Pack full of wheel bearing grease, find long bolt or rod that just fits through the hole, whack the he!! out of it, repack, re-whack, repeat till unharmed bearing fall out. If you have an extra transmission input shaft then that's primo for a driver.
Another option...thread the bushing with a 5/8" tap, then let the tap bottom out inside the crank and keep turning. The pilot bushing will walk its way out on the tap. Or do the same thing with a long 5/8" bolt after you tap the bushing if you are concerned about walking it out on the tap. Easy.
This method destroys the bushing, but I wouldn't reuse one anyway. They are not expensive.
I took a bolt and turned it down using my drill press and an angle grinder. It became a close slip fit. I used the grease method and it worked perfectly on two different cranks.
I've used Matt's method and it works every time on bronze bushings. The only difference is I don't jam the tap against the crank as it might dig into the cast iron. A bolt with a radiused end seems less likely to harm the crank.
But your photo shows a needle bearing, not a bushing. There are pullers for those with expanding fingers that grip the bearing that is then extracted with a threaded puller or a slide hammer. That's not so simple as threading a bronze bushing but I know it's doable because I used to do it on my '64 VW bug decades ago.
I've used Matt's method and it works every time on bronze bushings. The only difference is I don't jam the tap against the crank as it might dig into the cast iron. A bolt with a radiused end seems less likely to harm the crank.
How could the blunt end of a tap possibly cause damage to a crankshaft in the bottom of the pilot bearing hole? (Or a pointy ended one for that matter?)
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
My 39 216 pilot bearing is the needle type. A bronze bushing will not fit. I pulled it with a bearing puller as Ray stated above. Came out without any difficulty. If you're pulling out the pilot bearing, might as well replace it with a new one, and the throwout bearing as well if it is a used one.
Son-of-a-gun, it is a needle bearing (thanks Ray), I didn't even look at my own photo, I just assumed it was a bushing.
Rich - Throw-out bearing's good (200 mi.) as is clutch & pressure plate. I won't worry about pulling the needle bearing out, I'll just buy another, This will be for my newly overhauled 235. Photo attachment is the tired 216 that just came out of my '50 3100 5-window
Anyone know the Needle Bearing Specs or part # ? '50 Trans., 3 spd Truck std stick, '53 Eng 235 Full Press Crank is 235 std stick (not certain of year of crank) Crank does not presently have a needle bearing in it.
"How could the blunt end of a tap possibly cause damage to a crankshaft in the bottom of the pilot bearing hole? (Or a pointy ended one for that matter?)"
Good morning Carl.
The thread-the-bushing method works by bottoming a bolt threaded into the bushing in the hole in the crankshaft. Then when the bolt is turned, the force the bolt applies to the bottom of the hole in the crankshaft is the same force that forces the bushing out. In the unlikely event that he bushing fit is extremely tight the tap could start marring the crank and he might not want that to happen.
Do you understand, or is further explanation required?
I just removed one today and it worked like a charm. I use the grease method and I used a 1/4" drive 7/16" (if I remember correctly) craftsman socket. Fit the hole perfect. Put a long extension in the end of the socket. Packed the end of the crank full of grease and 3 light hits with a BFH it was out. I did repack the end of the crank between hits. No damage and not much effort, just a little grease to clean up afterwards. I have used this method several times with the same result.
