Has anyone ever replaced a pilot bearing in the back of the crankshaft? Is there a special tool to get it out and to put the new one in? Also is there an easy way to get the cylinder head locating dowels out of the block?

 

use a block of wood to put the pilot bearing in -- or a socket thats the same size


not sure on the dowels, but curiosity makes me wonder why?>

 

For the pilot bearing just put a srtong screwdriver into the hole and move it evenly around in the hole while using a hammer hit the screwdriver to kinda press it out if that makes sence. real easy no real special tools are needed

 

I tried filling the bearing's hole with grease and then pounding an extension of the exact right size through the bearing's hole... it didn't work. Get a puller or do the screwdriver thing.

 

I had a bitch of time yesterday getting mine out. I ended up breaking out the center race and removing all the bearings then dremeling the outer race till it came out.

The grease method didnt work for me since mine was SHOT.. the grease popped the rubber seal off the front of it so the grease just moved around the bearings.. no hydraulic actioin there.

just use a socket and hammer to get the new one in. Same with the throwout bearing (do the pilot, should do the throwout bearing also called the release bearing).. its suppost to be a liftetime part but mine was shot.

 

The grease thing worked for me, but it took a lot of grease. I had a bolt that was JUST small enough to fit inside the pilot bearing. I hacked off the threads, cleaned it up with a grinder, packed the hole with grease and used a hammer. Took about 20-30 mins.

 

I had the block decked and the machine shope to them out and didn't put them back long story. I'm trying to remove them from another block I have without damage. I don't quite understand the screwdriver method but i'll try
it and see what happens.
thanks for all the help.

 

I had great luck with the grease and bolt method (bell housing bolt was just the right size). It took me about 15 minutes from start to new bearing installed.

 

There is a special pilot bearing removal tool that fits on a slide hammer. You can rent them from Auto Zone and the like. Unfortunately, the tool is too large for our bearings, so just use one side of the tool and slide hammer it out as even as possible. It's super easy. Use a socket to install a new one.

 

i did this in the exact reverse order. the grease worked like magic

 

If you go to Advance you can rent the actual pilot bearing puller. It makes life much easier. It has 2 small jaws that spread out inside the bearing then you just tighten down on it and out it comes. It was like $30 and they refund the entire amount when you bring it back or you can go ahead and keep it (which is what I did since I've needed one a few times and wasted a lot of time with screwdrivers and grease and bolts and such ).

EDIT: Here's the one I got: