Any tips on how to get the old pilot bushing out of the crank on a BB? Any tips on how best to install? Also, do I need to lube the bushing/trans input shaft with high temp grease?

 

I went to the auto parts place and borrowed a pilot bushing puller. Got it out in a couple of minutes. If you can't afford "free", there are guys who will give you the old "grease and stick" trick to try...

Installation is simply pushing it in with your hand, or tapping it lightly with a rubber mallet. I suppose a little grease would help assembly, but I'm not sure it's necessary. (I used a pilot bearing on mine).

 

Hydraulic pressure,(stick and grease ) method worked for me

 

I have a sb 350 and I had to make two cuts with a metal blade in a jig saw, then crack it apart and pull it out. The new one is going in too hard...somethings wrong. I will cut my new one out and try again by removing some of the material from the OD of another new bushing.

 

Shouldn't do that!! You must have the wrong bushing. It should be pretty tight but you should never have to remove ANY material. Did you clean everything up and grease the OD and crank hole before you tried to drive it in?

And the "grease and stick" trick has never failed me in over 40 years.

 

Can you be more specific on the "grease and stick" method.

 

Yes, I can.

Grease and Stick, or grease and old Jack shaft! This is one of the oldest tricks in the non written book of auto repair techniques. (one of the few bubba tricks that works)

Take as much grease as possible and push it in to the pilot bushing hole! Fill it as full as possible. Then either with a stick the same size as the end of your transmission jack shaft or an old worn out jack shaft….Drive it in the hole!

The hydraulic pressure from having the stick (shaft) driven in the bushing will force it out.

However, if you have horrible wear in the front bearing of the transmission, there are (and I hate to argue) rare cases where the bushing is so worn out that the grease will shot out in your face! In over thirty years, I’ve only seen this happen one time and yes then and only after desperate measures did we take a high speed die grinder and remove the bushing by grinding it out until we could split it.

As pws69 mentioned, grease and stick works!

When you go back, there are newer style bearings that you can purchase that are greased roller design. This type of pilot bearing will give you longer life and be easier on the end of the jack shaft. You might consider getting one before you install the new oil impregnated stock pilot bushing.

There are also pilot bearing pullers! But from a time is important stand point… Grease and stick (we use an old jack shaft) will work faster than any other method.

Willcox Inc.

 

The grease and stick works great every time.
I've found that if ya put the pilot bearing in the freezer for a few hours it will almost side in but ya still have to give it a little tap.