replacing clutch on my December 1974 FJ 40... After removing flywheel, I noticed the pilot bearing was in pieces, so there is just the race left in the end of the crank... I am having problems getting the bearing puller to hook the edge and pull it out... Any magical ideas out there?
Pilot Bearing Race Removal
- Thread starter One Sage
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Yikes! no good. I'm guessing the outer race does not have enough of a lip for a puller to attach and grab onto right? I'd consider a die grinder with a carbide burr and then carefully split the bearing. Run it at a very high speed and go slow. I use one to split an internal bearing in the transfer case and I've done it many times. Something like this...
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks....
The bad news though, if your pilot bearing failed and you drove the truck for any amount of time, the input bearing in your transmission is also very likely damaged. Without the pilot bearing in place, the input shaft is able to "walk" around and place load on the transmission input bearing. It will wear it out FAST. Here's one more pic of what I mean by "splitting" the bearing. Once you cut and weaken it, you should be able to get it out pretty easily.
Before you go grinding on anything, try this:
Find a wood dowel that nicely fits inside what's left of the pilot bearing. Should be snug, but be able to slip in/out easily.
Go into your bathroom, grab the bar of soap. I wouldn't recommend grabbing your wife's expensive soap, grab the Dial instead. Shave some pieces off and pack them inside the bearing. Use the dowel to push the soap. Add more soap, smack the dowel with a hammer/mallet. The bearing should start to move. Repeat until you push the bearing out.
This technique worked excellent when I replace the pilot bearing on my 5.0L.
Find a wood dowel that nicely fits inside what's left of the pilot bearing. Should be snug, but be able to slip in/out easily.
Go into your bathroom, grab the bar of soap. I wouldn't recommend grabbing your wife's expensive soap, grab the Dial instead. Shave some pieces off and pack them inside the bearing. Use the dowel to push the soap. Add more soap, smack the dowel with a hammer/mallet. The bearing should start to move. Repeat until you push the bearing out.
This technique worked excellent when I replace the pilot bearing on my 5.0L.
I have used the hydraulic pressure method. Fill the cavity with grease, insert a dowel that fits snugly in the race, give a whack with a mallet. Can be messy, so wear appropriate PSE.
You can use penetrating spray stuff to try to loosen the grip some beforehand.
Edit - soap is probably a better medium, and less messy.
You can use penetrating spray stuff to try to loosen the grip some beforehand.
Edit - soap is probably a better medium, and less messy.
I used Irish Spring, it also smells nice....
I recommended cutting this only because I've tried the hydraulic method without success. It was very hard to get a tight enough seal so that the hydraulic medium didn't come shooting back out. If his pilot got hot (which it likely did before coming apart) it could be stuck in there pretty well. Not to mention it could be original and decades old.
hiya, I would get a long carriage bolt & cut the head of the bolt to make a jig to hook onto the bearing race. on the thread end get a long 1 inch or so wide socket end or a piece of pipe, put a wide washer over it & then a nut. when you get the bolt head end hooked onto the race, tighten the nut and it should pull the race out. the socket or pipe needs to be wide enough so when you tighten the nut, the race will come out easily into the pipe.
good luck, ty
good luck, ty
I can see your points, but I think he ought to attempt 'pushing' it out first, before going to 'the final solution'...
Getting the snug fit with the dowel is the key. If he has access to a lathe it would be cake. If not, chuck the dowel up in a drill motor and sand it to fit.
Mine was "really" stuck. I tried all of the above except or Rock40's cut & split method but all others failed me. I even turned a close fitting dowel/piston of steel on the lathe for a good fit so no grease would escape. and beat the dowel into a mushroom. I even ripped the jaws of a Snap-On slide hammer. Spent hours & hours trying and finally my buddy sharing the shop with me couldn't take it anymore and he jumped under there with a smoke wrench and it gone in less than a minute.
My rig lives in the water so that's probably why it was so locked in there.
My rig lives in the water so that's probably why it was so locked in there.
78fj40mg
TLCA #23510
I had one that didn't respond to any of the aforementioned techniques. What finally worked was a fine thread bolt that was just slightly larger than the hole then run in with an impact wrench.
- Thread starter
- #16
Ok... Update.... I did a heat and freeze technique to break the seal between the race and the crankshaft... I used a small flame torch to heat up the area, then I poured liquid propane on the race to freeze it.... I was able to regrind the puller and caught enough lip to pull out the race..... Thanks for all of the comments .... Travel on
