I am having problems removing a pilot bearing out of the crank from a 302 Chevrolet engine. Pulled the engine earlier this year to fix a rear main seal leak and do some cleanup under the hood. In the process I am replacing the clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing etc. Also decided to replace the pilot bushing. I have read and seen several threads and you tube videos on removal with grease etc. I decided to take the safe route and rented a tool from Advance that looked like it would do the job but it didn't. The ears on the tool didn't grasp the back edges of the bearing which is bronze. What is the next best and safest method to remove the bearing? Thanks, Larry
If the puller (slide hammer) doesn't work, as the front of the inside diameter may be rounded over, carefully pack the cavity with grease and use a wood dowel the same diameter as the ID of the bearing (it should be a pretty tight fit, what machinists call a push fit, to stop most of the grease leaking by the dowel/bearing interface). You can also use a grinder to remove enough bearing material to smack it with a punch and hammer to crack it. Bronze is way softer than iron. Dremel can be your friend, as well.
For the solid brass bushing/bearing i always use grease and have never had an issue except grease flying around. For needle bearing types the actual puller works better although i have managed to get some out with grease.
I used the grease method as well. Found a socket that slid tightly into the pilot bearing, put an extension on the end of it, packed the crank, bushing and socket full of grease and just started tapping the socket in and out comes the bushing. Hasn't taken much force the few times I've done it. Couple of blue shop towels and a can of brake clean and all was cleaned up and good again.
I always use a bolt, slightly, repeat, slightly larger than the diameter of the hole in the bushing and long enough to reach the crank, thread it into the bushing, when it reaches the crank keep turning, it gently removes the bushing. I have done this many times and have never had a failure. Will not damage your crank. Mike
I second Mike way of getting the pilot bushing out, no mess and simple, getting the treaded bolt started and turning it till it hits the crank and the pilot bushing simply treaded out! Simple, no mess and fast! George
I really like this idea. I have never had any luck with the grease method. This is exactly one of the reasons I stay with bronze bushings, the softer metal is much easier to work with than the roller bearing kind.
Do I need to tap the bushing to get the bolt started or just try to screw it into the bushing? I actually looked for a wood dowel to try the grease method but couldn't find a dowel close enough in size. May give the bolt in the bushing a try. Thanks for all the suggestions. Would really like to get the Camaro back together soon. Larry
Push while turning, tap while turning, pretty easy to get started. The bolt that is needed is a common size, don't remember for sure, 7/16 or 1/2 maybe. I'm sure I have a new bushing I could measure it if you like. Mike
Success at last!! Talked to a car buddy today about the bushing removal and he made me a tool in about 10 minutes to remove the bushing. The only thing we could find to fit the pilot bushing inside diameter was a tap for spark plug. My friend Tom cut the threads off a spark and brazed them to a bolt and added a couple of washers and nuts. I tapped the bushing, inserted the made up tool with a socket as a spacer and tightened the nuts on the bolt and the bushing came out slick as a whistle. Installed a new brass bushing and now I'm ready to add the flywheel, pressure plate, clutch and transmission and get this puppy back in the car. Attached are a couple of pictures of the homemade tool. Thanks again for all the ideas and support. Larry
Larry Do your self a favor and check the transmission shaft fits inside the pilot bushing after installation. Ther new bushing are not the correct OD, if you put to much force to install the pilot bushing the ID of the pilot bushing will get smaller. Dont ask me how I know! George
This tool is .593 like the input shaft. Drive it in with this with a little grease, and this prevent you from turning the bushing on a lathe or reaming the ID of the bushing once installed in the crank. The new bushings are out of tolerance unless you get an Autogear GM bushing.
Just converted mine to a 4 speed. Drove the new bushing in, didnt go hard but man it shrunk enough to make me sand on that thing for about an hour to let the input shaft slide in nice. Glad I checked first.
I just went through this with a 4 speed conversion with a 430 auto drilled crank. There is NO available proper bushing for this crank so I broke out the ID micrometer did multiple measures and had a machine shop mill down the available bushing for a 455 crank with a start camfer and an additional 2 thousandths for the proper press fit without distorting the ID. It went in with the proper amount of force and the trans went in no problems. Word to the wise. Check the pilots with a magnet and if its magnetic don't use it. Some cheapie pilots look bronze but are full of iron and they will gall the imput shaft. After buying a few different ones I found one that was really bronze and went with that. Changing pilots is easier than dealing with galled or locked up input shafts.
I had to do a lot of hunting to find a true brass pilot bushing. Everybody wanted to give me an iron one. Haven't checked to see if the trans input shaft fits into the bushing now that the bushing is installed but will do so tomorrow. When I checked it on the input shaft prior to installing it, it had more free play than an iron bushing had. Larry
Be careful with hand sanding. The centerline of the trans pilot shaft must remain concentric with the centerline of the crank. The only way to ensure this is to machine the bushing ID so that it is truly concentric with the bushing OD (i.e. on a lathe).
