I broke my trans (sbc 350 to sag 4-speed) so pull it out and since it is out, I am going to replace the clutch, pressure plate, and pilot bushing. But it is stuck! Is there a removal tool? Or a magical way of getting it out? In the past I was able to pull out with my fingers.
To remove pilot bushing....Pack bushing with grease, make a wood dowel just big enough to fit in hole. Put gl***es on, insert dowel and hit with BFH. It has always worked for me!!!.........OLDBEET
I have always used the grease method ... Pack the hole with wheel bearing grease and then drive the input shaft into the hole. Refill hole with grease and repeat as often as needed to get the bushing out. It takes a while ... but it does work.
I used to work at a parts store and we rented a tool to remove it. I was a slide hammer with two little fingers the gripped the bushing.
If you can't get the dowel to fit tight enough, KD makes a tool that threads into the bushing (tapered thread) that has a grease Zerk in it that lets you use a grease gun to do the same thing. 12 bucks IIRC, usually available at NAPA.
I have also heard (from Green MTN Boy's old man) of just tapping the bushing and threading a bolt in. The bolt will bottom out and when you keep turning it, the bushing will come out on the threads. good luck
the grease did not work. And no kidding when you said put gl***es on. I will try treading and using a bolt.
If the grease didn't work, you didn't have a tight enough fit in the hole. Find a socket that fits good, put an extension on it, fill with more grease and give it some taps with a hammer. If the fit is good, you won't need the gl***es.
Advance and auto zone both let folks use tools for free around here. I just buy a roll of shop rags and ask for the proper tool. I believe I got the bushing puller from Auto zone.
Keep at it. I tried the grease method and the puller method. The puller worked eventually, but that damn bushing put up a fight.
got the one out of my SBC with the grease and dowel method. I cut the dowel (a shovel handle originally) on my steel lathe until it was just bigger than the hole. makt sure you have to hammer it in to the bushing or it won't seal good enough.
Worked several times for me (dont ask) Get a big bolt, taper the end, cut 3 grooves in it like a tap, tread it in with some lube. Once it bottoms on the crank the bushing comes right out. My Dad is a genious! By the way, there are 2 different sizes of sbc pilot bushings.
This method worked for me, taking the pilot bushing out of a 53 Cadillac 331 crank. The bolt threaded the bushing, and when the end of the bolt hit the crank, I kept turning the bolt and the bushing started to come out. Here is a pic of the removed bushing still on the bolt. Would recommend lubricating the bushing well before putting the bolt in.
If you are trying the grease method, stand off to the side so that the flying grease doesn't ruin your day. I use a hack saw blade to cut it out. When you get close, collapse it on itself and it will fall out. Takes longer but a lot cleanlier.
You can also take moist shop paper towel, and pack it into the pilot bearing hole using a wood dowel , keep packing until the moist shop paper towel fills the pilot beating hole and is packed tightly. Then using the wood dowel hit a few times, pack more moist shop towel and repeat. This method will slowly drive the pilot bearing out, and is a bit cleaner then grease Let us know how it goes
7/16 tap through and through, keep cranking till it bottoms out in the crank hole, then keep cranking...it will walk the pilot bearing out.
Might be able to find a bolt that fits tightly in the bushing. If you get it full of grease and the shaft you're hitting is tight enough, it WILL come out.
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