I'm installing a new clutch behind the 350 small block in my '69 and I was wondering how tight of a press fit is the pilot bushing into the end of the crank?

The old bushing was EXTREMELY tight coming out. The slide hammer puller I was using would not budge it. I ended up having to take the sawzall and split the bushing before I could pull it out.

Should the new bushing go in that tight?

TIA

Dave

 

It didn't on mine- I remember using a hammer and a socket to get it in- not a big deal.

 

I'm replacing my clutch now too and had the same difficulty removing the pilot bushing. Drilled mine out in short order. Three holes in a triangle pattern and the bushing can be collasped on itself. Polished up the bore and drove in the new bushing via many light taps using a dead blow hammer. If you want some good info on the cluch assembly and the importance of each component check here.
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/clutches_etc.htm

 

a Lil trick my dad taught me on removing Pilot bushing;
Fill the hole behind the bushing with axle grease, place the but end of a ratchet in the hole, it is a very close fit, hold it in the hole straight,
Smak the buisness end of the ratchet with a hammer, the hydraulic pressure created by the grease will force the bushing out and it is sticky enough that it will not go flying across the floor.
Tap the new one back in place with a socket and hammer, easy job

 

Another helpful trick, put the new bushing in the frezzer for an hour before you tap it in...

 

Mine went in with a rubber mallet...

 

Yes it should be tight, it's an interference fit, meaning there's only a few thousandths difference between the bore of the crank and the diameter of the bushing. It should be tight but obviously not so much so that driving it in would damage it. That trick posted by lowbuck72 about freezing it before installation should work great.

 

Oh man... memories.

Dropping in my stroker Sunday night a few months ago. My buddy chewed up the pilot bushing trying to drive it in with the *** end of a hammer, but fortunately I had a spare. So we drive to Autozone with the spare to rent a slide hammer to remove the damaged one, once we get there my buddy realizes that he lost the spare, and Autozone had none left. So I call Kragen and they have one... yes! But they're closing right at that time... no! So we drive to Kragen and I bribe the guy to buy it with his own money and hand it to me through the door. We then drive back to Autozone to get the slide hammer, that was too big. I pull out my power sander and make the prongs on the slide hammer smaller to fit, yes it was a rented tool. So then I freeze the new bushing, torch the end of the crank, lube it up and knock it in with a socket. We bolt on the trans, drop everything in, put back on the driveshaft and crossmember and voila... till next morning when another friend of mine pointed out to me that I had installed the clutch backwards! FYI, the clutch hub faces the engine on a T56... 6 speed clutches are bassackwards. And I had already returned the engine hoist. So then I had no choice but to pull the trans by myself later that day. So much fun.

Oh yeah, get a roller bushing.