Anyone who has tinkered with their dirt bike has either used a bearing puller or been in need of one, and I am no different. So much so that I took the plunge and bought myself a Sealey bearing puller after I was having a bad day trying to extract a bearing and frustrations were running high!
Buy this Sealey Bearing Puller from Amazon
Before buying it I had weighed it up a few times, and had been on the fence because as far as tools go it is not the cheapest outlay, this set cost me £190 which is about $240, purchased online.
To be honest if I hadn’t of got frustrated and subsequently decided I was going to teach the bearing a lesson with a ‘proper puller’, then I would still be on the fence.
Since buying it though, I wish I had bought it ages ago. But that’s always the way isn’t it?
Why Get A Bearing Puller Anyway?
So previous to owning this bit of kit I would always use a technique I call drifting. At least I think thats the term people use, I always have anyway.
Bascially the method entails using a socket and a hammer to beat the bearing out. Albiet as carefully as possibly.
You need to select a socket as close to bearing size as possible whilst still fitting in the hole but not that small that the socket slips into the inner hole of the bearing.
Then I like to place the object in question on something solid. It will depend on how big it is but if I can rest it on my bench vice I will, if not then the conctrete floor is second choice.
Then you need to strike the socket to beat the bearing out. The absolute vital part is keeping the socket square so you dont damage the part the bearing is sitting in. This means hitting square on with the hammer.
Here is a pic of a socket stuck in a swing arm joint. This is the culprit that bought me a little rage and resulted in said puller purchase.
From the pic it doesn’t look to bad but it is in fact on a slight angle and thats all you need for it to become stuck, like this one. You can even see the top of the socket , mainly on the left, starting to mushroom, where it had taken such a pounding.
This would of been the perfect time to use the bridge extractor from the Sealey set. The result of this stuck socket was not only buying the puller but I had to source a new part, which for the 1991 Honda XR250 is becoming harder by the month.
In The Box
The AK716 model is a 12 piece set, made up of the slide hammer, 9 different sized collets (sometimes called dies) the die spreader and then a bridge extractor.
The bridge extractor is a clever little tool that you use when you have a bearing that is to delicate to use the slide hammer on. Instead you use the bidge to mount over the bearing then you extract it by tightening the threaded core, which slowly pulls it out.
You can feel the weight of the slide hammer when you use it. The spec says it’s 1.5kg and it runs along the 395mm long shaft. It’s a good amount of weight to create a decent whack of force when encourgaing your bearing out of its snug hole.
Die sizes range from 8mm to 34mm which correlate to the internal diameter of a bearing. That range is covered by 9 seperate dies. Each piece has a size written in ‘mm’ on it, and that indicates the smallest diameter capable if that die, it will then increase upto 1mm below the next size die.
So the smallest die is labeled as 8mm and that is the smallest bearing you can pull with this set. The largest die is labelled 32mm but will increase upto a max of 34mm and thats your biggest. Hence the range is 8mm to 34mm.
The most frequent dies I use are the 12mm, 15mm, 17mm and 20mm and a little tip when using this set…. When you have you hand on the slide hammer, make sure it is not over hanging the handle because when you start sliding your hand will get pinched and it hurts!!!
All the collets operate the same. You select the right size collet then thread it onto the slide hammer.
It’s Easy To Use
Who ever invented the slide hammer was awesome, the concept is so simple yet very effective.
Assembling the bearing puller with slide hammer is just a case of selecting the the correct sized collet with the relevant sized spread and then screwing them on the end of the slide hammer.
You push the collet into the bearing, which when attached to the spreader should only be screwed on a thread or 2 so the collet doesn’t open out.
Once you have got it in the bearing you tighten the collet (die) so it expends the diameter of the collet to grip the bearing. Then just get sliding…. and mind that pinch zone on your hammer hand.
I have done a few waering bearings with this no problem and the one I really wanted it to work well on was the bearings in the swing arm wear the pivot bolt runs through.
After mangling that socket into the swing arm joint I didn’t want to mess up the swing arm itself otherwise that would be expensive.
Turns out it has been one of the easiest to pull out. Here’s a pic of that bearing.
About Sealey
Sealey are a UK comany based in East Anglia and the brand is known world wide for their hand tools and other products. They have aquired and operate the brand WorkSafe which do safety and electrical products, as well as the brand Seigen. Started in 1978 they have been around a while and in that time have built up over 10’000 product lines.
Sealey hand tools carry a good reputation and that is what lead me to their product over other cheaper alternatives like this 16pcs set from Dayuan. I like to buy products that if looked after I know they are going to last me, and dont mind spending abit more for thast reason.
I love the thought of what people say it was like in the ‘olden days’. Proper, quality products that are built to last. Unlike modern times that see us buying stuff to throw away after use. Don’t get me started…!
Verdict
This puller has had some decent use and will have alot more in its lifetime so I can justify the outlay of £190 ($240).
I love the fact you can get spare parts for it so if one of the dies becomes worn or damaged in the years to come then I have the option of buying replacement parts. It also came with one years warranty.
The set seems hard wearing, well made and it’s from a reputable brand so thumbs up from me.