The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline pilot bearing removal

Tried getting it out with the grease fitting thingee but no luck.. seems like the thing is bottoming out..

Question is if I'm dropping the flywheel can I wait and remove it when the flywheel is on the bench?

Thanks for any help.

Doug

It wont help. The brg. is in the crankshaft. I always busted them up with an air chisel. Running a 5/8 tap down the center sounds like the best way to me.

George

Thanks for the suggestion.
I’ll give it a try.

Doig

The 5/8 tap is a good plan. You will not damage to crank bore with that method. Make sure you finish the threads with a bottom tap to get the most thread engagement.
Then rig up a 5/8 bolt as a puller.

Don

Back to the hardware store

You run the tap in and when it bottoms, it walks the bearing out.

I was gonna try that ,even bought the tap. But the fellas at the engine shop had
a slide hammer tool with 2 "L" feet at the end that one at a time ,fit
in the bearing and behind. Couple slides and it was out. Nothing marred.

The tap method is easier. No set up, no slide hammering, just start threading and out it comes, no muss no fuss. The tap is inexpensive and nothing special, small, and stores away easily.

Looks like it. Does the tap spin on the back of the crank case till the bearing backs out?

Yes, sort of. You turn the tap in and keep turning until the tap bottoms out in the rear cavity on the crank. Once it hits the back, you keep turning and the bushing just walks it self out. This will make perfect sense when you do it.

I have seen the grease method, packing grease in the cavity and using an input shaft to hydraulic it out, the bread method, packing bread and same deal, input shaft and hammer to force it out. But the tap method is old school, works like a charm, and no clean up after.

All good advice. I went and found a 5/8” tap and it was too small. I’m betting this bearing has been there since day one and wore down. I’m heading back to the hardware store to find a 9/16” tap and give that a try.

I had also picked up a puller at harbor freight yesterday and it didn’t work either.

Everything is so rusted it’s hard to get anything loose on the first try.

Doug

Uhhh

9/16" is smaller than your "too small" 5/8" tap.

Yea meant 11/16

Found a 3/4 online. Also ordered a slip hammer bearing puller as insurance.

That bearing probably has surface rust like everything else.

Next try will be the torch of these two fail.

Doug

Tap the bushing for a 3/8 NPT to 1/4" NPT reducer bushing and install a grease fitting. A few strokes with a grease gun will pop it out easily, and with lots less effort and risk than a torch.
Jerry

Same grease / pressure principle….
When I used to work in a shop we had a cut off piece of transmission input shaft which we used to perfectly align a clutch disc before tightening down the pressure plate. If the bushing needed replacing we’d pack the hole with grease, insert the input shaft and rap it with a hammer. Usually have to refill the hole and hit it again. The bushing would slip right out.

Greg

I had a big fight to get the pilot bearing out. None of the tricks worked so I was desperate.

I drilled it out a 3/4" drill bit and it still wouldn't budge. I then used a broken hacksaw blade to cut some gaps in it while being careful not to cut into the crankshaft. After that, I was able to hook onto it with a stovebolt to finish the job.

Problem wasn't rust. The hole in the crankshaft was undersized as the new bearing was super tight.

Yea Gord I think that is likely the case.

But after getting the sling hammer today I hit about 30-40 times before I wore out. Sprayed more blaster on it then hit it 4-5 times with a socket and hammer.

Switched to the 3/4 np tap and bingo. Took about 10 minutes and it came out. Cleaned it up and ready to proceed.

Think the gods for that.

Now on to the flywheel. Have two of the six bolts loose and soaking the rest with blaster.

Going to take a break and give it a go.

Doug