How to remove pilot bearing? '47 59A engine

Old Henry

Old Henry

Well-known member
Without removing flywheel? I'm just ready to install VanPelt's rebuilt ******. He sent a new pilot bearing but I haven't figured out how to get the old one out without removing the flywheel, which I won't do. (I'll leave the old one in that seems fine if I can't get it out.)

Any ideas?
 
The way I've always done it (without a puller), is to keep feeding wet toilet tissue into the hole in the center of the pilot bearing and us a punch the same size as the hole to keep packing it in there with a hammer. Eventually the hydraulic pressure will push the pilot bearing out. Sounds a little weird, but works every time.

Sal
 
I always use a slide hammer. You need a hinged T fitting you can get to go through the bearing and catch the back side. Sometimes you can use an L fitting if you work your way around and just move it a little in each position.

Another method is similar to what scicala posted but using grease. The punch needs to be a fairly close fit to the ID.
 
You can also pack the hole full of grease and with a suitable sized punch give it a good tap in the hole and it will start backing out just push more grease in and keep going.
 
Or, you can just go down to AutoZone and rent the right tool (for free) and get the job done. (Did JSeery mention slide hammer?)

 
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Long before we had tool rentals I too used the grease method, times are better now that stores like auto zone offer the tool rentals.
 
I've seen a video where slices of bread is packed into the hole using a punch and hammer. Works like hydraulic pressure which forces the bearing out
 
Lots of these methods can be see on You Tube. Just did it but I wimped out and used a small puller which I got on Amazon.com. Can't ever have too many tools. Let my son figure some of the obscure ones out after he inherits them.
I have actually tagged a few odd ones and home made ones with descriptions of there use. They are in the bottom drawer and I may never have the need to use them again. Kinda cool!
 
One thing I learned about slide hammers years ago: Be careful how you hold it before you start use it. Saves a lot of unnecessary pain.
 
You don't have the correct size punch? Start with a big bolt, and wrap tape around it until it fits close to the diameter of the ID. I used grease, but the wet TP sounds easier for clean up.
 
It's a big ole bearing. Slide hammer should work fine. This is an 8BA but same bearing and very similar flywheel.

 
Slidehammer with just a hook will do fine, actually, it's not a super tight press in there.

On the grease and toilet paper options...someone on the HAMB took that to a perfectly developed level: Use peanut butter instead of grease. Knock the thing out, then go have a cup of coffee while your dog cleans everything up perfectly!
 
This is the hot ticket. I have probably pulled 100 pilot bearings over the years. It yanks them right out, fast. You screw down the handle which pushes a tapered shaft down between those two arms so the ends are held in place in back of the pilot bearing. Then you start turning the nut and it pulls it right out. I have never tried one of these tools on a flathead but it worked on everything I ever replaced a clutch in at work.

Try and get a used Snap-On pilot bearing puller (A-78) its the best but they are not cheap. I checked the "sold" ones on eBay and they went for between $42.00 to $100.00. Keep an eye out for these at the swap meets.
 

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