Piot Bearing Puller Tool

[QueBota]

Anybody have a favorite "best value" kit. My local Advanced Auto Parts Zone offers a free rental with deposit but the quality of the tool is lacking. Looks like it hasn't been treated well. Changing the clutch on my '91 Ford Ranger, flywheel looks new, not going to remove, however, will be replacing the pilot bearing, came with the clutch kit.

My son has been riding his Ninja all summer, needs something for the colder months. My Ranger has been sitting in the driveway with a blown slave cylinder. Ford decided to locate the slave cylinder inside the bell housing. At 150K more than half of the friction material on the clutch disk is present and the friction surfaces on the flywheel and pressure plate look like new.

Going to replace everything while we are in there. Was a bear getting apart, after 25 years, most the of parts were very friendly with each other.

Any recommendations appreciated.

Thanks,
Q

 

[davesl708]

I would give the rental a try. Not very often you need to pull bearings. Harbor Freight, North Star have lower cost pullers. Would probably do ok on a low usage basis.

 

[QueBota]

Good idea, I may go to another location and check their offering. The one that I looked at this morning was very sloppy, don't want to damage the bore. Would remove the flywheel but it looks perfect, I could picture snapping off a mounting bolt, everything else has been a struggle, no way to hit the flywheel to crank bolts with Kroil.

I have lot's of tools, but not a pilot bearing puller or anything that I could modify to perform the task. The input shaft of the tranny is approx. 9/16" where it enters the pilot bearing. Pilot bearing looks good also but not replacing it doesn't seem prudent.

Looking for this style, not the two finger style the local places offer for rental:
Amazon.com: OTC 4581 Slide Hammer And Blind Hole Bearing Puller Set: Automotive


Why would you place a slave cylinder on the input shaft? The only advantage I can see is you eliminate the clutch fork. Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Q

 

[jaotguy]

pack the bearing hole with thick grease ... sand a wooden dowel to fit the hole exactly ... put dowel in center of hole and hit with hammer ... grease pushes the bearing out ..... may have to repack and do it a few times to get the air and bearing out ...

 

[Junkyard Jim]

What jaotguy said. Keep packin it and smackin it. You can use a bolt if you find one the just right size. Wear safety glasses.

 

[QueBota]

I have used that method in the past on pilot bushings, don't believe it will work on this bearing. Pilot bearing is a tight press fit in the flywheel bore plus has been in there for 25 years. Going to require a small hammer and appropriate size socket/bearing install drift + light lube to install.

If flywheel is removed manual instructions state "Press pilot bearing out of flywheel". Don't want to pull flywheel unless absolutely necessary, runout is minimal and friction surface and thickness are fine.

Thanks,
Q

 

[QueBota]

Went to a local tool rental place. They have a proper blind hole bearing puller set, similar to the one above. Made by S&K. Looks nice $12.99 for 24 hours plus a $200 refundable deposit. If I pick it up Friday after noon time I can return it Monday before 0900 for one days rental. Think I'm going to go for that, don't envision pulling many pilot bearings in the future. As much as I like tools don't think I need to buy this one. Have several others to purchase that would receive lots more use for the price of the puller.

Thanks,
Q

 

[Soundguy]

pack the bearing hole with thick grease ... sand a wooden dowel to fit the hole exactly ... put dowel in center of hole and hit with hammer ... grease pushes the bearing out ..... may have to repack and do it a few times to get the air and bearing out ...

BINGO!

I like this method better than the little 2 jaw screw pullers where you slip it in then run a bolt down to spread the thin arms and lips to get under the bearing / bushing.

those work.. but many times the hydraulic method is easier..

 

[QueBota]

The S&K version has expandable collets with four large flanges. It expands when you run the nut down the shaft then you lock it at the correct size. Useful to have the replacement bearing on hand, allows you to mark the shaft at the correct location so you pull on the bearing collar and not the flywheel, screw on the small slide hammer attachment and tap bearing free. Looks like if you did it correctly you could reuse the bearing if so inclined. The auto parts stores have the two finger versions for rent, didn't inspire confidence.

Don't believe the grease method would work on this application. Have used it successfully with bushings in the end of crankshafts. There is a lot of space behind the flywheel on this truck. Also the bearing is only a couple of thousands less than the bore of the flywheel, tight fit. And, I think the grease may be forced, if only marginally, between the needle bearings and the "dowel". When used on bushings there is near zero clearance between the dowel and the inner surface of the bushings.

Have reserved the tool for Friday afternoon pickup, worth the $12.99, will report back with results, hopefully all goes well, worse case, have to pull the flywheel and press out. Will make installing the new one easier. Entire job has been done on ramps, fortunately the Ranger is lifted and rolling on 33's, makes a little more room, but not much. Wish I had a shop with a lift, someday......

Talked to a freind that runs a local shop, told me it would cost around $1K for parts and labor to R&R the clutch, on a good day it's a $2K truck. I have had all the parts sitting on a shelf in my shop for several years. Paid less than $300 for all parts, including upgraded LUK clutch disk and pressure plate. Have been adding fluid as necessary until the slave cylinder finally @#it the bed. Tremendously large area to seal on the slave. Another reason I don't understand this "design".

Thanks,
Q

 

[George2615]

FWIW, I replaced a pilot bearing in a 66 year old 1 1/2T truck just a few months ago. I used the hydraulic method as mentioned. I used a clutch alignment tool that came with different size screw on tips (for different sized bearings). Used a tip that just fit inside the bearing. Filled with grease, insert tool, whack with hammer, repeat. After 3 whacks it came out. Not bad for being in there that long. I was going to rent the puller but last person that rented it never returned it according to the manager. Figured I'd give the grease method a shot and it worked very well.

 

[QueBota]

Bearing pressed in flywheel or end of crankshaft? Seems in my experience the bearings/bushings in the end of the crankshaft have looser tolerances than the bearings pressed in the flywheel.

I may give it a shot before Saturday, have a clutch alignment tool that came with the kit, unfortunately, it is plastic with a ring on the non clutch disk end. Will have to trim that off before striking with a hammer. The splines on the alignment tool should help prevent grease from escaping. Won't cost anything but a little grease and time, no downside in trying. Will be pleasantly surprised if it pops out.

Thanks,
Q

 

[GLyford]

FWIW, the little two-prong puller worked just fine on my '95 ranger. The one thing I will remember the most about replacing the slave cylinder is that it took bloody forever for the air to bleed out of it.

 

[Soundguy]

FWIW, I replaced a pilot bearing in a 66 year old 1 1/2T truck just a few months ago. I used the hydraulic method as mentioned. I used a clutch alignment tool that came with different size screw on tips (for different sized bearings). Used a tip that just fit inside the bearing. Filled with grease, insert tool, whack with hammer, repeat. After 3 whacks it came out. Not bad for being in there that long. I was going to rent the puller but last person that rented it never returned it according to the manager. Figured I'd give the grease method a shot and it worked very well.

yup.. something about forcing a thick non compressable material with a interference fit piston into a cavity that has a moveable section. Physics says something is gonna give. It's why hyds work....

It's why you can crack the corner out of an engine block with a bolt and a few drops of water in a blind hole...

 

[Soundguy]

I may give it a shot before Saturday, have a clutch alignment tool that came with the kit, unfortunately, it is plastic with a ring on the non clutch disk end. Will have to trim that off before striking with a hammer. The splines on the alignment tool should help prevent grease from escaping. Won't cost anything but a little grease and time, no downside in trying. Will be pleasantly surprised if it pops out.

Thanks,
Q

A trick you can do in case you can't find a perfect fit metal rod or if your sanded dowel isn't perfect, is to use a multi oring kit and find an oring that fits the ID of the bore VERY well.. ( interference fit, but not so much that it bows in ). I add a bit of gear oil to take up voids, then grease. stiff wheel bearing stuff.. then the oring, then the plunger.. a piece of rubber inner tube ( disc shaped ) can be cut as well. This minimizes grease escape by plunger. Lotsa tricks.. you can make up a few thousanths by wrapping some wide masking tape around the plunger and folding the excess to the bottom...

pretreating the bearings / bushing with a penetrant helps as the thin oil wicks in via capilary action, thus when the pressure hits it... -SOMETHING- has to move...

Last tip. cut a piece of cardboard that your plunger will go thru.. use it as a splatter shield. when you whack the plunger.. the grease will go somewhere if it can.. and if the plunger is not a perfect fit, a ribbon or streamer of grease the size of a shoelace can zoom out at scarry speed.

 

[George2615]

Bearing pressed in flywheel or end of crankshaft? Seems in my experience the bearings/bushings in the end of the crankshaft have looser tolerances than the bearings pressed in the flywheel.

I may give it a shot before Saturday, have a clutch alignment tool that came with the kit, unfortunately, it is plastic with a ring on the non clutch disk end. Will have to trim that off before striking with a hammer. The splines on the alignment tool should help prevent grease from escaping. Won't cost anything but a little grease and time, no downside in trying. Will be pleasantly surprised if it pops out.

Thanks,
Q

My pilot bearing was pressed in the crankshaft, not the flywheel. The clutch alignment tool I have is all metal. I think the entire tool with several size adapters was about $20-25 at auto parts store.

 

[QueBota]

Another design question on the interior mounted slave, the bleed fitting is located on the side of the unit, hard to remove all the air. Prefilling with fluid in an inverted position and bleeding several times usually helps with this procedure. Rangers with this design are notoriously difficult to bleed.

Q

FWIW, the little two-prong puller worked just fine on my '95 ranger. The one thing I will remember the most about replacing the slave cylinder is that it took bloody forever for the air to bleed out of it.

 

[QueBota]

Pilot bearing is out, grease method didn't budge it. Had to use the blind hole bearing puller, required quite a few taps from the slide hammer to get it moving.

Thanks,
Q

 

[crazyal]

The grease trick doesn't always work, lol. I had a pilot bearing that was missing the inner seal. Guess the person who put it in figured it would be best to put that side in so there would be less chance of water getting to the bearing and the grease getting on the surface of the flywheel. I pumped it full of grease, put a bold in the pilot hole and with one big whack I got covered in grease and anything else that was in the bearing. Blew the outer seal right off like a hot knife cutting through butter. After cleaning up I made the trip to Autozone to borrow their puller. So, like others said, wear glasses and old stuff you don't care about.

 

[QueBota]

New pilot bearing in, was a tight fit, clearance must be in the .005 range. I even polished the new pilot bearing, lubed it for driving and put in in the freezer overnight. Bearing was quite a few years old, actually made in USA.

Had my son start the install, he got it cocked a bit, required some careful tapping to square it in the bore, access was at an odd angle, looks pretty square now, installed to approx. depth of previous bearing, not quite flush with the flywheel.

New clutch disc on, pressure plate installed, awaiting final torque tomorrow. Hope to get this wrapped up soon. I can tell I'm getting old(er), losing my enthusiasm for this type of work. When I was in my teens/early twenties, couldn't get enough wrenching. My son is enthusiastic, loves to wrench, pretty good mechanic for a modern 19 yo, he's not afraid to tear into anything, getting it back together, sometimes requires some help.

Love to razz him while working, he is easy to get going, enjoy his company, think he feels the same, good, quality father/son time.

Thanks,
Q

 

[QueBota]

Trans back in the truck, was a bit of a wrestling match, hard to get the trans lined up to match the angle of the engine. Plus this trans is particularly long, thankfully not very heavy, just awkward.

Due to the layout of bottom side of the truck, hard to get a good eye on the engine and trans to determine the proper angle to stab the tranny forward, also a very deep bellhousing.

Input shaft did not want to go into the pilot bearing, kept telling my son he installed the clutch disc backwards just to needle him, lot's of fun with that.

Hope to get back on it tomorrow, lots of rain today.

Thanks,
Q