Buying a hydraulic garage press, how many ton?

[Gippslander]

The old cheapo garage press with a hydraulic jack in it has given up the ghost,  mate used it for straightening some steel while I was away - ha ha - I was the one who left him the keys.... sigh....   

Time for a new press.

The Penton Owners club "technical notes" say you need a 40 ton garage press, that seems like overkill.

Although even when it was in reasonable working order the 12 ton cheapo press could not push out the crank pin from a 1974 KTM engine, so I cut the pin in half with a grinding disc and it still would not push out just one side by itself – so two years later the job is still waiting :-)

Suggestions please – what tonnage hydraulic garage press is required to do any motorcycle bottom end?

[Lozza]

12 you can get by with but make sure the very top beam is fabricated from C sections not a single RHS square tube. 20 ton is better press, but I can get a crank done for $60 so I don't bother

[mboddy]

We do our own cranks with my 20 ton press. But it struggled with the IT490 crank.

[Nebo]

Tried to get the pin out of a 250 Maico crank with a 20 ton Press .

No way. Got Paul Stacker to do it. His is 30 or 40 ton.







                 MAICO   Resistance is Futile.

[matcho mick]

have 20t,does most things i want done,pissy ossa crank pins no probs,but jawa/eso was a bastard ,got the oxy out!,bang, ,

[yamaico]

Getting them apart with a small press is easy - just shock the press bed with a hammer when it's loaded (use a bit of aluminium plate to avoid damage to the bed). Putting them back together is a bit harder as they'll jump with a small press but warming the wheels up in the oven and cooling the pin in the freezer fixes that problem. Did all mine for years with a 10T bench top press with no problems - Yamaha, Maico, Bultaco, no trouble at all.

[FAT-TOY]

  Picked mine up cheap, ex BHP.  100 ton and it moves just about anything with ease and yet it still has nice feel. Only problem is it weighs more than a ton itself.  May seem like over kill but I couldn't let it go at the price, I think it cost me $350.  Also purchased a great Dean Smith & Grace lathe off them for $1000 and a smaller Milwaukee milling machine at scrap price 10 cents a kg total $150 came with a dividing head and vice.   So cheap for quality gear
  Just arrived home from classic dirt, great weekend, they just get better every year.  10 hour drive, had a real good run, quick shower, check emails have a look on here and off to bed.
   Zane

[80-85 husky]

lucky bastard

[FAT-TOY]

  Yes really lucky.  My brother worked in the BHP machine shop for over 20 years and the mill was considered obsolete so it was offered to staff at scrap price.  The lathe and press were replaced with new and a ballot was held for 4 lathes and my brother was first name out, a work mate won the press then sold it to me at his purchase price.  A few years later they closed the place down.
     Zane

[Gippslander]

Thanks, am looking at a 30 tonner - 2nd hand