The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 'Okie' install Question

I recently attempted to install my okie bushing on my '52 3100. I have read the past forums on this subject but none of mentioned that the okie bushing wouldn't fit. I can drive mine in as far as the first original bushing and the the inner diameter of the torque tube changes enough that I cannot get the okie past that point. I dremeled a little but it appears that I'll have go all of the way to the second bushing to get it to fit. Anyone else experience this? and what did you do?

Chev235 I just installed mine a couple of months ago. There was some problem a while back where a couple of the guys had to machine down their okie a few thou to get it to fit. I'll ask a few obvious questions.
a) I assume that you have already removed the old front bushing

b) You are installing the okie with the rubber seal end in first.

If you have aready done a and b, the okie must be the wrong size. From memory there are three different types depending on the year of your truck. It may pay to check that you have the right one before you go any further. Let us know how you go. If you need any more help then holler out.

One thing to keep in mind mate is that if I can fit one, anyone can.

Good luck

Bob

Bob,

Good questions. The answer to all of them is yes. The box that it came in was marked as the correct year. I am thinking that I may have to machine it.

Aaron

Aaron,

Sorry about the bad luck then mate. I think that Dusty had one a while back that he had to machine down about eight thou before it would fit. When the bushing is well lubed it should go in with a few firm belts ( thats with a hammer not you having a couple of single malt whiskies to make it seem easier(

Cheers

Bob

I just had to turn down one of these miserable piles of crap that was a hair too big. I think I took .015 off the OD to get a nice drive fit in the torque tube. It was way too tight as it came, it would start, but wouldn't go any farther. Luckily I was doing it at a shop with the truck on a hoist, if I was laying on my garage floor wrestling this thing, the Okie bushing would've exited through the nearest window on a one-way trip to the moon.

LOL , I'm with you on that one Barry .

Remember to protect the end of the okie where you are hammering on it Chev235.

I turned up a stepped drift to fit , but a hardwood block may do just as well.

Thanks for the advice.

The only thing that I have going for me is that I am doing a complete over-haul and everything is laying on the garage floor and very easy to get at.

You should've been here Dusty, it was a classic. The repair shop next door gets a '48 1/2-ton in that needs a Okie bushing right away. Owner is willing to pay to have parts sent next day air to get his baby going again. Shop owner comes over to ask me where to order parts and get them super fast. I happen to have a Okie bushing, u-joint bell gaskets and u-joint bolt locks laying here left over from my '48 that I sold. 5 minutes later he's headed back to his shop with parts in hand. So far, so good.

He reads instructions that say: "1-hour to install". Easy as: 1)Disassemble u-joint 2)Remove old bushing 3) Tap Okie bushing in 4)Reassemble u-joint. He comes up with the bright idea of hiring me for a hour since I'm the local "old truck expert". (I own a few junk trucks, so now I'm an "expert") I told him make it 3 hours and we'll talk. He says the instructions say 1 hour, no problem. I explain to him that I've never seen anything on an old truck take an hour or less. It takes me 3 days to air up my tires 'cause while I'm filling the tires I find 14 other things that are broken and need work. That's old trucks.

Anyhow, he puts one of his good mechanics on it. 2-1/2 hours into it they come and get me. He removed the old bushing fine, but while trying to "tap" the Okie bushing in he turned it into something that looked like a mushroom. The bushing was way too big to start with. We finally got it backed out by heating the torque tube and I turned the Okie bushing back down straight and slightly smaller. Round 2 sees the bushing going in almost all the way before it locks up tight again. Same story, we work it back out and I turn it down alittle more. Now .015 or so smaller, (exact size may vary in your situation) and it goes in about right. By the time it's back together we have had both a mechanic and a machinist on it for a total of about 6 hours.

That was our experience with the 1-hour, easy to install, Okie bushing. I would almost rather take the torque tube out and replace the bushings and seal with the correct parts. If you do use a Okie bushing, and it seems too tight right off the bat, resist the temptation to pound on it harder. Get it turned down on a lathe to the proper size to fit your torque tube. That will make the job much simpler.