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So I decide it's time to service the linkage on my 220. I get down to time to remove the needle bearings and being the 1st time I've done this, I put my finger in and they to see if the bearings will move or do I have to drive them out.....bad idea,finger comes out with a bunch of needles but no bearing. I'm thinking that now I'm in trouble,get a socket on the bearing and start to hammer on it,opps more needles hitting the floor, stop,get the touch,heat the linkage up and couple hits later, out pop the bearing races(that's what they call the needle holders?) dented to uselessness!
Hello eBay, new bearings on the way, my question is how the heck am I going to get the new ones in? Will freezing them,then heating the linkage let them slide in? I'm concerned if I hit the new one with a socket,will the needles fly out? Will the hot alinkage melt the grease out of the new ones?
Do you have to remove them to service them in the 1st place? If the bearing stays in one piece, no needles pop out, will hitting them be ok to get them out so you can reuse them? I want to keep up on the matinence on the bike and buying new bearings every time you grease them will be$$$
When I pulled the sleeve out there was a lot of grease on the bearings and sleeve does that mean I could of let it go? I'm new to this so any help would be appreciated!
Happy new year and let's ride!!
Tim

I replaced the linkage bearings on my 95 200 last summer. I heated the crap out of the pivot (aluminum triangle thingie) with a butane torch. Then used a socket that fit inside the bore on one side and a larger socket on the other side so the bearing would slide out, then squeezed the crap out of the whole mess with my 4" bench vice.

It took a good amount of heat and more squeezin' than I thought it should to get them out. Then going back in I didn't freeze the new bearings I just heated the pivot some more and pressed the bearings into place with the vice.

There is a post somewhere on this forum that explains the bearing sizes, I don't have the info at hand to tell you what size to get. I bought them separately rather than in the Pivot Works or All Balls kits, it was about half the price that way.

Just make sure going back in, the numbers on the bearings go "out" and make sure to get them seated the proper depth, I believe they are in 5mm, except for the shock bearing. The manual has the specs.

As far as periodic maintenance, I greased mine once during the previous year before replacing them. The bearings I removed were actually still good, the reason I replaced them is a long story beginning with seeing a little bit of slop in the front bearing and not having a torque wrench. I do now and proper torque on those bolts makes a difference, read into that what you will

Thanks for the reply. I don't have a vise so I'll be using a hammer and socket,I'll give your idea of putting a socket inside the bearing and hopefully this will keep them together!.

I just did my suspension bearings also. Instead of driving them out, I made a simple jig.



Good luck

If you don't have a vise handy, use the rod method like sthutch showed above. You don't want to be striking the needle cages repeatedly, easy to damage them that way. little heat on the seingarm pivot after dropping the bearings in the freezer for an hour and they'll slide right in.

Thank you Sthutch for the pic of your "bearing puller". Did you pull the linkage or do it on the bike? It's guys like you who share their knowledge that make this site what it is, thanks again.

I pulled the linkage from the bike so I could work on it on my bench. I am glad I could help, this site has helped me out a whole bunch too!

Linkage is the most neglected part. Trust me mine was elongated and done. Couldnt reuse. Pic in my linkage thread.

Yea if no play and grease there you probably didnt have to replace bearing just clean and grease. I normally take out the needle bearings gonna fall out anyway and spray some cleaner in the wipe and reinstall needles with grease helps hold needles. Replace the seal. I have a set of pivot works linkage bearings installed on mine and had it on this season pulled it to grease for winter time and did the above.

To make removal easier of race you can use some compressed air in a can. Heat with propane torch and use air to spray onto race. This helps remove stubborn or old races rusted in place. Normally just use the threaded rod with some sockets and heat. If they dont move (races) then you can try the air. You have to invert it but youll freeze the race this way. Almost dam near to throwing it into the freezer.

Generally when putting new in all you have to do is freeze the bearings for an hour before you do the job. Hit the linkage with some heat pull em out of freezer and they plop in. They are normally greased. So its pretty easy. Dam near had to hold mine in place till linkage cooled ....that easy.

Keep in mind from what Ive found for the h series is that the linkage and clutch baskets are almost a never find or people keep. Ebay is hardly ever of the two. They are not cheap. Youll find hundreds of other parts and nothing really of these.

Threaded rod and sockets with some pressure and heat is another method. Literally theres tons of ways to do it and only one way to prevent having to do it and thats

Keep em greased!