pilot bearing

[FAT TONY]

im wondering how to install a pilot bearing/bushing?

[jocko]

Place it in the freezer overnight, grease the hole in the back of the crank slightly, then whang on it with a big hammer. But first!!! (don't you hate that) Make sure there is something between it and the big ol hammer - ideally a pilot bushing installation tool, but if that's not available, an old clutch installation tool (a metal one), or trans input shaft (i.e. something that fits both inside and on the shoulder of the bushing - something on the inside (i.e. the pilot tip of the i/p shaft) will keep it from flying out and knocking you unconscious, and the shoulder contact is what drives it home. It still may take some serious whackin, but be careful to not miss and hit the crank, your finger, the block, or the flywheel (if it's installed). The key is getting it friggin cold. I would NOT go the extra mile and HEAT the hole in the crank unless you're doing this with the crank out of the block and held separately somehow. I do highly recommend the cheap little pilot bushing install kit from some place like harbor freight - look at it this way, it's a $10, (or $20, or $30, don't remember) investment that pays for itself the first time you don't put your eye out or prang the hammer thru the back of your block by accident when it glances off a socket that you're using to try to bang it in. Do NOT do that - very important to bang with something that both rides the shoulder of the bushing and that also inserts something inside the pilot hole area to keep it from squirtin out to the side.

[FAT TONY]

first question what is the freezer for? secondly do you have a link showing the install kit? i searched the harbor freight website but couldn't find it. third , two pieces came in the clutch kit ill upload pictures in a minute i was looking around and both are good pieces to use but i wouldn't know which one..... im really excited to get the old girl driving again, hopefully with no problems, cant wait till i rebuild the entire truck some day

[FAT TONY]

Alright hers are the pics

all three


the old one


the new one



and the other one which i read could also be used

[chevy_mike]

With the bearings, take an old socket that is just slightly smaller than the OD of the bearing you use. Face the open end of the socket towards the bearing and use a hammer to knock it into place.

The freezer trick I found works better with the bushing style (like your old one) where you freeze it, which will cause it to shrink slightly. Then you quickly do the same above before it warms up. It makes it a little easier to hammer in.

I have found bearing don't seem to shrink as much and warm up much quicker to make much difference.

DO NOT hit the center race or the bearing area as you can damage the bearing, making it useless.

My .02 worth.

[jocko]

here ya go: This particular kit is Pittsburgh Stock No. P-38145, pretty sure I picked it up in the Harbor Freight store.

[jocko]

Yes - good point chevy mike - freezer primarily for bushings, not roller bearings. The roller bearing will not shrink as much, you're absolutely correct. Your .02 is worth much more thna .02!

Tony - both of the new parts from the kit are roller bearings, but just for different size pilot bushing holes in the crank. You need to use the middle one (asuming the right one is your old one). So, you have no bushing to install (kit came with a bearing instead). Personally, I tossed my roller bearing in the last kit I did and went to autozone and bought a bushing for a couple bucks. Bushings wear, but don't fail (no moving parts). Bearings "can" fail, not that they always will - but they can.

Standby, I'll go take a pic of a pilot bearing install tool - then it will make more sense.

[jocko]

Here's one: http://www.harborfreight.com/clutch-...set-66539.html $8.99, can't beat that. I'd use it just to install the pilot bushing/bearing - but this also has a poor man's clutch alignment feature in case you don't have a clutch alignment tool. The way the ad is worded, I'm not 100% certain it's intended to be used for more than JUST alignment of the clutch disk - but it sure has all you need.

[FAT TONY]

thanks ..... ill make sure to pick one up tomorrow............. man i hope it all goes well, as soon as im dont installing the new clutch ima try to start on some body work
the owner of the shop i work at has a 64 short step hes been working on and has some extra parts from when he built his so i have a head start, also they said i can paint my truck for free using any left over paint they have and from looking around it must be gallons

[markeb01]

For what it's worth, the local parts store I frequent stopped carrying the roller bearings and only offered the bushings. Too many failures. The hot rodders and racers I've asked about this said the same thing. After one pilot bearing failure they'd never use another one, only bushings.

[FAT TONY]

what are the bushings categorized as at the auto parts stores? i searched pilot bushing and it had no results, i might just go buy one on my way to work..... and around how long do they last?

[markeb01]

Napa Auto shows them as Clutch Pilot Bushing, and they will last at least as long as the clutch. Since they are so inexpensive it is always recommended to replace them every time the clutch is replaced. But when I was a kid these were rarely ever replaced and lasted decades, through many clutch replacements.

[maxwoof]

I had one that wore so bad the input shaft on the trans would wobble. Destroyed four or five transmissions before I figured it out
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[cableguy0]

I agree forget the roller bearing. They come apart and tear the hell out of the input shaft. The bushing is the way to go. It will not tear up the input shaft and has no moving parts so it cant blow apart. You have to be careful installing the bushing because its easy to mushroom the end but just take your time and all will be well.

[fastwillie 696969]

i think that old pilot bearing is bronze and would wear out instead of the input shaft taking the damage ,i see alot of oblong bearing from shaft wearing it out ,
one more tip ,you can use a grease gun to remove the old PB ,

[crazy longhorn]

3rd the bronze....I have seen many torn up input shafts, that ran a needle/roller crazyL