HLV-H Lead Screw Bearing Retainer Removal (Stuck?)

[IHateMayonnaise]

Howdy folks,

Like many of you, I pride myself in being an accomplished remover of stuck things. One component on my HLV-H rebuild is giving me difficulty, however: the housing which holds the bed lead screw bearings on the headstock side. It is certainly a separate component, but I can't find it listed in any of the parts lists from Hardinge. I actually only want to shift it inwards about 1/8" (until flush with bed), and I only want to do this because I believe it will be tricky to paint around, and it's in a very visible location. I haven't used heat, because of the proximity to critical surfaces. I tried to press it out, and couldnt get it to budge with "reasonable" pressure. I'm not generally concerned with deformation of cast iron parts after applying pressure differentials, but I am being extra careful with this most critical of components. There doesn't seem to be any retaining mechanism keeping it in place (set screw, retaining ring, etc), I believe it is press fit.

Has anyone tried to remove this element? Words of wisdom, etc? Am I overestimating the difficulty in painting around around the protrusion?

Cheers,
IHateMayonnaise

 

[Mark Rand]

I thought the bushing was located by the pin, paart 33.

When I got to the point of painting my HLV (no -H) after several years of rebuilding, I left the bushing in the bed

 

[Jonathan Smith]

Maybe apply universal rebuilders guide, rule 23, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, sub-section C, if it doesn't come out easy, leave it alone. The Navy mariners edition says salute it. If it it doesn't salute back, paint it.

 

[Jim Caudill]

Leave it alone! There is a hole in the side and a pin or setscrew locks it in place. I have no idea how they installed those things and got the hole aligned. It may be that they drilled the hole after setting the bearing housing in place.

 

[rons]

Cut a thread on both sides of a shaft. Screw one side into the hole and insert other end through a fixed hole. Thread a nut on right side.

Advice given is for suicide prevention. Now you know you can do this and there is no need to get drastic.
How about three in a row, just leave it and use a fine detail brush to paint around it.

 

[IHateMayonnaise]

The "nays" clearly have the majority. I'm leaving it alone :p