I am trying to install my spec stage 2. I just finished putting the headers on and now I am ready to start reassembling. I cannot get the old pilot bearing out. How did you guys do it?
You need a special tool to do it. It's a slide hammer with two fingers on the end that go behind the bearing. I don't know if you can rent one somewhere but that's what is used.
This is how I got the one out on my friend’s cj 5. Cram the hole with thick grease (wheel bearing grease should do the trick.) Then use a punch that is as close as possible to the id of the pilot bearing (I ended up just turning one down on a lathe so it had just a few thousands clearance.) Give it a whack or two with a hammer. The idea behind this is it forces the grease in the hole, which has nowhere to go so it presses the pilot bearing out with hydraulic pressure. This is a trick that my dad taught me, and it actually worked quite well for me.
Yellow2kgt has it right on the money...Thats how I have always done mine...The trick is finding a punch a metal rod that is close enough in diameter to create a hyrdaulic situation....In the old days when I had access to a lathe I just turned on up...It works really well for an old school method...
Yellow2kgt has it right on the money...Thats how I have always done mine...The trick is finding a punch a metal rod that is close enough in diameter to create a hyrdaulic situation....In the old days when I had access to a lathe I just turned on up...It works really well for an old school method...
When I changed mine out a couple of years ago, NOTHING would get it out. I tried two slide hammers AND the grease method. I finally had to take a dremel and cut a notch in the outer lip of the pilot bearing. I took a screwdriver and hammer and tapped the notch till it started coming out, then yanked it on out with the slide hammer.