Well I finally have those bearings in! Was much more stressful than doing ms200 ones (the only other saw bearings I've done).
I made a real mess of those on ignition side, I was kinda stressed at the time (just back from my work commute, my kids acting like fools around house, usual domestic bliss !! etc. etc.), and when I was tapping the bearing in it started to go in on the pi$$. Instead of just straightening it back, and continuing the tapping, I put more gas flame on the cases, yes the new bearings have a f**king plastic cage....which got scorched. And of the course the "nice paint job"..... hmmm....not quite so nice now!!!
Nevermind. Well I decided that having the scorched bearings placcy cage crack up one day, whilst possibly unlikely, could be pretty dire. So I ended up knocking out the messed-up one, and with the application of slightly more ZEN this time, I got another one in ok, yesterday. And now I'm doing a (loud cough in the background) "minor touch up" on the ol' paint job.....
This morning I got the output side bearing in, it was a bit easier.....but I still wouldn't describe it as being fun. The bearings were the proper OEM ones, but they definitely don't "drop straight in", well not for me for this 044!
Technique I used, was to play the gas torch flame around the casings mouth for about a minute or so, then the bearing quickly and push it in very slightly by hand to get it in the lead-in, then gently even taps around the outer race to try to get it down squarely. Then I put a socket that bears on the outer race and finished the job off.
Anyway I'm just hoping that I haven't wrecked anything too bad..
later dudes