Originally Posted by niznai

I pull out pilot bearings from flywheels/crankshafts this way.

Stuff as much grease as possible in the bearing. Get an old motor shaft that is a very snug fit inside the bearing and has a flat end and give it a serious whack square down the bearing hole. The bearing should pop out.

There are two crucial points here.

The shaft used has to be very snug inside the bearing.

The space inside the bearing (and behind it if there is any) has to be absolutely full of grease and the hole of the bearing too, fill until flush with the exposed bearing face.

If you don't achieve these two key goals, the system doesn't work because you won't create the hydraulic pressure behind the bearing to push it out.

If you do, the bearing will pop out. It may come out a little bit first. If that happens, take the shaft out, put some more grease in to fill the space created, and repeat the procedure.

The grease might pop through the bearing seals. Don't worry, fill up the space again and whack harder.

Keep in mind, what you're doing is using a piston (the old motor shaft) down a cylinder (the bearing inner hole). That is all the pressure you have, and that is why the hole has to be full of grease.

I have managed to pull bearings frozen in rusty old flywheels this way.