AKA Come to Jesus...

I'm trying to remove the clutch pilot bearing in my 1978 F250 / I6 300. I don't have the special tool and I tried to use the wet paper towel trick with no success. A little background:

• When I removed the flywheel, there was some broken plastic and a small metal dowel that came loose.
• I removed a little rubber gasket that was intact.
• I started the paper towel trick with a socket - didn't work.

I have removed that paper towel and wrapped electrical tape around a bolt for an airtight fit, but I want to make sure I'm doing this properly, so here I am.

Here's a photo of what I can see inside. You can see some paper towel, some little metal dowels and a broken ring of some sort.



My new plan is to pack it with lithium grease and use the airtight bolt with electrical tape to force the bearing out. Am I missing something? Any assistance is GREATLY appreciated!

 

Grease and threding in a course thread bolt is how I did it.

 

Pack it with grease...then, haha. put the bolt in to.....ARRR, haha...SMACK IT....and be prepared to give up some cleanliness........ARRRR!

 

If the grease, tight fitting bolt and hammer trick does not work you can probably rent the puller at no cost (except deposit) from Autozone.

 

Harbor Freight makes an inexpensive small slidehammer kit that should work.

 

Pack it grease, insert a tight fitting bolt or steel rod, cover it with a paper towel and rag, then give it a firm whack.... the paper towel and rag will save ya clean up.

 

Looks a little late for a puller. When one is that far gone I put a few tack welds on whats left of the bearings housing. The weld shrinks the metal band that is still in there and it will just fall out.

 

poor mans slide hammer:

get a long bolt, the biggest that will fit in the hole and a boxed end wrench that fits over the bolt shaft but not the head.

place wrench on bolt shaft, stick threaded end of bolt in hole and pull down so threads grab something.

hit wrench with hammer, repeat as necessary. some technique adjustment may be needed.

the small metal dowels are your needle bearings.

 

Take a bolt with a washer and nut threaded on it. Insert the head of the bolt (it should be big enough to just fit the hole) in the pilot bearing hole. A pry bar against the washer & nut will normally pop that baby out. The head of the bolt should be maneuvered a bit to just catch the bearing only and possibly around the bearing cage in a couple different spots; it will get it coming out. Poor mans puller.

 

Thanks for all the advice, folks. I've tried every method except for the weld (don't have a welder setup just yet) and I've only managed to destroy more of the bearing.

At this point, I think I'm gonna have to chisel the sucker out. How delicate do I need to be?

 

It is stuck into your engine crankshaft. I would be very careful.

 

Consider a small, modified (household) toggle and a slide hammer or other means to pull on it.

 

What a difference a tool makes. I managed to get to over to the parts store before work this morning and rented a slide hammer and puller. Took me about seven smacks for it to come out cleanly. Thanks, folks!