Tool question: Shop press

CaifanSC

SCCoA Member
I was browsing the harbor freight ads and came to a 12ton shop press for around 100 bux. Its manual, not electic...nothing fancy, but its a press nonetheless. It caught my attention since just yesterday i was reading up on rebuilding an m5r2 and a press is needed. Then i thougth of the time i had to replace one of my rear wheel bearings for which I had to have the new bearing pressed in with the hub. Im just wondering if a 12ton press is adequate for performing both jobs. A press would come in handy for many other things, but since i know i will encounter the above-mentioned problems again, i want to make sure this press can handle the job. Thanx for any help!
 
although i don't know what kind of pressures are required for either of those jobs, i do know that the 20 ton press at my job was able to press in the wheel bearing without even moving the pressure gauge needle. I can't imagine anything you need to do on this car that would require more than 12 tons.
 
I bought one of those 12 ton presses to use when rebuilding M5R2's. Got it on sale, too, for about $80. It works great. I haven't tried it for wheel bearings though. Should work.
 
AAh, thanx for the replies fellows. Im debating on it now since Jason said that bearings need more than 12tons of pressure. Glad to know it works for the m5r2 tho.
 
Getting them out, think 20 ton or more.

Putting new ones in, a 12 ton and the proper tools to press them in.

It's what I've read over the last 6 or so years.

If I ever get my garage so I have room for such things, 20ton will be the minimum worth owning and the cost difference is minimal. If you check around you can sometimes find such things at auctions really cheap of old farmsteads or auto garages.
 
ya taking the old ones apart you need more power putting the new ones in is easy.
I just went to ford with them apart and they did it for free.
dont get me wrong a shop press is something you can get a lot of use out of.
 
One more question about this item. Would this be adequate to use when rebuilding the supercharger? I know that in order to change the bearing you have to press the shaft out. Just wondering if I should reconsider simply b/c of teh amount of jobs that i would be able to tackle.
 
Most definently will work for superchargers. The rotors are the hardest thing to get out and it takes about 3K to do that. You can actually do the rear bearings with a drill press.

Jeff
 
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