I'm trying to install a power feed on a Shop Fox M1004 knee. (z-axis). This mill is a bridgeport clone, and I assumed they copied the knee shaft setup from the bridgeport. They didnt.

A bridgeport has the handle side bearing pressed into the casting and a bearing flange bolted into place to hold it in. The shopfox seems to has a bearing cap that the bearing is pressed into that slides into the casting. I believe this is the case, but I cant get the cap or bearing out of the casting to fully understand what they did. The bearing flange that was sent to me with the powerfeed doesnt quite match. This flange replaces the bridgeport bearing flange and adds taped holes to bolt the power feed to. I believe im going to have to drill and tap holes into the shopfox bearing cap to make this work.

The problem is I cant figure out how to get the bearing cap out. Its not pressed into the casing. Its held in by 3 SHCS and will spin inside the casting without the bolts in place. But, it doesnt slide off either. I believe the bearing is pressed into the cap, then pressed onto the shaft.

Questions:
1) Has anyone seen this type of design in the past?
2) Any ideas how to get the entire shaft, bearing and retainers out of the knee?
3) How do you get this shaft out of a normal old Bridgeport?

Thanks in advance!
Scott...

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