After breaking a pilot bearing removal tool from Kragen and snapping the teeth off of 2 slide hammer jaws I thought I would post this for those who want to avoid the frustrations I encountered.

The only two tools required to remove and replace your pilot bearing correctly can be found at Autozone. I'm sure the tools can be found elsewhere but for the purposes of this writeup and for static effect I am going to use Autozone.

Tool #1
Part #27128 Blind Hole Puller Set (This tool allows for the easy removal of pilot bearings without having to cut or chisel it out.)

Tool #2
Part #27119 Bearing and Race Installer Kit (This tool allows for the easy installation of your new pilot bearing without marring up the face of it.)

Extras: Be sure to get some good penetrating oil and spray the bearing. It will make the job much easier. If you aren't pressed for time I'd say let it sit a good day or so then get to work with the blind hole puller.

 

This is what I used-worked like a charm!

 

Good stuff!!!

 

damn i wish i would have seen this before i started chizeling it out. lol

 

[QUOTE=Halloran;9861236].

The only two tools required to remove and replace your pilot bearing correctly can be found at Autozone. I'm sure the tools can be found elsewhere but for the purposes of this writeup and for static effect I am going to use Autozone.

Tool #1
Part #27128 Blind Hole Puller Set (This tool allows for the easy removal of pilot bearings without having to cut or chisel it out.)


Worked for me too. I put the new bearing in the freezer for an hour before install. Made it slide in easier.

 

here's a picture of what i used. I dont remember the part numbers but they're from autozone....Took me about 4 slides of the hammer and the bearing came out



and attached to the slide hammer

 

The blind hole puller is different than the slide hammer. The blind hole puller kit comes with different adapters and each adapter has 4 jaws with ridges that expand out in circular fashion which makes a very tight and almost perfect fit behind the pilot bearing. Like I stated before, I used a slide hammer and broke the teeth right off trying to get my pilot out. Most slide hammer flanges are too short to get behind the pilot bearing and are cumbersome in the least to get to fit tight while you're trying to slam the thing out.

Here is the blind hole puller kit:

 

Or you can pack the bearing with grease, then use an object just smaller than the size of the hole. Then drive it with a hammer and the bearing should come out. its the hydraulic method.

 

Oh no you can't. Our cranks are gun drilled and there is just a press fit cap behind the pilot bearing. If you try this method you will pop that cap and engine oil will leak out all over your clutch. This method DOES NOT work on these cars.

 

DO NOT use the grease method

 

yeah i think that the grease method is what caused my oil galley plug to get jarred sideways in the first place. now about three clutches later, i will check that damn plug every time i have the tranny down.

btw, the tool for removing it that i got from advanced did not work for ****.

 

For install all I used was a rubber mallet and a socket back side over the pilot bearing. Went in quite well with a few "dings" on the surface but otherwise fine. 40k miles and 2 years+ so I think socket + hammer install is fine.

Blind hole puller looks like a great tool. I dremeled mine out took many a magnet bath to get the shavings out...

 

yeah it does look pretty good. the one that i used from advanced was aluminum and bent before it would even budge the bearing out. so at that time i had gotten fed up with it and just chizeled it out.

 

Interesting... autozone by me did not have that in stock... i've got the pilot bearing attachment, but their regular "slide hammer" will not work with the pilot bearing attachment, threads too big. I'll have to shop around and buy the blind hole puller also.

 

I just removed mine, rented a blind hole puller/slide hammer from O'Reilly's for 55.00, the only issue is it only came with one puller (one size fits all), it was alittle too large & i needed to tap the edge off where the bearing seats in its houseing, then the claws wrapped around & with a few slides of the hammer, it was out, now on mine, the inner bearing was gone (disignagrated) after 160K miles, all that was left was the outer houseing it rides in, so if any decide to try O'Reilly"s for this tool, you may only get one puller & the slide hammer, unless they still get there stuff from KD tools, then you may have about 4 pullers with different sizes, because with the bearing in there, its too small to get this puller through, i got lucky i guess not having the bearing there, IMO, even IF you could use the "grease" method, i don't think it would work on these bearings anyways, they are in there pretty tight & need to travel a good 3/4" to come out, not like on the older cars where they weren't in there that hard or deep.

 

FYI, double check that pilot tool again, the one i used had another set of smaller threads deep inside it, i too thought the threads where too big untill i looked in & seen there where more smaller threads inside.

 

Ahh Hah, I'll have to check when I get home... but I don't plan on pulling the transmission for a little while at least

 

I Purchased A Blind Hole Puller From Harbor Frght Tools For About 50bucks I Think.i Will Find Out Soon How Well It Works As My 2nd & Last Ram Hd Is Toast After 4k.will Be Installing A Cartek!

 

I used the exact autozone thing Ceissus used. The arms wouldnt fit the way it was though And I had to grind the arm and "fingers" down some with an air grinder.

 

I broke this puller two weeks ago doing a clutch in a f150. I knew there had to be a better way just wasn't sure what.