Pilot Bearing Removal Help

Tim Groth

SCCoA Member
Did the search looks like the last time this was really discussed was 2003, surely by now I would think newer tricks are available?

Wish I would have done the search prior to trying the grease packing trick and also wasting my money on a $45 puller tool that didn't get me any further along. Honestly this is probably harder than anything else I've ever attempted on my SC, and had my brother n law and myself looking at each other, making the comment we always make when we work on my cars, "Nothing is ever easy on these damn cars!" :D

Anyways I have a dremel, seems as though this was the popular response in the 2003 posts, I will give it a shot if nothing better is suggested.

Oh and for the guys that say they don't have a garage...I've posted pictures to show you what a real SC diehard is willing to work with. ;)

-Tim
 

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Yeah, I've had the grease packing work before and not work. The last time I had to remove a pilot bushing, I had to do some extreme measures. I will tell you what we did and also say that the mojority of people will say it was a very bad thing to do. Maybe it is, but everything has been fine for several years.

Anyway, we drilled and tapped 2 holes in the pilot bushing (this wan't an SC, so I'm not sure if there is enough thickness to do it on an SC), threaded 2 bolts into our new holes and used a slide-hammer puller to do the rest. Nothing else was working! We didn't repeatedly abuse the slide-hammer, but we did slide it and then check it until the bushing came out. Anyway, the concern with is the thrust load on the crank and bearings. I "borrowed" the puller from AutoZone.
 
drill it

Your setup looks fun. Mine was outside in the rain. Spent a day trying different pullers, grease bushing, etc on the pilot. Finally I spent about 30 minutes drilling about 5 holes and it collapsed enough to pry it out.

A week later I had to do it again becuase my pressure plate bolts came loose...

good luck.

MB
 
Old-timer trick

I had a heck of a time removing the pilot bearing from mine, here's a trick I've used on several vehicles and it's never failed. Take a piece of rag and coat in in grease, REALLY put in on thick. Jam it into the pilot bearing hole with a screwdriver and push it back flat and level with your fingertip. Take a piece of round stock the size of the input shaft and smack it with a hammer. The rag will dig into the bearing and will pop out the entire bearing, intact. You may have to jam more saturated rag into the hole as the bearing comes out.
 
I had to do what MartianBob described on my Cougar years ago when the grease pack trick and the slide hammer both failed to yield any results. I've also have pilot bearings just pop right out with the slide hammer. I guess it all depends on how lucky you are that day.
 
Tim ... your making me proud brother

I thought I was hardcore!!!:eek:

Give me a shout when you have a few minutes ....:cool:

Did the search looks like the last time this was really discussed was 2003, surely by now I would think newer tricks are available?

Wish I would have done the search prior to trying the grease packing trick and also wasting my money on a $45 puller tool that didn't get me any further along. Honestly this is probably harder than anything else I've ever attempted on my SC, and had my brother n law and myself looking at each other, making the comment we always make when we work on my cars, "Nothing is ever easy on these damn cars!" :D

Anyways I have a dremel, seems as though this was the popular response in the 2003 posts, I will give it a shot if nothing better is suggested.

Oh and for the guys that say they don't have a garage...I've posted pictures to show you what a real SC diehard is willing to work with. ;)

-Tim
 
Um fellas, I rented a pilot bearing removal tool from Autozone, you know the one with the weird hooks on the end. Latched that sucker on there and adjusted the tool and pop it came out, took maybe 20 minutes.
 
Um fellas, I rented a pilot bearing removal tool from Autozone, you know the one with the weird hooks on the end. Latched that sucker on there and adjusted the tool and pop it came out, took maybe 20 minutes.


I agree, after trying the whet paper towel trick I was pissed. Rented the tool and BINGO! It came out. It took a few try because the pilot bearing tool doesnt want to bite well but you just have to make sure when you have a bite on it, you slide the hammer as hard as you can.

By the way, I like Jack the security gaurd.
 
Just to update this - I removed the bearing with the dremel and returned the POS tool. It did me no good at all.

-Tim
 
You guys crack me up. The AZ tool works like a charm. It works so good in fact I bought one for myself. I have pulled at least 20 pilot bearings with it. Average setup and pull time - < 2 minutes.
 
You guys crack me up. The AZ tool works like a charm. It works so good in fact I bought one for myself. I have pulled at least 20 pilot bearings with it. Average setup and pull time - < 2 minutes.


Bingo! I knew there was a reason I liked you. They work great. Just have to make sure the jaws work. The last one I borrowed had bent jaws
 
You guys crack me up. The AZ tool works like a charm. It works so good in fact I bought one for myself. I have pulled at least 20 pilot bearings with it. Average setup and pull time - < 2 minutes.


Trust me, if the tool had worked I wouldn't have used or wasted my time dremeling the bearing. The tool didn't do it - period. Plus I did buy it and then after failing attempts I returned the $40 POS. I honestly wish it had worked, would have saved me much time.

-Tim
 
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Trust me, if the tool had worked I wouldn't have used or wasted my time dremeling the bearing. The tool didn't do it - period.

-Tim


Cuz ya just cant handle it. Its ok, we cant all be good. Hang in there. Just get the heap ready for summer blast.......lol
 
Cuz ya just cant handle it. Its ok, we cant all be good. Hang in there. Just get the heap ready for summer blast.......lol

It will be - don't worry there. I will post some pictures of what I've been up to here in a few. Right now there's only a block in the car...I'm not playing around with things.

-Tim
 
Tim,

Which tool did you have?

pilotbearingtool2a-l.jpg

mitpuller.jpg
 
It had the jaws of the worthless picture and the structure of the bottom picture.

Problem was the bearing was rusted in place even though I PB Blasted the bastard to death, and it was also pretty well messed up to the point where the puller couldn't grip on the bearing.

-Tim
 
I'm liking the mazda one... for rust you gotta use heat, the change in dimensions breaks the crystal structure of the rust allowing you to get it out. A simple tank of mapp gas held on an exhaust coupler, then bang on it with a hammer, and the bolt will come out a lot easier.
 
Take you a piece of bread and crumble it up cram it in the center of the pilot bearing untill you cant cram anymore.. find somthing thats just small enough to slide in the hole (metal rod or bolt) and tap it in add more bread and keep pushing it in... pilot bearing will pop right out... no grease going everywhere... no broken stuff.... usually right when you get a whole piece compressed in there is when the bearing pops out... I know it sounds crazy but its the easiest way to do it and works everytime!
 
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