Just curious if anyone has used candle wax to help while pulling bearing races-I finally got the inner (shaft) race from the main clutch pulled tonight. I do not have a press so I gerry-rigged a pipe coupling and gear puller to pull it.

An excavator buddy of mine told me he uses candle wax. He says after heating the surface, he puts a candle over the surface. The hot metal pulls the wax through to the inner surfaces....he swears by it.

I used candle wax as I was to the point of cutting the race off the shaft-I took my time and heated up the peices and put the wax over the end of the shaft and let it sit and migrate down. The race finally eased off.

I did a couple other things that helped, but I have to believe him now. He is third generation excavator and his family has been farming the same ground for at least six generations.

Just wondering about the candle wax.

Bernie

I think I've heard that mentioned before but it's not something I use and I am a doubter:)
Be interested in hearing from others.

I heard of this quite a while ago and disregarded it too. Something easy to try, so what the heck.

I do know that the shaft after pulling the race felt as though it had some residue on it. I believe it is conceivable that the wax migrated down in the voids.

If you weld a connecting ring around the inner face of the bearing race, it will shrink the race to the point that it will almost fall out . this works great on blind holes