Case 3394 ZF axle wear sleeve disaster

[wrwtexan]

I have a Case 3394 with a ZF MFWD axle that I was tasked with replacing the large hub seal on. I ordered the seal, dust ring and wear sleeve (took 2 weeks to get them) and stripped the hub down to the knuckle including splitting and removing the wear sleeve. I opened the new sleeve box and proceeded to start it onto the hub and tap it on as I have many before. It suddenly went ping and dropped all the way home. At that point, I realized some genius had decided to change it from a steel sleeve (I verified with a hammer) to cast iron. As it has to stretch ever so slightly to have an interference fit on the knuckle, I don't see this working. The sleeve (REF# 18) was $280 which the dealer said they could warranty as it broke perfectly linear to installation, but I'm not about to risk another go with the same delicate part. I have searched the net for an alternative to the OEM A52128 part number to no avail. I am taking a crankshaft to Trinity Casting in Dallas on Tuesday and see if they could match a crank sleeve to it but if not, I'm not sure what to do.
http://partstore.caseih.com/us/parts-search.html#epc::mr68218ar996409

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

wrwtexan I have no knowledge of your machine or components but if faced with your dilemma I think I'd cook the sleeve in oil and get it smoking hot.

Others may have different notions.

Cheers,

 

[wrwtexan]

Thanks, Scrub. Had I known that it wasn't steel, I would have taken a very different install approach. To make it more difficult, this is a field install project so I don't have the luxuries of my shop.

 

[lantraxco]

Butane torch probably achieve the desired expansion in no time....

 

[wrwtexan]

Thanks to both of you for the advice. One concern I still have though is as thin as it is, will it not cool and shrink very quickly after it makes contact with the mount area?

 

[thepumpguysc]

A cheap hot plate, a small inverter, to run off the truck battery and a GOOD pair of welders gloves.
A good, cheap, uniform, bush heater-upper..

 

[wrwtexan]

I have an old popcorn popper which will get very hot that I could power off my welder. I'll check with the crank shop on a steel sleeve and if a no go there, reorder the OEM and go back to plan A with your recommendations. Many thanks to all.

 

[Shimmy1]

I feel that this popcorn popper idea might not be desirable. You need to heat the sleeve evenly, and something this delicate might require heating it in an oven, or oil.
Just my opinion.

 

[icestationzebra]

if you are afraid of it breaking again get some precision measurements before you try the install. Then worst case you can gat one made in steel. ISZ

 

[Birken Vogt]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I am thinking hot air popcorn popper here, should be pretty even heat.

I have such a job coming up and this makes me wonder. But in my case it is a ball bearing not a sleeve. How hot can you get a ball bearing before the grease or seals are damaged?

 

[lantraxco]

Sealed bearing, not very hot I'm afraid. Maybe 150?

 

[Shimmy1]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I am thinking hot air popcorn popper here, should be pretty even heat.

I have such a job coming up and this makes me wonder. But in my case it is a ball bearing not a sleeve. How hot can you get a ball bearing before the grease or seals are damaged?

Even heat, yes. How to get it to the sleeve is the problem. Are you going to hold and use it like a hair dryer and keep moving around? I suppose I could maybe see that working.

 

[Cmark]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I am thinking hot air popcorn popper here, should be pretty even heat.

I have such a job coming up and this makes me wonder. But in my case it is a ball bearing not a sleeve. How hot can you get a ball bearing before the grease or seals are damaged?

With an open bearing, the maximum temp you should heat it to is about 120°C or 250°F. Not sure with a plastic shielded one though. Sometimes the shields are pretty easy to pop out and back in again. Maybe you could remove the shields, warm the bearing then put them back in. I've never tried it though.

***Edit. Just found this info on SKF's site:
Seals
The permissible operating temperature for NBR seals is –40 to +100 °C (–40 to +210 °F). Temperatures up to 120 °C (250 °F) can be tolerated for brief periods.

 

[wrwtexan]

Sorry for leaving out the details on the popcorn popper. It is one of the old bowl with oil and a dome style, maybe 1 1/2" deep, not a hot air popper. I heated some emulsified oil in it and I think it would get hot enough to start a fire. It had burned cooking oil coating the dish so we removed it from kitchen service. I'll plug it in and see what it goes to with and infrared thermometer.
I dropped cranks off at Trinity today and ma have a lead on a steel wear sleeve as they deal with some BIG cranks. My sleeve ID measured 164mm. They said they would look and get back to me.

 

[DIYDAVE]

You might want to try an old toaster oven, set it on keeps warm, and pop the cracked piece in it, and check the temp, with your IR thermometer...:idea

 

[crane operator]

I have a old crock pot cooker, have it 1/2-3/4 full of hydraulic oil. Works great for heating up seals, o'rings and such when resealing cylinders. I think it heats to right at 210 degrees. Drop the bearing in for a couple hours then go to work?


I actually stole my wife's cooker when I really needed it, then went and bought her a new one, she didn't like the idea of cleaning out the hydraulic oil before supper. Probably buy one at goodwill or a garage sale for $5-10.

 

[Tinkerer]

Maybe pack the hub in dry ice ???

 

[wrwtexan]

I took the advice given here and heated in oil on a fish fryer up to 350 F or so and it slid on with easily but was immediately cool so there is no time to screw around or its done. I would assume then its use a torch on it if the hub doesn't pull the heat out before it expands again. Anyway, its fixed thanks to the help from everyone here.