[DeTomaso] Stubborn Pilot Bushing

Julian Kift julian_kift at hotmail.com
Fri Jan 27 11:01:22 EST 2017


To reiterate Chuck's experience, when I purchased the GT5 my first task was to help Jim reinstall a freshly rebuilt ZF by DQ. The next day I jumped in and made the 12 hour drive from Phoenix to Reno.

The ZF was not shifting that well for a freshly  rebuilt unit so I spoke with DQ, pulled it and he took it back again to re-inspect. Nothing found and no change upon reinstall, so at the next Fun Rally Dennis dove the car a couple laps around Spring Mountain, agreed it was shifting poorly and asked what I had for a pilot bushing, which was Oilite. He said I'm going to send you a needle bearing, so to cut a long story short after a further removal of said ZF and install of the needle bearing I had a perfect shifting ZF. I'm sold on the solution and only use a needle bearing now, I have heard stories of varying quality bronze/Oilite bushings.

Julian

> On Jan 27, 2017, at 8:01 AM, "cengles at cox.net" <cengles at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> Dear Mike,
> 
> 
>            As it happens, I am in the final chapters of my latest engine project.  Your comments reminded me of my earlier challenging problem removing the same needle bearing pilot bushing.   I had not had that problem with the conventional bronze pilot bushings in the past.
> 
>            I called Dennis Quella yesterday.  PPC sells the needle bearing pilot bushing.  Dennis spoke with me and he was very impressed with the benefits of them over the normal bushing.   He said that over his years of Pantera/ZF experience, he had seen bad wear patterns on the normal bushings (ovoid, wallowed out etc) that then began to translate into  problems with the ZF input shaft.   He praised the absence of those problems in Panteras that he has serviced for clutch change, etc, where he is able to inspect the pilot bushing.  He said that whereas the standard practice is to change the inexpensive ( in the past...) pilot bushing whenever it was accessible for other service,  he now simply inspects the needle bearing pilot bushing and applies a bit of fresh grease and does *not* change them out.
> 
>           Now, after the conversation, I realize, too late, that I didn't ask about *how* to remove the stubborn things.
> 
>           If Dennis is right, and I expect that he is, then the frustrating exercise that I endured and you are suffering may not be necessary.
> 
>           I decided that I will use the PPC needle bearing pilot bushing on the new engine and expect that it will last a good long time.
> 
>           FWIW.
> 
> 
>                            Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 10:29 PM, B. SEIB wrote:
>> 
>> I wish I lived near you Mike. (for a lot of reasons 8>)
>> It wouldn't take long with a cheap little portable mig welder. I'm not an
>> expert welder either, but this isn't hard to do.
>> Maybe a club member near by could help?
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Mike Thomas [mailto:mbefthomas at comcast.net] Sent: January-26-17 7:24 PM
>> To: 'B. SEIB'
>> Subject: RE: [DeTomaso] Stubborn Pilot Bushing
>> 
>> I don't have a welder or any experience with one.
>> Thanks
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: B. SEIB [mailto:oldwheel at shaw.ca] Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 12:51 PM
>> To: mbefthomas at comcast.net; detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
>> Subject: [DeTomaso] Stubborn Pilot Bushing
>> 
>> Mike
>> I assume it is the hardened outer race that is left in the end of the crank.
>> If that is the case, an old trick for removing blind end bearings like that
>> is to put a little arc weld on several places around the inside of the race
>> without welding it to the crank. This is actually easier to do than it
>> sounds.
>> The weld expands the race when it heats up and it contracts with the weld so
>> that it will be quite easy to remove after cooling. I've used this method
>> for removing steering head bearing races in motorcycles in the past.
>> 
>> PS Make sure you isolate or remove your electronic ignition before you weld.
>> 
>> Good luck!
>> Barry
>> ____________________________________________________________________________
>> __
>> Mike Thomas mbefthomas at comcast.net
>> Wed Jan 25 21:30:09 EST 2017
>> 
>> OK, guys, I need some suggestions from the collective.
>> 
>> I'm getting ready to put a new clutch into 6328, and am doing the usual due
>> diligence by replacing the pilot bushing.  The one trying to remove is a
>> needle-bearing type.  I had to drive it in bit when I put it in about 6
>> years ago.  I am now at the point where I've trashed one bearing puller,
>> completely pulled the guts out of the bearing part of the bushing except for
>> the race  and the steel surrounding it.  Trying a second puller and it's not
>> working.  There is only a round edge of the inner lip of the bearing race
>> left.  When I removed this ones' predecessor, I used the
>> fill-it-with-grease-and-beat-the-crap-(and grease) out-of-it-with-a-socket
>> method, and it finally worked.  Made me nervous beating on the end of the
>> crank that way for 20 minutes.  As it is now, just the race is left of the
>> bearing in the center, with lips (or what's left of them) fore and aft, so
>> there is not a clean shaft to put a socket or other in to try the grease
>> thing again.  I'm beginning to think I need to file the outer lip off of the
>> remains of the race and tap it for a bolt, then get a slide hammer and start
>> working on it, or . . .?  I'm likely need to try to remove the inner race to
>> do the tap as that's likely all I'll pull out by tapping it.
>> 
>> Any and all suggestions are welcome.  Engine is still in the car.  I'm
>> drizzling penetrating oil on the steel insert part of the bearing twice
>> daily in hopes I can still get enough pull with puller #2.
>> 
>> Thanks . . .
>> Mike Thomas
>> Pres., Panteras Northwest
>> Yellow '74 #6328
>> 
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>> 
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