Pilot Bushing (Bearing?) Removal on 351W

[foothilltom 33]

Gentlemens, I be needing some guidance on removing the Pilot Bushing on my 351W. I bought a Clutch kit from Summit which was supposed to include a new pilot bushing, but instead has 4 (count 'em, 4) bushing/bearings. This has me slightly confused, but I'm guessing they fit a number of applications.

 

Anywho, I'm stuck removing my existing bushing that sits in my flywheel. There's a small "lip" inside it and I've tried pulling on it with a bent wire gizmo I fashioned, but it hasn't budged at all. It's hard to get any real leverage on that. I'm wondering if there's some specialized tool or if it's necessary to remove the flywheel (and pound it out from the backside).

 

I've Googled and found mostly Chevy sites talking about jamming the hole with grease and then pounding in some kind of tight-fitting rod (like a dowel or something) and using hydraulic pressure to do the work. This sounds interesting but before I create the equivalent of a grease-bomb in my garage, I thought I would ask the Mustang experts.

 

In summary:

 

* Recommendations to remove the bushing

* Why 4 spare bushing/bearings in the clutch kit

* Is it a Pilot Bearing or a Pilot Bushing

 

Thanks and happy Friday.

Tom

Edited April 9, 2010 by foothilltom

[RogerC 136]

First, removing the flywheel will do no good. The bushing is in the end of the crank.

Originally it was a bushing but for anyone who's changed one its a no-brainer to put a pilot bearing in its place whenever changing the clutch.

I've always packed the hole with grease, works fine for me.

Edited April 9, 2010 by RacerX

[foothilltom 33]

Thanks, RacerX. If you're still out there, any recommendations for what you pound in? Dowel? Oooh, how about the plastic alignment tool gizmo that came with my kit?

[RogerC 136]

Thanks, RacerX. If you're still out there, any recommendations for what you pound in? Dowel? Oooh, how about the plastic alignment tool gizmo that came with my kit?

 

Whatever gives you a snug but free moving fit. I think I used my alignment tool last time.

[MikeStang 247]

oK BUD,

They make a tool called a pilot bushing remover, thats right there is a Tool for this application...You can some times find them at Auto Zone as a loaner tool...If not you can ususally but one for less than 50 bucks.....If you cannott find one, you can take a chizel which I have done many times and beat it till you cleave it in half, after all its made out of brass, so its malliable, or you can take a grinder to the inside of it with a carbide bit or small stone bit and grind it to nothing and cleave it in half.....I was a proponent of replacing the brass bushing with a roller bearing, but you can actually feel the difference in the clutch petal with a roller bushing I think, when you rev the engine you will feel the rotation as a slight vibration in the cluthc pedal.....Have seen 3 cars all with rollers that did this.

If you have more than one bushing in your new kit, find the one that is the tightest fit into the Crank and has the best fit on the input shaft of the tranny and that is the one you will use.....The Big bearing is your throw out bearing, but you probably knew this :P

Mike

[foothilltom 33]

Hey Mike, I saw your post after embarking on the grease-explosion approach. I am happy to report that it worked like a charm! I now have the bushing (clearly a bushing and not a bearing) on my workbench. Whoo!

 

The only question I have to RacerX (or anybody that has tried this) is:

 

Do I have to clean out all the grease in that cavity? I wiped out as much as I could, but there's quite a bit lurking in there. Will it get on my clutch disk and mess it up?

 

Always wondering.

Tom

[MikeStang 247]

No you can leave the grease in the crankshaft holw, get as much out as you can then put the new bushing on bearing in, and put some grease in the new bushing or bearing.

Mike