04 Foreman 450ES - Clean up, Repair, Maintenance & Enjoy

[jeepwm69 7,605]

On 1/1/2021 at 7:05 AM, Fishfiles said:

Frebo' what is the story on that kit , looks like shock extensions , right ? 

 

I have those on all my 500's. 

 

Perfex Long Travel lift.  Rear moves the bottom shock eyelets forward, so the shock is more straight up and down.  Gives a smoother ride and about 1.5" lift.  The front more or less work like any other lift kit.

[freebo86 291]

1 hour ago, jeepwm69 said:

 

I have those on all my 500's. 

 

Perfex Long Travel lift.  Rear moves the bottom shock eyelets forward, so the shock is more straight up and down.  Gives a smoother ride and about 1.5" lift.  The front more or less work like any other lift kit.

 

Find a difference in ride @jeepwm69? I'm very excited to install mine.

Edited January 4, 2021 by freebo86

[jeepwm69 7,605]

32 minutes ago, freebo86 said:

 

Find a difference in ride jeepwm69? I'm very excited to install mine.

It made enough difference for me to buy 4 of them.  They were about $130 ea + shipping from Canada when I got my first two.

 

https://www.hondaforeman.com/threads/perfex-kit.76317/

[freebo86 291]

2 hours ago, jeepwm69 said:

It made enough difference for me to buy 4 of them.  They were about $130 ea + shipping from Canada when I got my first two.

 

https://www.hondaforeman.com/threads/perfex-kit.76317/

very excited to install mine! 

[freebo86 291]

Tackled the lower steering stem bearing. Pulled plastic, and all else now I’m at the old bearing. There is a snap ring in there that I can’t remove for the life of me. No space. 
 

What’s the trick? I simply can’t get a good angle on it. Pulled the wheels off.. getting pretty frustrated. 

 

[retro 4,048]

A stiff angled pair of snap ring pliers works good when the ring is not rusted tight in its groove. Or you can use a dull awl or a pick to pull one end of the clip up & out of the groove. Then slide a narrow screwdriver blade behind the clip to hold it out of the groove and prevent ya from losing progress as ya work. Then use a pair of needle nose pliers or an awl or pick to grab the eye of the clip and pull & slightly lift on it while ya slide the narrow blade along behind the clip... until you walk enough of the clip out to get a better grip on the eye with your pliers and yank it out of there. If ya bend the clip up a bit getting it out, no worries... you can bend it back round and reuse it.

[_Wilson_™ 6,564]

just to add, have some safety goggles on.

[freebo86 291]

1 hour ago, retro said:

A stiff angled pair of snap ring pliers works good when the ring is not rusted tight in its groove. Or you can use a dull awl or a pick to pull one end of the clip up & out of the groove. Then slide a narrow screwdriver blade behind the clip to hold it out of the groove and prevent ya from losing progress as ya work. Then use a pair of needle nose pliers or an awl or pick to grab the eye of the clip and pull & slightly lift on it while ya slide the narrow blade along behind the clip... until you walk enough of the clip out to get a better grip on the eye with your pliers and yank it out of there. If ya bend the clip up a bit getting it out, no worries... you can bend it back round and reuse it.

 

Amen brother! Got it off. Now the bear of a bearing. Looks like 7/16s threaded rod with a 24mm socket would do the trick. Going to let it soak over night as I think it’s on there properly. 

wish I could get a bigger socket on there but the bottom where it needs to push from will only accept that which is not quite as big as the bearing.. 

 

1 hour ago, _Wilson_™ said:

just to add, have some safety goggles on.

safety is always #1! 
 

 

[jeepwm69 7,605]

I used several extensions on a socket, hammered from the bottom up, but IIRC I had my front diff out at the time.

[freebo86 291]

34 minutes ago, jeepwm69 said:

I used several extensions on a socket, hammered from the bottom up, but IIRC I had my front diff out at the time.

 

Yah no go on that with the diff in place. I gave it a go last night with the rod, washers, socket etc. stripped the threaded rod. Bearing is in there nicely, I let it soak.

 

1/2" threaded rod fits through the bearing too but not through the socket unfortunately. May give the bigger rod a go and use washer & nuts only and see. Hopefully it doesn't strip that rod, lol.

Edited January 5, 2021 by freebo86

[jeepwm69 7,605]

You have an air hammer?  I got one a few weeks ago, and it's been very handy.  It's made some jobs a lot easier like this one.

 

I've also broken a lot of stuff with it. LOL

[freebo86 291]

Just now, jeepwm69 said:

You have an air hammer?  I got one a few weeks ago, and it's been very handy.  It's made some jobs a lot easier like this one.

 

I've also broken a lot of stuff with it. LOL

 

I got a Air Chisel, but the thing let go on me leaks air past the seals so it wont really hold pressure and when I pull the trigger it doesnt have the umpf it used to.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

If you are going to beat on it , you need to take the diff out or you will be hitting it from an angle  -----    Do you have access to a oxy / acc torch , I cut them out by washing two slits in the race , piece of cake --- the other easy way to do it is a hydraulic ram ( port-a-power ) with a round plate o top the square tube in the pick , used a magnet to hold it in place till you get some pressure on it  ------  if you are going to keep driving it , clean up the bore above the bearing so when it does start moving , it will move easily 

[Gator1957 15]

One thing to check on your leaky air chisel is make sure the body hasn't come loose from the handle. My PA air chisel does that all the time and I can't get it to stay tight. Just a little bit of a turn is enought to tighten it back up and its as good as new until it comes loose again!

[freebo86 291]

21 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

If you are going to beat on it , you need to take the diff out or you will be hitting it from an angle  -----    Do you have access to a oxy / acc torch , I cut them out by washing two slits in the race , piece of cake --- the other easy way to do it is a hydraulic ram ( port-a-power ) with a round plate o top the square tube in the pick , used a magnet to hold it in place till you get some pressure on it  ------  if you are going to keep driving it , clean up the bore above the bearing so when it does start moving , it will move easily 

 

Do not have access to the a oxy torch. I really don't want to remove the diff lol. I think I will give it a go with threaded rod and socket, PB blaster and Heat if needed.

 

I think 24mm is the biggest socket that will slide up in from underneath? No other snap rings or things holding this thing in besides rust I would assume?

Edited January 5, 2021 by freebo86

[freebo86 291]

Took last night off, back at it tonight. Does the bearing sit into a grove at the bottom end? Curios to know if my socket is pushing against a lip that the bearing is seated against.. 

[freebo86 291]

Gave up trying with the space and angles I had, pulled the front diff out. Wasn’t as bad as it looked. Still hoping someone can chime in on the lip and bearing if what I am seeing from below is the bearing end or a lip that the bearing seats against? I think my only option will be to beat this thing out.. or use a dremel and cut the race. 

 

 

Pretty sure I discovered why my steering wears of to the right, my front right lower shock bushing is completely toast. How do you guys replace these? All Balls kits or the individual Honda part numbers? Looking for a cost effective solution as I may do the uppers too. 

 

 

Pulled the front driveshaft. Teeth look good on it, grease is dried up. What grease you guys recommend for this when I reinstall? Also on the boot towards the end on the shaft looks like the seal or another rubber boot that’s inside the larger boot is torn? 
 

[retro 4,048]

8 hours ago, freebo86 said:

Still hoping someone can chime in on the lip and bearing if what I am seeing from below is the bearing end or a lip that the bearing seats against? I think my only option will be to beat this thing out.. or use a dremel and cut the race. 

 

Yup, the outer bearing race seats against the bottom of the bore on a narrow shelf or lip where the  bore diameter is slightly smaller. So it has to be driven out from the bottom, toward the top of the bore.

 

8 hours ago, freebo86 said:

What grease you guys recommend for this when I reinstall? Also on the boot towards the end on the shaft looks like the seal or another rubber boot that’s inside the larger boot is torn?

 

Yup that cup seal was turned inside out when it was installed at the factory which ruined it. Thats a very common occurrence.... assembly at the factory is done fast & sloppy by a worker whose gotta keep up with line production. It is easy to replace. Use MOS2 (molydenum disulfide) grease containing a minimum of 8% moly to repack those splines. All splines and sliding bearing surfaces (linear bearings) always require a coating of moly grease. Thats a general assembly rule with very few exceptions, whether its an ATV, auto, aircraft or a rocket, if there are sliding parts with low bearing speeds, there is moly grease on them. 🙂

[retro 4,048]

If you can find something the right diameter to match the portion of the outer race that is not covered by the lip at the bottom of the bore; and push on the outer race rather than the inner, that bearing will probably walk right out of there quite easily.

 

Pushing on the inner race tends to force the outer race to tighten its grip in the bore due to the action of the inner & outer raceways being shaped like ramps.... the ball bearings inside the bearing are being forced to move outwardly which expands/wedges the outer race and tightens up its press fit in the bore. So if you push on the outer race you avoid that reaction..

[freebo86 291]

28 minutes ago, retro said:

If you can find something the right diameter to match the portion of the outer race that is not covered by the lip at the bottom of the bore; and push on the outer race rather than the inner, that bearing will probably walk right out of there quite easily.

 

Pushing on the inner race tends to force the outer race to tighten its grip in the bore due to the action of the inner & outer raceways being shaped like ramps.... the ball bearings inside the bearing are being forced to move outwardly which expands/wedges the outer race and tightens up its press fit in the bore. So if you push on the outer race you avoid that reaction..

 

Thanks for all the info! For the bearing, issue is I can't figure out what socket gives me this ability to push against the outter race. Because all I can fit inside from below is a 24mm which is too small to go against the outter race. Next sizes up all start to push against that lip thats part of the bore..

[Fishfiles 20,145]

It would take me under 5 minutes to get that bearing/race out but splitting it with a torch , when I worked at a equipment rental we use to rent them , don't know if any places still rent them ----or try and find someone that has one and offer to fill their bottles or something  

 

Bite the bullet and buy a cheap small torch set , a set like pictured above is $249 off e-bay or from Harbor Freight , then go to the local welding supply shop and have the bottles filled ------------ personally I couldn't survive with a torch doing mechanic work , but I am a mechanic by trade , if you have one you'll find many times you can use it , you can braze weld  with it as that kit comes with tow brazing tips , not sure on that kit above but many kits also have a mini Rose Bud for heating , but heating up parts with the torch head is more than adequate for most needs , them propane or MAPP gas torches are for plumbing and starting a fire 

[freebo86 291]

3 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

It would take me under 5 minutes to get that bearing/race out but splitting it with a torch , when I worked at a equipment rental we use to rent them , don't know if any places still rent them ----or try and find someone that has one and offer to fill their bottles or something  

 

Bite the bullet and buy a cheap small torch set , a set like pictured above is $249 off e-bay or from Harbor Freight , then go to the local welding supply shop and have the bottles filled ------------ personally I couldn't survive with a torch doing mechanic work , but I am a mechanic by trade , if you have one you'll find many times you can use it , you can braze weld  with it as that kit comes with tow brazing tips , not sure on that kit above but many kits also have a mini Rose Bud for heating , but heating up parts with the torch head is more than adequate for most needs , them propane or MAPP gas torches are for plumbing and starting a fire 

 

You jived my memory! I have a set of this in by top shelves in the garage.. I picked up at a yard sale a few years ago, never used it... I guess that would work as long as the bottles are filled? So use that to heat the actual bearing up for it to crack and not the surround area? Because I do have a small torch that I used with a yellow bottle for heat when needed.

 

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mag-torch-oxy-map-torch-kit-0587579p.0587579.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA_9r_BRBZEiwAHZ_v14EGj5X6_ARrBmsyxkICJWu5L23Iy2L4sF19B6PppEH8-gMCZk3y2xoCbkQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=249

Edited January 7, 2021 by freebo86

[Fishfiles 20,145]

59 minutes ago, freebo86 said:

 

 So use that to heat the actual bearing up for it to crack and not the surround area? 

 

 

No , don't heat it up in hopes that it will crack , cause that is not going to happen .... 

What you do is cut the bearing retainer and then all the bearing fall out the way , so all you have left is the inner race , then heat just the edge of the race and then blow a slice thru the race and try to not go into the bore , the trick to being good at this procedure is controlling the heat , when you master it you can peel the race right off without a mark in the bore ,  if you are not real good at it and nick the bore , don't worry about it as the new race will cover that spot  

[_Wilson_™ 6,564]

that works ^^^^ good, done it many times myself on defrent ball bearings 

[freebo86 291]

1 hour ago, Fishfiles said:

No , don't heat it up in hopes that it will crack , cause that is not going to happen .... 

What you do is cut the bearing retainer and then all the bearing fall out the way , so all you have left is the inner race , then heat just the edge of the race and then blow a slice thru the race and try to not go into the bore , the trick to being good at this procedure is controlling the heat , when you master it you can peel the race right off without a mark in the bore ,  if you are not real good at it and nick the bore , don't worry about it as the new race will cover that spot  

 

I am confused. When you cut the inner part that has the balls, they fall out. then your left with the OUTTER race that's against the bore, no? And blow a slice, what do you mean by that?