Pilot bearings are pain in the you know what...

Gees... got another day to work on the car and I spent half the day looking for a tool to pull the pilot slug out. The one I was pulling out of the car wasn't the bearing kind but just the aluminum thingy. After trying to find anything that would even possible work I gave up and went to the chassis manual. Chassis manual said about using a slide hammer but I went everywhere and could not find one. I guess its an item that you don't use everyday. Went home and it was time to pull out the grinding bit. Took about 15 mins and that dumb thing was out. Its something how something so small can cause such a headache...

 

You can remove a pilot without special tools. Fill the cavity with grease. Find a socket that will fit just inside the pilot bearing. Fill the socket with grease. Put an extention on the socket and drive it through the hole in the pilot bearing. The displaced grease will push the bearing out.

 

Or, you might ask some other GS owner whos dad was a mechanic to see if you could borrow one since he has 3 4 speed GS cars!:laugh: :laugh:
The grease deal works but hardly ever for me. I always seem to get the one that has glazed in the hole and refuses to come out.
Pat

 

you can also find a bolt and gun it in to the pilot bearing and when it bottoms out on the crank it will push the bearing out.

 

I was going to try that but I couldn't find a bolt big enough. Another thing about the slug was that it had an edge at the back. So I put a nut on a bolt and smacked the nut to the back. I then took a crow bar which I used as a slide hammer. In the end, the bearing didn't move, the nut and bolt went flying and the pointy end of the crow bar ended up hitting me. :jd: ouch... I was going to try the grease packing idea but I was told to use the pilot tool but the one I have is plastic. Although, thanks for the tip on using a socket... I wonder why they didn't using a real bearing to begin with. I imagine the aluminum slug would wear down pretty quickly...

 

The grease thing is the way to do it,i`ve tried numerous ways and the most successful one is to pack it with grease and bang it out,and whatever you do DO NOT!! use a roller pilot bushing w/the needle bearings.


Thanks

 

Hey George... what is bad about the needle bearing pilot bearing?

 

I used them before,and the last time i pulled my tranny down i noticed that the bearings got so dry that the bushing and needle bearings disinigrated and fell in my hand after i pulled the tranny out,imagine those bearings getting down to the clutch/pressure plate what could happen?so i swore never to use them again and been using the stock ones its like a brass material,in my handbook the roller bearing pilot bushing is Junk.

Thanks

 

Augh.... now you tell me...lol... well I stuck in needle bearing type so I guess I'll have to take a chance... I packed the bearing good with wheel bearing grease so as long as it don't fall apart in a couple months I'll be ok. I'll probably be pulling the motor come spring to put some more horses in anyhow... I appreciate the info George...

 

Anytime John,if you need anymore info let me know,if you`ve already installed the roller leave it and the next chance you get replace it,good luck.:TU: