The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Okie bushing installation late 1950 torque tube-HELP!

I've done okie bushings before on 1946, 1948, and 1952 torque tubes so I have some idea of the basic procedure. This 1950 must be late in the year because it doesn't have the staked dowel construction of the earlier models. It appears to be a press-fit 1950 original front bushing similar to the 1951-54 press fit but with 1950 ID and OD. The serial # identifies this as a 1950 rear end.

A 1951-54 aftermarket front bushing puller doesn't work as the clearance between the driveshaft and the bushing is too tight and won't permit the innermost expander to go in far enough to enable the puller fingers to grab the back of the bushing. I can drive the puller in far enough to clear the back of the bushing, I just can't lock it in. The shop manual shows a puller that would handle this late 1950 or a 1951 seal but it would involve pulling the torque tube completely off the rear end- something that I really want to avoid. I don't have one of those pullers anyway.

I've thought of drilling two shallow holes 180 degrees apart and trying to "walk" the bushing out with alternate hammer blows on a sharp punch. But if that doesn't work, I could be left with a leaky, misshapen front seal that is worse than what I started with.

Surely I'm not the first person to face this in the last 64 years. I'd really like to hear how to handle this one. Thanks in advance.

pinetree, think of the oldest shop in town, with the oldest mechanic they have and you may get lucky on a puller. Some of the older guys may have just what you need laying in the back of their toolbox. Worth a try.

I have in the past drilled and threaded two holes in the front face of the bushing and made a cross bar, like a steering wheel puller, too pull the bushing.

I will be facing this soon on my 53, is there a how to do? Or better yet, has anyone did a youtube vid on this procedure?

I have one of these tools for removing rear wheel bearings. I wonder if it could be used to remove the bushing?

http://www.uniquetruck.com/p-10561-...056&gclid=CIK-qPachbwCFexcMgodnEIAFg

The wall of this bushing is only 3/16" thick. I don't know that I could tap that. The puller for the 51-54 bushing would work if this 1950 bushing were only .050" larger I.D. There are probably other ways to pull this bushing like a wheel bearing puller if the driveshaft weren't sitting right in the middle of the housing. The shop manual shows that approach.

My reluctance to completely pull the torque tube housing to work on this bushing stems from a concern about damaging existing gaskets, seals, bearings, etc, and turning a small problem into a big one. The main problem is the tranny leaking oil down the tube, overfilling the rear axle housing/differential and causing a leak past the axle seal. Otherwise, it's not a problem with U-joint/driveshaft/bushing issues.

I could just put in new axle seals, drain off excess oil from the pipe plug filler hole in the differential, and top off the oil in the tranny every 500 miles or so. The leak isn't so bad that I can't keep enough oil where I need it. But I already bought the okie bushing and it seems kind of half-assed to not replace the old stock bushing.

So, would you guys push this okie bushing debacle or work around it?

Can you rent the correct puller from Chevs of the 40s?

A factory film strip on rebuilding the 1/2-ton rear end.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/sets/

Thanks Brad for the filmstrip. I love reading these, a blast from the past.

I'll look into renting a different puller. Based on Brad's filmstrip referral, there's no way I want to go into the innards of the rear end that extensively. Thanks

That is a great film strip on the 1/2 ton differential, nice clear pictures of what they are doing. The picture in the service manuals usually you can't really tell what they are doing. I learn some things from it.
John

SUCCESS!! I modified my existing 51-54 bushing puller by grinding down the O.D. by .050"+ until it fit properly. Still, it wasn't expanding properly to grab the inside edge of the bushing. I measured the width of the bushing with the depth gage end of my calipers and discovered that this bushing was 1.5" deep instead of the 1" stock bushing that I was expecting. Backing out the center screw of the puller to the max, I was able to get in deep enough to grab hold and begin the extraction. It kept coming...and coming...and coming out until I realized that I was pulling out an old National M102 okie bushing installed who-knows-how-many years ago by some prior owner of my truck. The oil seal on this bushing had long since worn away.

I should be able, now, to complete this project without further mishap. Thanks to all of you who offered your kind suggestions.

Dave

So you managed to pull out an Oakie assembly by latching onto the front bushing inside. Wow, that is amazing. It is nice to know that those assemblies can be removed from the front.

would you post a picture of your tool after mods. I want to be sure I understand how you did this.

Good work!

I'd post a picture of the puller for you if I owned a digital camera. Talk about stuck in mid 20th century! Imagine a puller ground down around its circumference from just behind the raised shoulder that grabs the back of the bushing back towards the rear of the tool about 2". This was done by rotating the tool by hand against a floor-mounted grinding wheel. Purpose: to attempt to ease insertion inside a smaller diameter bushing. No metal ground off the raised shoulder at all. This is the tool pictured in Jim Carter, Chevs of 40's, and Classic Parts of America catalogs.

The "lightbulb moment" occurred when I realized that my problem was that I wasn't deep enough (1.5") into the bushing. I had saved old bushings from other okie jobs past and was fixated on the idea that I was pulling a 1" bushing. There's a good chance that the puller would have worked without modification from the get-go if I had only backed off the screw all the way to begin with. Still, the smaller O.D. did make for an easy insertion/extraction and I can still use the tool for 51-54 bushings in the future as its maximum diameter at the gripping point wasn't compromised.

It took me a long time to catch on to what was going on. This was a case where stubbornness paid off.

Hello, I am new to this website. I am trying to complete the restoration of my 1951 GMC 228 five widow deluxe pickup truck. the Okie Bushing and u-jpoint must be replaced. I can't seem to get to the film that Mr. Allen posted. can anybody help me learn this delicate process?
Dave

I also am having a tremendous problem trying to figure out How to replace this unit on my 1951 GMC 228 pickup.
Dave

.
Duckman4 asked:
"I can't seem to get to the film that Mr. Allen posted."

Try this link:
1952 Chevrolet 1/2 ton & Passenger car, Rear Axle Overhaul
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/albums/72157639879860375
The torque tube bushing info starts on Slide 22. (look for slide number on the lower right hand corner of each slide.
Note: The film strip bushing info is to replace the original bushings and oil seal.

For Okie bushing info go to My Okie bushing photo album
If you have any question feel free to ask.

I have all my parts for my 1953 five window and now need to replace the U Joint, front yoke, and Okie bearing. I have never done this before and am wondering if there is a YouTube that walks thru the procedure? I think somewhere I read that the old Okie can be driven back into the torque tube and the new bearing installed. Need some good direction. Thks

First we have to clear up the terminology. Upper Drive line illustration
There is no bearing in the Okie bushing.
There are two brass bushings and a oil seal that are pressed into a sleeve or pipe.
The rear yoke rides on the inside of the front bushing.
The propeller shaft rides on the inside of the rear bushing and the oil seal.
Illustration this is how it should look when the Okie bushing is installed.

The 1953 bushings where press fit into the torque tube, so you don't have drill out any dowel pins.

There is no video that I know of that walks you through the installation.
Check out this 3.55 ring & pinion swap HERE it shows some photos of the Okie bushing being installed.
Also here is GM film strip slides the bushing info starts on slide 22. The slide numbers are on the lower right corner of each slide.

There are two scenario.
1. If there was No Okie bushing sleeve previously installed.
You use a bushing puller to remove the front bushing.
Then you just hammer in the Okie bushing sleeve and your done.

2. If there was a Okie bushing sleeve previously installed.
You might have to remove the torque tube from the rear axle housing.
Remove the propeller shaft and hammer out the old Okie bushing sleeve with a long pipe.
You might be able to get out the Okie bushing sleeve using one of these T-0160-A -Univ- Exten Housing Bushing Remover
without removing the propeller shaft. picture of Remover

Does only the front existing bushing need to be removed? Is there enough room for the new bushing to be installed without moving the rear seal/bushing?

I could not open the GM film.

Thx for the info:
Keith

Q. Does only the front existing bushing need to be removed?
A. Yes
But if there was a Okie bushing sleeve previously install.
You will have to remove the entire Okie bushing sleeve. Sometimes they are in the torque tube pretty tight.

Q. Is there enough room for the new bushing to be installed without removing the rear seal/bushing?
A. Yes, the Okie bushing sleeve will stop just ahead of the old rear bushing/seal.
The Okie bushing sleeve rear bushing/seal will now ride on a previously unused location along the front end of the propeller shaft.
Okie Bushing Sleeve Assembly instructions

I could not open the GM film.
Try the below link. I had no problem with the GM film strip slides link, you might have to give it a little time to load.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/sets/72157639879860375
The GM slides show how the GM mechanic would have replace the original equipment bushings and oil seal.
It was a big job because they removed the torque tube and propeller shaft, to get at the bushings and oil seal.

Okie Bushing History
The Okie bushing was created by the long gone National Machine Works Inc in Oklahoma, hence the name Okie.
It shortened the time and effort to repair the torque tube bushings and oil seal.
If you did it the way GM did it, you would remove the entire torque tube from the rear axle housing.
Remove ring & pinion gears.
Pull out the driveshaft from the torque tube.
Use special tools to remove and replace the bushings and oil seal.
Then reassemble everything. Pain in the Butt.
With the Okie bushing you just pull out the front bushing.
Then from the front of the torque tube you push in the Okie bushing sleeve, which has the Front bushing,
Rear bushing & Oil seal inside the sleeve. Less Work.

I am planning to do the 3:55 ring & pinion swap on my '46 and will be installing the Okie bushing. Do I need to do anything with the 2 dowel holes not used after installing the Okie bushing? Thanks.

ArtA asked,
I am planning to do the 3:55 ring & pinion swap on my '46 and will be installing the Okie bushing.
Do I need to do anything with the 2 dowel holes not used after installing the Okie bushing? Thanks.

That is a good question.
Your 46 should have one dowel pin for the front bushing and one dowel pin for the rear bushing.
When you're installing a Okie Bushing Sleeve there is no need to drill out the rear bushing dowel pin.
All you have to worry about is the dowel pin in the front bushing.
Just drill out the dowel pin that is holding the front bushing and pull/slide out the front bushing.
The 46 bushings were slip fit and should come out fairly easy.
Some people have fabricated some kind of hook and slid it between the bushing and propeller shaft and
hooked the back side of the front bushing and slid it out.

As far as the dowel hole.
If the Okie Bushing Sleeve is not sufficiently snug or tight, drill into the Okie Bushing Sleeve (not to deep) and peen in a new dowel pin.
5/16" dowel pin part # 347813 CHEVS of the 40's
Otherwise if the Okie Bushing Sleeve is sufficiently snug or tight just leave the dowel pin hole open.
Just make sure there are no burrs around the dowel pin hole, preventing the u-joint ball housing from sliding smoothly on the torque tube.
Okie Bushing installation instructions Read number 5.
When you're done it should look like THIS

If you need more help let me know.

Update read next post.

OK, after thinking about the question ArtA asked.
I came to realizes that when you are doing a 3:55 ring & pinion swap.
You are basically disassembling the torque tube and rear axle.
Which means removing the propeller shaft from the torque tube.
To keep the propeller shaft running cool you should remove all the old or existing front and rear bushings and oil seal.
Since ArtA has a 46' truck, the front and rear bushings are slip fit and doweled pinned to hold them in place.
Drill out the dowel pins.
Slide in a 6' x 1" pipe (nipple end in first) from the pinion gear end of the torque tube
and push out the old propeller shaft oil seal, rear bushing and rear yoke front bushing.
There will be two dowel pin holes.
The Okie bushing sleeve will cover the front bushing dowel pin hole but not the rear bushing dowel pin hole.
If the Okie bushing sleeve isn't tight in torque tube dowel pin it using front bushing dowel pin hole.
I would leave the rear propeller shaft bushing dowel pin hole open.
You can use it as a inspection hole to see if the propeller shaft oil seal is leaking tranny lube.
I guess it all depends on where the u-joint ball housing sits on the torque tube.
The u-joint ball housing might cover the rear propeller shaft bushing dowel pin hole. Not sure?
If the u-joint ball housing retainer rubber oil seal lines up with rear dowel pin hole you will have to plug it somehow.
Otherwise the dowel pin hole will rip-up the rubber oil seal.

Update read next post.
.

After a little searching I found a couple pictures that show where the rear dowel pin is located on the torque tube.
And I believe the dowel pins are on the underside of the torque tube facing the ground.
Pic 1
Pic 2
The rear dowel pin is located pretty far down the narrow portion of the torque tube.
The u-joint ball housing does not reach that far down.
There would be no interference with the retainer rubber oil seal.
You could leave it open or slide a wood dowel down the torque tube and weld up the hole.
When done pull out the wood dowel and grind smooth the weld.
Pic 3

I'm doing a 3:55 ring & pinion swap and have the axle & torque tube removed. I have the Okie bushing in the kit & some instructions (Patricks) suggest driving out both of the bushings with a 6 foot galvanize pipe. Is there an advantage in just removing the front bushing and leaving in the rear bushing & seal when installing the Okie bushing? Thanks again.

When the Oakie was first introduced, the big advantage was you didn't have to remove the torque tube and driveshaft, merely remove the front bushing and drive the Oakie assembly in. Having said that if you already have it apart, removing both bushings and the seal would be the best way to go.

Patrick's suggestion about removing both of the bushings and oil seal is the correct way to do the job.
The propeller shaft will run cooler.
Read my (jorb) last 3 Post, I discuss what to do about the dowel pin holes.

It is quite easy to knock out the old bushing and seal (from the inside-out/back-side-out) when doing the 3.55 conversion. Just knock the old bushing forward with an appropriate diameter long pipe (I forget if we used a 1.5" or a 2" pipe).

6' x 1" pipe (nipple end in first) from the pinion gear end of the torque tube.

Which is the nipple end of the pipe?
What is the nipple?

My pipes are theaded on both ends? No nipples?

Ya, I was wondering the same thing.

"Pound out the inner torque tube bushings and seal with a 6' length of 1" pipe with a nipple of the "business" end (toward the bushing).
Just stick it up the tube till you feel something - that'll be the bushing and seal; then, punch it out with the BFH."

That is what it says from the instructions from Patrick's.
I believe the nipple end is the end that is threaded about inch in from the end of the pipe.
The other end must be sawn off square, so you have a solid end to hit with the hammer.
As a opposed to hitting a threaded / nipple end.
Like you said it doesn't take much force to push out the 2 bushings & oil seal.

After checking the bushing dimensions from 1921 -1954 Source
Outside dimensions range from 1.380 to 1.773 O.D. which is 1 3/8" to 1 3/4" O.D. That would be torque tube inside dimensions.
Inside dimensions range from 1.00 to 1.350 O.D. which is 1" to 1 3/8" O.D. That would be propeller shaft outside dimensions.

Logic would say the the best size pipe would be: 6' foot x 1 1/4" inch

Unless he meant a Female pipe nipple that could increase the pipe outside dimension to 1 1/4" inch.

Maybe someday we will just 3D print the Kent-Moore tool (scroll down) that we need to do the job.

I called Patrick's and they said" They misspoke in the instructions, it should say Cap instead of Nipple.
Just screw on a cap that fits a 1" inch galvanized gas pipe.
The cap is rounded and it will seat-up to the oil seal nicely when punching out the oil seal and the two bushings.

The problem is, the 1" inch pipe cap O.D. is 1 3/4" inch, which is to large for ArtA 46' truck.
The 3/4" inch pipe cap O.D. is 1 3/8" inch, gives you a little more room.

I guess the best pipe to use is: 6' foot x 3/4" inch with a 3/4" CAP screwed on one end and squared off on the other end.

You could use the 1" pipe and grind down the cap to 1 3/8" or find a thinner wall cap if they exist.

The 1946 truck torque tube bushings O.D.
1.720 front
1.685 rear
The pipe cap O.D. should be smaller than 1.685
If the pipe cap O.D. is 1 1/2" inches would be ideal.
Pound away.

A 1-inch coupling would probably work pretty well without grinding it down. They are usually just cylindrical without the boss on the end that a cap would have. If you're buying a whole stick of pipe (21' long) from a wholesaler, it would come with a coupling on one end. At least they did 40 years ago. But a coupling isn't that expensive if you need to buy one separately.