Putting old axle tube in new bell

[merc123]

I've got my old tube marked the way it needs to go and get lined up hole wise...now how do I actually accomplish it? I was gonna put the axle tube in the freezer and heat the bell and was hoping it would just kind of fall right in when I set it on it in the right place. Will that work?

It's a steel tube so antiseize I don't think is necessary but let me know if it'll work as a lube.

[Egoracing]

I've got my old tube marked the way it needs to go and get lined up hole wise...now how do I actually accomplish it? I was gonna put the axle tube in the freezer and heat the bell and was hoping it would just kind of fall right in when I set it on it in the right place. Will that work?

It's a steel tube so antiseize I don't think is necessary but let me know if it'll work as a lube.

Freeze the tube and heat the bell with a heat gun NOT an open flame. Get the bell very warm and it should slide (Read that as almost fall) into place. I have done it before using a bucket of water and ice for the tube. Biggest thing is to get the bell FLAT and level and when the tube goes in it needs to be plumb. I have seen bells that when layed flat the tube was 2-3 inches out of line at the end of the snout.

[AmickRacing]

If you have a spare oven... or if the ole lady is away on a shopping trip, throw it in the house oven. That works awesome for preheating. I can't remember the deg, 200-250 sounds about right.

Getting things together, and getting the holes lined up before it starts to swell/contract could be a chore. I'd think 2-3 guys would really help that feat.

I'm not sure what you have for holes in the tube, other than the bolts that hold it to the bell. If there's none, or very few it might be easier to drop the tube in so the old holes are between the holes in the bell and drill new one's.

[noral54]

just heat the bell ,if you freeze the tube it cools everything to fast ,so get the bell hot and slip the tube in ,u should be able to get holes lined up ,

[merc123]

We got it all lined up then realized the tube bolt holes were wider than the bells. Also steel tubes take more persuasion to get in than aluminum.

[racin6mod]

not really the steel tubes don't pull the heat from the bell as quickly as the aluminum tube does.you just need to heat the bell until it is .007 thousands over the 3.000 tube dia. and do not try to line the botl hose unless that tube came out of that sidebell.

don't use a torch to heat a mag sidebell they melt easy and can start a he!! of a fire.