Pilot bearing removal?

B

B-nut

Senior Member
Would anyone offer tips on removal of the pilot bearing in a 35 Ford. While the engine was out I found the clutch plate hub is loose on the plate. While the clutch is out its best to replace the pilot bearing. Won't these come out without having to remove the fly wheel? Thanks for your response!
 
Fill the hole with grease, get a snug fitting rod into the hole.
Hit the rod with a hammer, and the bearing will start moving out.
You may have to add grease.

After you got it out, remove the grease and mount the new pilotbearing.
 
Have you got a pilot shaft for aligning the clutch ? If so ,pack the hole in the bearing with grease. put the pilot shaft into the hole and gently tap with a soft hammer (brace wood or plastic) and it will hydraulic out. A little messy but no damage done.
 
There's a long and funny thread on the HAMB on this subject. Wooden Dowels, Alignment tools and the like are paired with grease, peanut butter, Play Doh, Silly Putty, wet toilet paper, white bread, etc., and are all claimed to do the job well.

What they all have in common is stuffing the hole and inserting a plunger of some kind that will result in hydraulic pressure to push the bushing out.
 
there is a 3 pronged puller for removing the bearing, it fits inside the bearng hole and the puller, a slide hammer type, removes it, probably can borrrow one from your local auto parts dealer, alot easir than removine the grease from the hole
 
i asked this same question a couple of months ago, probbaly 6. thought you guys were kidding. GREASE I SAID YEA RIGHT. yous were right came right out i was impressed. JAN.:)
 
What was not mentioned in the original post/question... Is it a bushing, or the more common bearing. If it is a bearing, and not a sealed bearing, grease would be pushed through the bearing, and do nothing. Most of the ones I've pulled apart lately, have an open bearing. If you have the slide-hammer-puller, use it. Bearings are not usually in there real tight - should be able to improvise. I would think even a large sheetmetal screw, driven through an open bearing (between the balls), with slide hammer, would do it. Worst case, remove flywheel - but if the pan is on... pain. And, BTW, if it IS a bearing, either open or closed, usually they can be brought back to life with fresh grease - and no need to remove. JMO
 
An open bearing is a bit more messy than a closed one :-)
But the grease method works.

If you can remove the middle part of the open bearing, you can use the mig welder and put a weld on the inside of the bearing. and when its cold it will fall out.
 
bobH said:
What was not mentioned in the original post/question... Is it a bushing, or the more common bearing. If it is a bearing, and not a sealed bearing, grease would be pushed through the bearing, and do nothing. Most of the ones I've pulled apart lately, have an open bearing. If you have the slide-hammer-puller, use it. Bearings are not usually in there real tight - should be able to improvise. I would think even a large sheetmetal screw, driven through an open bearing (between the balls), with slide hammer, would do it. Worst case, remove flywheel - but if the pan is on... pain. And, BTW, if it IS a bearing, either open or closed, usually they can be brought back to life with fresh grease - and no need to remove. JMO
Click to expand...

If you use something like Play Doh or putty, then it won't be able to leak out through the bearing. Removing the flywheel won't help. The bushings/bearings I've seen are set into the crankshaft.

I wouldn't chance bringing an old bearing back to life with new grease. It's just too hard to replace one and too cheap to buy one.
 
Pilot bearing out! The grease just pushed through but 10 wet kleenex, the alignment tool and a small hammer pushed it right out. Thanks again for the review!
 
Mike51Merc said:
If you use something like Play Doh or putty, then it won't be able to leak out through the bearing. Removing the flywheel won't help. The bushings/bearings I've seen are set into the crankshaft.

Just for info.... I believe this question was for a 35 Ford. Pilot bearing/bushing is pressed into the flywheel, not the crank. If you remove the flywheel, you have the bearing with it.
Click to expand...
 
I put a bolt head thru the bearing/bushing, hold it to one side of the inside of the bearing/ bushing using a piece of wood, or another bolt... Then use a slide hammer... One could also use a socket and washer over the bolt, and tighten the nut to pull the bearing/bushing...
Karl
 
bobH said:
Mike51Merc said:
If you use something like Play Doh or putty, then it won't be able to leak out through the bearing. Removing the flywheel won't help. The bushings/bearings I've seen are set into the crankshaft.

Just for info.... I believe this question was for a 35 Ford. Pilot bearing/bushing is pressed into the flywheel, not the crank. If you remove the flywheel, you have the bearing with it.
Click to expand...

Didn't know that. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
On the extra tight bushing tap threads in the bushing take a bolt with the first part of the threads removed,screw the bolt in and push the bushing out.Try the grease method first.lee34
 
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