HELP!  Well I have the transmission in the shop for an overhaul, the clutch is on order from summit, so now I have to take out the flywheel and pilot bushing.  Any suggestions?  The flywheel is not the problem, that bushings is what is giving me grief.  I plan on replacing it with a new bushing that has roller bearins in it, but I still have to get the old one out.  Thanks,

JR

Try to borrow/rent a bushing removal tool from one of your local parts houses(AutoZone-Pep-Girls, ect.) Packing it with grease and forcing it out with an old shaft doesn't work most of the time. Another alternative is to cut a slot down one side of it with a Dremmel/die-grinder tool, and then pull it out.

I would not recommend using pilot bearings. There is very little improvement in perfomance and there is hardly any part in your car less likely to fail than a slug of metal with a hole in it -- the pilot bushing. I replaced my bushing with a bearing and then apparently ruined the bearing when installing the tranny. I apparently did not have the tranny lined up properly and pushed out the center of the bearing. Only symptom was the tranny would slip out of 4th gear when decelerating. Had to pull the tranny, pull out the damaged bearing and replaced it with a bushing.

I agree with AA, I tried the grease routine with mine and it did not work. I used a Dremmel to cut a slot then was able to pull it out.

Don't know but can recommend The Exorcist...

I tried the grease thing, didn't work, I am probably doing it wrong.  The local parts store has a puller, rent no charge for the 1st 24 hours.  If not, I will use my dremmel tool.  Thanks for the advice on the bearing JLiebe, if you are taking the tranny out a lot, like a race car, this would be ok, since you have a lot of opportunities to inspect and replace.  I do not plan to see mine again for a long time.

JR

I kinda agree about the bearing style pilots. They can destruct quickly if not installed properly, and, they are much harder on the input shaft of the trans than a regular bronze bushing. Bronze bushings, on the whole, will last a lot longer than a bearing, in this location, with less wear on the input shaft.

What you can do is get a bar of soap and force the shavings into the hole. When you keep tamping in the shavings and you have enough soap in there it will force out the pilot bushing. It worked for me on my truck

I'am old school,I always use a bushing not a bearing, as far as the grease thing, it always works for me, remember that you have to pack the grease solid inside the bushing,including the space behind the bushing in the crank I use an old input shaft out of and old trans to drive it out, if it stops coming out then pack in more grease till it comes all the way out