Removing rear spring shackle bushings

[oldmotorsguy]

My 1919 Touring rear spring bushings are completely shot. I purchased new rear shackle sets, and want to know if there is an easy way to remove the old bushings from both the spring and the spring mounting bracket (T3843) while both are still on the car.

Heat and hammering requires taking the stuff off the car, or heating and hammering on these components while I am under the car and I want to avoid all of that back breaking labor (duh). There has to be a way to do this with manual or hydraulic presses of some kind, can anyone help me out, here?

Regards

Steve aka 'oldmotorsguy'

 

[Layden B]

Take the blade out of your hack saw and put it thru the hole, then put the frame back on the blade. Cut thru the bushing but not into the piece it is in. The bushing should then knock right out.

 

[Big John]

Right on....Big John....

 

[oldmotorsguy]

That sounds easy, I'll let you know if they fall right out, piece o' cake.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Hey OMG... If those are OEM bushings, they are as hard as a rock... a hack saw "may" do it but in the last 100 or so Ive done its always a challenge, with a sore wrist(s) from beating and holding the punch and quite a few skinned knuckles.
Theres a million exspurt ways of doing it and they are all correct. If you have access to a lathe, make a mandrel and a stud with 2 nuts and "draw it out"... Id take a grinder and clean the face off to see the perch and the bushing gap. If youre lucky you may catch the edge with a punch and collapse it. The bottom edge is more than likely worn through. If youre really lucky, that same old stud may draw the new one back in as well... In essence, Ive found that youll need to struggle with several different methods until one works. In Idealville, USA, take the perch off and use a press to do the job.
(SHHH !!!) I usually try ALL the above and end up with the gas ax and scarf a slot (relief) in the bushing then drive it out.
Dont be surprised if the perch turns in the mount when youre pounding on it! Itll take enough intimate contact that the whole car will be shaking so watch the jack stands... Then theres the spring side next! ws

The last pic shows the relief made with the torch... its a "finesse" cut. Dont cut into the perch if you can help it! Even after the new ones are in youre gonna need to take a file to clean the edges from beatin' to get the shackle in. IMHO...

 

[Steve Jelf]

Press out bushings with a piece of all thread, a two inch length of 1/4" pipe, a two inch piece of 1" pipe, and a nut and washer on each end. Tighten the nuts and the small pipe pushes the bushing out and into the 1" pipe.

Remove the 1" pipe to press in the new bushing.

 

[oldmotorsguy]

I got three of the four bushings out using the hacksaw relief method. I think I will try Steve Jelf's all thread method on the last one, this method looks more up my alley.


With the hacksaw method, I first, got out the hacksaw, got down on the hands and knees to insert the blade, fumbled and fidgeted for awhile and got the hacksaw ready to go.


Sawed away for some time, not really getting anywhere, so sawed and sawed some more. Finally I noticed that the reason I was taking so long was that this blade was at the end of its useful life. Went to reach for another blade - nope. No more in the tool box. Off to Home Depot for some more blades.


Now I'm back, change the blade, and get way better results. I cut through it pretty cleanly, although I sllightly scarred the perch, nothing to write home to Mom about. THen got the bushing removal rod and a 3-pound sledge. Started hammering away. Nothing. More hammering, this time with a bit more oomph. Finally, the bushing gives way, both pieces come out. Incidentally, I am sweating like a pig by now.


One down, three to go. As you tell by the above, they virtually fell out with this tried and true hacksaw method. But all sarcasm aside, it works pretty well in the end. Thanks.

 

[oldmotorsguy]

Yachtsman: in the photo of the red frame with wheel still on, I can see about 1/4" of the brake shoe showing. Is this normal, or are there axle shims in place here?

 

[yachtsmanbill]

The wheel was just on enough to roll the chassis around with a few threads on the axle nut. I did hafta used a single shim on one side as it went on a tad too far tho. Next week Ill be pulling the wheels for a yearly check. Worked all winter on the speedster, but the last 5 weeks was a wash building a dock and painting the Roamer after a 25 year neglect period.
Aluminum boat with a pretty substantial corrosion issue, and she turned out sweet. Transom lettering Monday, and the Kersplash! ws

Turned out pretty good for a brush job eh?

 

[oldmotorsguy]

We used to be enslaved to a twin engine motor yacht, just like you, Bill. 1977 Carver Mariner 33', to be exact, if you didn't count the 2 1/2 foot teak swim platform (all the marinas counted it when it came time to rent us a slip, etc). Yes, this 36' money pit was the reason for our existence for about 8 years and it was never truer: happiest days of a mariner's life is the day the boat was bought, and the day it was sold.

Nice paint job on your unit, though, Bill. A real looker. I bet you got it done for free.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

LOLOLOLOL... Im a third generation yachtsman on the great lakes. Enslaved is a good choice of terms for sure! This is a 1963 aluminum 36 foot Roamer. My dad bought this particular boat in 1972, and died in '80. I bought the boat from the estate (really LOOOOONG story) and brought it down to Chicago from Sturgeon Bay Wi.So in essence, Ive had the boat 41 years. In about 2005, I retired and bought another project ... a 1974 65 foot Hatteras mot5or yacht that bankrupted me! Ha Ha... Sold that to a freind who is now living on it.
YUP... 3 wives and a dozen houses later still have the same old boat... Shes 50 this year! As far as a free paint job is concerned, I paid my step son $10/hour to help me this time around. Theres about 300 man hours into the job and the paint including all the sundries is about $400/gallon applied... hell, there was 30 rolls of masking tape on this job! $200 worth of sandpaper too.
Tomorrow, Im having a guy come out and re-paint the name on the transom. Thats the cheapest part so far at $90. And yet guys still rag about $10 spark plugs for the model T's!! I think Ill roll the Pollinator Special outa the barn today. I worked on that thing all winter and havent been in the sun with it yet this season!
Another 25 years of this and its gonna be a viking funeral for me... Ill finally get to cheat the mortician haha!! ws

The Hatteras was a New Orleans hurricane Katrina sinker. Worked on that one in NOLA for a year then ran it back to Chicago at 11mph and 25 gallons per hour. Do the math on that one fellas! Some times I feel plum wore out!
BTW... See you at Belvidere this Saturday!! Ill be the big guy with a black bowler. Stop me and say howdy!!

 

[Steve Jelf]

By the way, if you have the spring out of the car you can just shove the old bushing out with your press. Easy as pie.

 

[oldmotorsguy]

Yachtsman: Weather permitting, I'll be sitting by my two REO's (a 1905 and a 1908) for sale in the car corral, but I'll keep an eye out for you, Bill.

Regards


PS: I still never made the transistion to all of that sailor talk (I was in the army). My Carver Mariner had a bathroom (not a head), we tied it up with ropes (not lines), and my twin 302 Ford V-8 Pleasurecraft engines got 1/2 mile a gallon doing 20 mph (not 15/16 knots), and I never bothered to figured the gallons per hour.

Steve (aka 'oldmotorsguy', or OMG for short)

 

[yachtsmanbill]

I did a repower in about 1990 with a pair of 330 hp 454s; a substantial upgrade from the 185 hp 283s. They were bustin' their noodles full time and now the 454s lope along at 2500 and 30 mph at probably a tad less than 1 mpg.
This August we are taking a trip up to Mackinac Island and then a trip over to a ghost town from the iron smelting days called Fayette. REALLY remote place like camping out and hearing wolves bey all night.
Now check the lines on yer brakes and make sure the head is flat and as always, make sure the oil galley is clear! Try to see ya Saturday! ws

Last year at B'dere...