Change your pilot bushing!!

[SPIRONIUM]

I found an awesome trick online on how to remove old pilot bushings, OH MY GOD i didnt expect it to work so easily!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a short write up, it is pretty straight forward though:

1- find a bolt that just barely does not fit into the pilot bushing at the end of the crankshaft (if your pilot bushing is really old like mine was use bolt size 3/4-10 x 3 it will barely not fit but can be taped in. Otherwise if your bushing is not rounded or flared like pic below try a 18-17mm bolt. 5/8 bolt is too small)

2- completly fill the pilot bushing and the area behind it with axel grease or any thick grease

3- take the bolt and *lightly* tap it into the bushing with a heavy weight hammer or dead blow hammer, if it doesnt go in you need a different bolt.

4- find the right socket (cresent wrench will be ok too) and slowly start screwing the bolt into the bushing, it will eventually become easier and easier and grease will slowly make its way out through the threads -

4.5- AS SOON AS grease starts coming out screw the bolt in as fast as possible, this will cause the grease to physically push the bushing out because the grease cannot travel fast enough to escape through the threads of the bolt!

works like a charm!, check out my old pilot bushing vs my new one Yes that actually IS the same bushing! Good luck and dont eff anything up

Modified by SPIRONIUM at 6:00 PM 9/30/2006
Modified by SPIRONIUM at 11:38 AM 10/7/2006

[SPIRONIUM]

pic 2, sorry its kinda blurry but you can tell whats what

[jmwenick]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what does the pilot bushing do, and what benefits are there from changing it?

[jdm_master_X]

it keeps the input shaft tip aligned with the flywheel and clutch.

[SPIRONIUM]

it should be changed every clutch job, it is the bushing that the spline of the transmission goes into into the back of the engine, into the crankshaft