The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Crank pilot bushing size?

Dropped a fresh 230ci in truck. Tried all day to get 3 speed manual tranny to fit up. Lacked about 1/2” to bell housing. Engine has new everything including crank. Got to thinking rebuilder put auto trans pilot bushing in crank instead of manual. I don’t know the sizes of the two. Any help on that. Need to know if auto trans bushing is smaller and manual tranny snout not go in.
Also, anyone have a neat trick to remove bushing other than the grease/dowel rod method? Thanks.

An auto trans does not have a pilot bushing. The snout of the torque converter centers up in the large counterbore behind the bushing. On small block V8's, the automatic trans crankshafts have a smaller hole than the std. trans shafts, and if one of those shafts is used with a manual trans, a smaller OD pilot bushing must be used. It's possible that the late model sixes are the same way. To get the bushing out, just thread a 5/8" diameter tap into the bushing and keep turning once it bottoms out. The bushing will walk itself out of the crank. It ruins the bushing, but it's trashed anyway if the trans won't fit into it. If you have access to a good selection of chucking reamers, it would be possible to ream the existing bushing a few thousandths larger than the trans input shaft. Drill bits are not accurate enough to cut precision holes.
Jerry

Thanks Jerry. I learn something new every day, even at my advanced age. My nephew has decided to replace the friction disc, pressure plate, etc. A new bushing comes with the kit. Have turned down a wooden dowel to 0.594 in order to use the grease/rod removal method. I WILL test fit bushing before installation.
I believe our problem of tranny fit up is due to new motor mounts. I now believe engine is ‘nose up’. The tranny tail shaft can’t be lowered enough to line tranny up with engine angle due to cross member just below tail shaft. I’m going to unbolt bell housing and jack rear of engine to to see if I’m right. Wish me luck.
Thanks.

I keep a few old input shafts in my shop drawer. I have a 10, a 26 and a 14 spline.

I'll use an old shaft to check for binding BEFORE I attempt installing a tranny. It's easy enough to verify that it fits inside the pilot bushing by using it the same way you use the plastic clutch alignment tool that comes with the clutch kit. You can also verify that it has the same diameter as your transmission pilot tip with a simple caliper.

If you use a old inputshaft or a clutch alignment tool when istalling the clutch assy,you will find that the trans will slip in easier. Loosely assemble the clutch on the flywheel,install the alignment tool of choice,center clutch disc and tighten the pressure plate bolts. I like to check around the outside of the disc and make sure there is equal distance betweeen disc and pressure plate. In the absence of an old input shaft or alignment tool. Put trans up in place have a helper push clutch pedal down.install trans,you may have to wiggle it a bit and turn output shaft( trans in gear for both ways of installing). I think your clutch disc is not centered and is the reason why trans wont go in.

After a break for a short vacation, we went back to work on the 230ci. My nephew decided since we were taking a break, he would order a new clutch assembly. Took the old one off this morning only to find out the assembly come in 10”, 11”, and 12”. He did not measure old one before he ordered. You know the rest of the story. Anyway, old one back on, lifted back of motor after loosening cross member bolts. Aligned disc and tranny slipped right on
As a side note: My nephew bought a new intake manifold from somewhere. We tried to fit it up. One pin hole was off 1/4”. The face was about 1/16” shorter than the intake. If that ain’t enough, I decided to put a couple of attachment bolt in and the darn thing is so poorly made the casting would not let the bolt line up with engine block holes. A true piece of off shore junk!