trickier, but you can easily make a bearing press with 2 pieces of threaded rod, 2 pieces of angle iron, and a piece of black iron pipe with an ID the same as the inner race on the bearing.

 

[fastjeff]

Just did both bearings on my Mark 78 project. I put the bearing in the freezer overnight and heated the aluminum housing in boiling hot water. Bearing went right in.

You can do a similar deal: Put the crank in the freezer overnight, and heat the bearing in boiling hot water.

Jeff