Removing large bushings

[mudober]

So I am quite happy that I have been able to get these two out. After some research I done I have found a way that works for me and I am going to share it with you. I used stainless steel rods to weld around the inside of the bushings twice then welded the angle iron to the bushing. Let it cool for about five minutes and then used a squirt bottle with water to cool down the just the bushings and angle iron. Then using the broken disc axle and hammer I was able to drive it out. I’m so happy that I didn’t have to bother anyone else and was able to do it on my own. Putting this boom back on I will need help with tho but that’s ok.

 

[Vetech63]

Nice job! I've never needed the angle iron.

 

[heymccall]

We always just weld a few rings around the inner bore, eat a sandwich, then tap them out.

 

[materthegreater]

Nice boom prop. Why stainless rod?

 

[Welder Dave]

That's typically how you remove bushings and bearing races. The bigger they are the more weld they might need. Let them cool off and they often fall right out. No need to use stainless rods, just use the cheapest rods you have. Mig works really good too.

 

[skyking1]

I torched a couple of grooves in them and they shrank back and tapped out. It seems the out is easier than the in.
Nice machine there and good of you to restore on it yourself.

 

[Tugger2]

Im in the process of scrapping some of my crane fleet .Lots of nice brass bushings in the old Americans.I used to run a few passes around the inside of them with what ever wet old junk rod i had around the shop and out they come,some even fall out when they cool. Ive been using my plasma cutter now ,does the same thing in half the time and half the smoke,leaving clean brass for the scrap.It hardly touches the bores and im not being carefull. I guess an old dog can learn a new trick once in a while.

 

[Welder Dave]

On small bushings in a tight area, I cut a notch almost all the way through. Then I pounded a chisel to turn the bushings and they split and came out.

 

[willie59]

Removing them, whatever it takes. But installing? Big bushings like that, even frozen in dry ice they don't just drop in. Liquid nitrogen is better, but still better be prepared for not dropping in fully. I used to use a hollow ram cylinder to press install bushings like that. Even after freezing in dry ice it still took a good bit of pressure from that ram to press them in.

 

[skyking1]

The mobile mechanic pulled mine in with a press, no chilling or heating the end of the boom. It was a hollow porta power cylinder and rod and adapters.

 

[Delmer]

You have two things going on with the angle iron. Heating the bushing in one spot to get it above the plastic limit makes it deform as the rest of the bushing is heated a little and expanded also, then it shrinks and comes loose easier when cool. No need to weld in a circle to do that, welding two parallel beads is enough in most cases, more effective, and that's what the angle iron has. If somebody told you to use SS rod, it's for the strength of the weld to brittle bushing steel, normal rods would make a weld too brittle to hold, so there is some logic in using SS rod between difficult steels.

 

[Acoals]

Getting the bushings out isn't too bad, getting them in without a hollow ram setup is what is a pain . . .