neck bearings ????

ewoold · Post by **ewoold** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 4:40 pm

hi all
i just took my 65 ca77 all apart for a fresh refurb new paint job just couldn't take the paint brush green any more... well i cant remember how many bearings for the neck how many on bottom and top
i have 38 bearings..hope i didn't lose any
thanks to all that can help me out

Dr. Frankenstein · Post by **Dr. Frankenstein** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 8:25 pm

I found 19 on the bottom, and 19 on the top...and don't drop them...they bounce like a superball...ask me how I know...:)

FYI, when you go to put them back in, put a nice bead of grease around the collar traces...helps keep them in place.

nc_rider · Post by **nc_rider** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:39 pm

I was just double checking this.. mine ('64 CA78) had 19 bottom and 18 on top. There was very little extra room on top and I couldn't see how another one would fit so I tried taking one from the bottom and couldn't get it to fit into the top race with the others (the cone won't fit all the way down so the balls don't mesh into the races properly). Both top and bottom bearings on mine are 6.3mm.

Am I missing one for the top, have the wrong size ball bearings, or just have one that really is supposed to have only 18 on top?

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:31 am

With this type of bearing, better to have one too few than one too many. The balls have to have room to move around as they roll. If they are crammed in too tight the bearings will interfere with each other.

G

bbap · Post by **bbap** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:01 am

19 on bottom and 18 on top as well. I just did mine last nite and put a sheet around the bike when I lifted the headset off. Counting 19 and 18 I was sure I must have dropped one but now I feel relieved. Reminds me of an old Yamie I had that I was restoring...I brought it out to the driveway and put the power washer on it. It was caked with many years of grunge. I had forgotten I had loosened the headset and next thing I know was bearings flying everywhere. Down the driveway, in the lawn and some still stuck to the bike. I had my 3 kids out there looking for about 2 hours and found every one of them except one. I stuck a BB in and called it good!

I learned that you cannot grab up to 40 little items bouncing simultaneously unless you have very special powers.

Old sheet every time for me now!

Steve

yellow60 · Post by **yellow60** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:29 pm

Great info I am going to take one apart tomorrow I will definitely use the sheet method. Do you start off by loosing the square nut on top. I broke down and bought the engine repair guide but that does not help me with the steering.

bbap · Post by **bbap** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:41 pm

Yes, suggest taking a digital photo or two while removing and keep everything in the same order to make your re-assembly much easier. Once you remove all of the top nuts and washers and get to the top race or bearing top removal, the bottom will be loose and that's when to pays to be even more careful.