Well I figured I would make this how to. I spent a few hours trying and trying to remove the pilot bearing. I used the harbor fright pilot bearing removed which was too big, I tried to use just two jaws and they bent. Then I rented the Autozone blind hole removed. This did not work either, the slide was too light.

From Autozone I rented the biggest slide hammer they had. I brought the new pilot bearing with me and asked to see their pilot bear attachment for the slide hammer. It was too big of coarse, so I sat there for a minute examining the tool. I was thinking I can grind it down and make it work then I noted the 2 jaws were held in my pressed in studs. If I can press a studs out and put the jaws into the bearing one at a time it may just work. Well it did and this is how.

I did not take pics as I did the job, but these were taken as an example of how to

Do not pack grease, bread, or paper towels behind the bearing and driving a socket into the material. There is a freeze plug behind the bearing and it will fall into the oil pan


The Jaws are just too big to go through the bearing



With a small punch and hammer, I hit the stud once hard and it started to slide right out



Put the loose puller arm through the bearing, then with some finessing push the other through. With both arms in the bearing line up the holes and push the stud through using pliers





Now thread the BF_Slide_H into the back of the puller and give it hell. I had to give it 10 hard blast then it popped right out. Then clean and inspect the hole and freeze plug behind the bearing.

End result


Now put the tool back together, and return to Autozone and get you deposit back

I once had a problem trying to remove a pilot bushing from a stock KA24DE. The bushing had worn SO much that there was NOTHING for a jaw-type puller to grab onto. The solution? Get a tap with about the same diameter as the inside diameter of the hole. Cut threads out on the inside of the pilot bearing. Then get a large bolt that fits the cut threads, and place some washers betweem the flywheel and bottom of the bolt. Make sure the inside diameter of the washers (except the one on the top) is larger than the outside diameter of the bushing. Cranking down on the bolt will pull the bushing out more easily than you can imagine.

All of this pilot bushing trouble just makes me wonder about one thing. Specifically, why can't more automakers use a ball bearing style pilot bearing pressed into the flywheel rather than the crank (like Honda does)?

I did the EXACT same thing to an RB years ago...

StormyMatt wrote:I once had a problem trying to remove a pilot bushing from a stock KA24DE. The bushing had worn SO much that there was NOTHING for a jaw-type puller to grab onto. The solution? Get a tap with about the same diameter as the inside diameter of the hole. Cut threads out on the inside of the pilot bearing. Then get a large bolt that fits the cut threads, and place some washers betweem the flywheel and bottom of the bolt. Make sure the inside diameter of the washers (except the one on the top) is larger than the outside diameter of the bushing. Cranking down on the bolt will pull the bushing out more easily than you can imagine.

All of this pilot bushing trouble just makes me wonder about one thing. Specifically, why can't more automakers use a ball bearing style pilot bearing pressed into the flywheel rather than the crank (like Honda does)?

This is all fine and dandy but this is a ls motor, there is a freeze plug at the back of the crank so that method does not work.

Well you can tap the bushing and pull the bolt out with a puller. Rather then using the bolt/washer/leverage combo, you just use the bolt as the source for the slide hammer to pull on.

WD

OutToWinPAHC wrote:This is all fine and dandy but this is a ls motor, there is a freeze plug at the back of the crank so that method does not work.

The method I outlined would work for an LSx as well. If you use the washers, no force is being exerted on the freeze plug.