The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 283 Pilot Bushing removal

I am finally getting time to get back on the clutch swap for my 58. I checked the pilot bearing and it is loose and oblong, so it definitely needs replacing.

I have seen a number of people here recommend running an NPT tap through it and using that to push it out.

Well, I ran the tap through the bushing and it bottomed out in the crank (I verified the depth), but now I am just turning the engine with the tap rather than it pushing the bushing out.

Did I miss a step somewhere? I don't really want to give it some juice and snap the tap off in there.

Suggestions?

I know this sounds weird but I used the slice or two of damp bread or grease you pack it in and tap the centre hole with a round bar the same size .it pushes it out from the pressure .

In the meantime, I got a pair of pilot bushing pullers from the FLAPS.

And broke them both...

Old trucks are fun!

I used the grease and the bread method it worked for me you just have to keep pushing the bread in as it gets compacted so it takes awhile and you have to be patient not to hammer 🔨 when there is not enough as you will strike the crank with the bolt or round rod .the grease was easier to pack it in using a grease gun but more mess

Do you make a plug to put a zerk on for the grease gun?

Pending any better ideas, I will pick up some cheap bread tomorrow to try.

No need just need to get as much grease in there as you can then using a old bolt as close to the size of the hole in the pilot bushing that fits in then you need to smack it with a hammer and the pressure should pop it out .the one i used bread it took several times of packing the bread in as it compacted when you hit it and needed more when it started to move I had to pack more in also .

It takes about a slice and a half of cheap white bread to do the job. When you are done, you end up with a bushing in your hand and a neat looking biscuit behind it. No greasy mess.

I also used the grease method on my 283, it works.

hmmm. you broke the bushing pullers and the bushing is loose?
Oblong may be an issue then.

To clarify, the bushing was loose on the input shaft (ID too large). Not loose in the crank. It is stuck real good in the crank.

I figure a worst case scenario is going in with a hacksaw blade or a dremel and slotting the bushing enough that I can collapse it with a punch and pull the pieces out. I would prefer to avoid the risk of dinging the crank flange doing that that though.

I had the same thing; the thing refused to budge. Final solution was to drill out the bushing with a big drill bit so a hacksaw blade would fit in the hole. Then carefully cut slots with the hacksaw blade.

Getting the new one in was tough, too. Even after leaving the bushing in the freezer overnight.

Once it's threaded, replace the tap with a bolt the same size as the thread you just made. The bolt isn't going to break. Clamp some vise grips or a C clamp on the flywheel to keep the crankshaft from turning and turn the bolt with an impact wrench. The bushing WILL come out! I usually use a 5/8" NC (coarse thread) tap. A NPT (pipe thread) tap is tapered, so you're probably not bottoming out in the crankshaft counterbore.
Jerry

A tasty biscuit?

Maybe someone put some red locktite on that bushing may want to put a little heat to the brass before .

x2 on a bolt. if you have the threads cut, install a grade 5 or grade 8 bolt. You might have to use a tiny bit of heat and cooling to get it broken free but it will come out.

I don't know. I misplaced it before I could try it.

After much shenanigans, some broken tools, some nasty bread, and several messes, the pilot bushing is out.

I test fit the new one and it fit my input shaft nicely. It tapped right in and the clutch alignment tool fit easily in it.

Being mildly paranoid from Kevin's comment above, I checked with the input shaft and it doesn't fit. So I guess I am polishing it out.

Better to find that now than when I have a big hunk of iron hanging off it.

Looks familiar. Picture caption should be EX-bushing!

So, bit of info if you replace a clutch anytime soon. The new clutch came with a pilot bushing and an installation/alignment tool.

I test fit the new bushing to the input shaft on the bench and it fit fine.

After I pressed the bushing in, the alignment tool fit, but the input shaft from the trans did not.

I polished the bushing out so the shaft would fit, then installed the clutch. The pressure plate wouldn't fit over the input shaft, so I put it on with the alignment tool and the input shaft once again wouldn't go in.

I had to loosen the pressure plate and realign it with the input shaft before it would actually go together properly.

A sneaky self-alignment trick I learned over 60 years ago was to get the transmission input shaft to the point that it's trying to go into the pilot bushing, install the bolts loosely, and have a helper depress the clutch pedal. The disc will free up, and the transmission can be pushed home without loosening anything. Don't try to force the trans in- - - -just get the bolts slightly snug in the beginning. If you're working by yourself, a broomstick or a piece of 2X4 cut off the right length to wedge the clutch pedal down a little also gets the job done.
Jerry