Head race bearings

[fazerboy01]

Took my 2001 FZS600 for an MOT today and got a pass with an advisory to change the head race bearings as there is too much play, are they easy to change? Im fairly competant with a set of spanners and a hammer lol but like changing the brake lines, the steering sort of worries me a little. Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Never physically replaced a set myself but would recommend a set of taper rollers.

[Dead Eye]

I'll be embarking on this task soon enough as well as servicing my forks. I'll try and feedback when I get round to it but it won't be for a few weeks yet

[Fazerider]

I did mine earlier this year. The hard bit is getting the old ones off. I made up a tool to drift the outers out of the headstock by bending the tip of a large old flatblade screwdriver. The bottom one on the steering stem came off with a bit of tapping from a cold chisel.

[darrsi]

Had a mate help with mine, as Fazerider says the old one's were a bugger to get off.
If you're not up to the task or haven't got good tools it maybe worth getting it done properly, as the bottom bearings needed a lot of persuasion.

[fazerboy01]

Yeah my tools are good, just wondered how difficult they were, if the bottom one is an ass to fit, then I might get my local dealer to do it, might get valve clearence done at the same time. cheers for everyones input.

Had a mate help with mine, as Fazerider says the old one's were a bugger to get off.
If you're not up to the task or haven't got good tools it maybe worth getting it done properly, as the bottom bearings needed a lot of persuasion.

[darrsi]

Fitting wasn't the problem, but removing involved heat, hammering, swearing and lots of stern looking! 

[Fazerider]

Fitting the bottom one to the headstock was slightly tricky now you come to mention it.
It's a tight fit, you're working at an awkward angle and being tapered there isn't much of a lip to thump on.
I used the old lower bearing to hammer against to get the new one in (temporarily glued them together with silicone sealant) and heated the bottom of the headstock with a hot air gun to expand it slightly first. The advantage from heating only lasts until the bearing is part-way in whereupon it reaches the same temperature, but when it's in far enough to stay put you can use a length of threaded rod or fit the steering stem and winch it in from the top.
The top one is easier because you can see what you're doing and gravity's not fighting you.
Fitting the bottom one to the steering stem is also straightforward: warm it up, drop it on and give it a whack using a hammer on the end of a length of plastic waste pipe.
Whether driving them in or out it's essential to keep the thing square… get it tilted and it'll jam.
So long as you're happy to improvise a few tools it's not too difficult a job.

[mars696]

I found a pdf with the dimensions of the sterring bearings for a lot of bikes,included fzs 600!!
here it is...

It might help someone.
I haven't check if they are right,but why not...

[BluprintZ]

I don't find it a particularlily hard job to replace the head bearings, although i've had some practice over the last 40-odd years.
As some have mentioned, you need to drift the old ones out, i just use an old, blunt, narrow chisel and work it around the outer of the bearing, that usually does the job.
As for fitting the new ones, i stick them in the freezer for an hour, they tend to go in ok with the help of a piece of 4x2 and a small mallet, making sure the new bearing outer is flush with the headstock flange.

G ; )

[Punkstig]

There's 2 notches in the lower part of the headstock to locate a drift to help hammer the lower bearing race out.
My only advice- if you think you're hitting the drift bloody hard with the hammer you're not, hit it harder!