how to easily remove the pilot bearing!

[williamb82]

well, this weekend while talking to wes while we were putting my 7mgte into my storage unit he mentioned how hard it was to remove the pilot bearing in his engine. well, i havea trick that works every time and is very easy and no mess. this is for 5m, 6m, and 7m engines using w58 or r154. pilot bearing has the same size hole for both of these transmissions.

step 1: get a couple paper towels and a cup of water and a stock headbolt or an aftermarket bolt the same size. i have several stock headbolts and they fit in the pilot hole perfect. a flat head screwdriver and a hammer!

step 2. tear off pieces of paper towel about 1.5in square.

step 3. dip the pieces 1 at a time in the cup of water and then stick them in the pilot hole. repeat till you cant force any more in there.

step 4. take the headbolt and put it in the hole and tap wit hthe hammer easily till it touches the crank inside. then remove it.

step 5. repeat step 3 and 4 until it is packed so tight that you have to hit the bolt wit hthe hammer hard for it to push the bolt in. at this point you will notice the bearing starting to push out. each time the bolt bottoms out remove it and pack more wet paper towels in the hole untill the pilot bearing pops all the way out.

step 6. use a flat head screwdriver to remove the large chunck of wet paper towels and your done. just a lil water to wipe off. no greasey mess like the haynes ends up causing you.

if i get a chance ill try to make a vid showing it in action. shouldnt take more then like 2-3 min tops. mods might want to sticky this.

[BillyM]

I pump bearing grease in there, then slap a headbolt in the middle, a little hammer-tappy love, and it spits right out.

--billyM

[rabidchimp.com]

a 3/8 extension works well. I need to get a real puller for the job. When doing a 3vze engine swap in a customer's truck (using a friend's shop), local parts store had no pullers that worked, so I used a candle...melted that, tapped the extension in there..and voila. WAX THAT ASS!
-Aaron

[williamb82]

I pump bearing grease in there, then slap a headbolt in the middle, a little hammer-tappy love, and it spits right out.

--billyM

gease has never worked for me, it usually spits out through the bearing, but even the times it does work you have a ton of grease to clean up. dont want any greas getting on the flywheel or clutch. lol.

[vfinch]

I've used the grease trick before and it worked well. Will's right though, it's a PITA to clean up. I'll try the towels next time, thanks!

[SilverMk2]

Easiest way is with a slide hammer with a small bolt on the end. Stick the bolt head thru the bearing and hook the head of the bolt on the bearing. A couple of taps on each side and it falls out.

[williamb82]

yeah, but the average joe schmoe doesnt always have access to a slide hammer, or even the pilot removal tool etc... for me this always works and is easy. only real "tool" is the hammer and bolt i use. lol

[TorqueMasterJay]

I usually use the grease trick. I didnt have grease the last time...but I had a caulk gun with clear silicone...so I pumped it full and used a punch that fit and popped it right out. It all works on the same principle...Hydraulics.

[pdupler]

Wax or wadded paper is a neat trick, but I bought the Toyota Special Service tool after a real stubborn one wouldn't succumb to any of those tricks. Worked slick as butter, but yea, I think it cost about $60.

[SylQuebec]

Removing the pilot bearing for me was the biggest pita i ever have in mechanics!!! Next time , i will use this idea!!