Upright Bearing - Time to Replace?

[wake74]

While Scotty has my gearbox, I am spending a bit of time cleaning up the rear and doing a good inspection. The left rear upright bearing is starting to feel "notchy" as you rotate it. You can't tell with the wheel on, but you can with it off. No noticeably play in any direction. Right side is smooth. Unknown history. How much "notchy-ness" is the point where you swap the bearing out?

On an RF81, is this a heat the upright in the grill, and then press the bearing out situation? To install, heat the upright, put the bearing in the freezer, and then press them together? I've got a 20 ton press in the shop, but obviously don't want to muck up an expensive, hard to replace upright.

Thanks!

[kea]

Basically, yes. Heat to remove, heat to install.
Once the cast upright is heated, the bearing might fall into place without the need of a press.

[10rmotor]

Have you ever tried to regrease them? I put some redline CV2 in a syringe with a smallish needle and sneak it under the inner diameter of the seal in several places and fill it up periodically. I can only get to one side of the bearing which isn't the greatest deal.

Otherwise, if they're aluminum uprights like my tholen uprights on my DSR yes I heat them up with an electric hot plate to about 300 degrees, and the bearing "usually" comes out easily. Sometimes it needs to be smacked out. Freeze the bearing and heat the upright to replace.