HELP! The pilot bearing from hell, & it's got my number!

Can anybody suggest a solution?

I can't get my pilot bearing out.
Actually, the pilot bearing race. The bearings and cage were toast and are on the floor.

I have tried:

-The cool dual "hook" opening slide hammer puller thing. No avail, not enough space behind the race to get a grip, it pulls on the small lip at the front of the race, but that has now been removed.

-Chiseling the race apart so I can prise it out. OK at the edge, but not enough room to get a good angle on the race.

-Grinding a section away, so that I can prise it out. It's hardened and my carbide spiral bit in my pneumatic grinder is like a old guy with dentures trying to shred raw meat. Grind for 5 minutes, search for polished spot. No fun.

-Heat. I tried heating the surrounding 'meat', (the end of the eccentric shaft), but I was conservative as there is an important seal right back there, and I don't need to oil my clutch ....not that I will EVER get my clutch back on!

So far I've been at it for many hours, three shirts, many Cokes, a missed test day (grrrr) and am starting to get to the end of my rope.

I have a race coming up this Friday, so if this thing isn't out soon, it will be time to drag my old backup street version, (from my private JY!) in and pull the motor.

I hate to do that, but this thing has welded itself in the eccentric shaft, and the only way of getting it out that I can think of is putting it on a mill. Can I do that with it in the engine? http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/rolleyes.gif

Thanks for any response or ideas.......

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by lateapex911 (edited August 05, 2003).]

Get more chisels.
Buddy Hendricks and I had to chisel mine out of my 12a at Moroso recently. I had the same problem with the angle, but another racer came to my rescue with some smaller chisels. Using them and some good old screwdrivers did the trick.
****************************************
Rodney Williamson
#93 IT7
www.titaniummotorsports.com
Buddys' website:
www.floridaperformance.com

Put the heat right to the race, not to the surrounding material. By heating the inner part (which is sacraficial at this point) it will try to expand, can't because its inside something bigger & stronger then when it cools it shrinks. Worked on my pick up.

Step two - 1 bar of ivory soap or a glob of grease (soap makes less mess), 1 round thing that will only slip fit inside the race. Fill (full full) the hole inside the pilot, stuff the round thing in the hole, smack it with a hammer. The soap/grease will get behind the race and when pressurized by the shaft trying to get in there too, out pops your race. Only works if the bearing is down a blind hole and the driver is a tight fit to the inside of the race/bearing. Worked on my Nissan. Tough to describe, easy to do.

Jake,
Here's an idea. Go to a hardware store.look or an anchoring bolt that expands on one end as the nut on the other end is tightened.fit the expandable end into the bearing,Tighten the nut till it has grabbed the bearing. then try vicegrips,or a lever,maybe a puller to work it out.
Good luck,B

Thankyou to all who suggested some great ideas. Whooohooo...the bastard is out!

Rodney wins the prize for the closest suggestion to the actual technique that wsa successful, and receives my undying gratitude. (Hey....at least it's not taxable!)

I ground my chisel to a better shape, again and again, as it would dull and round after 20 hits or so. Eventually I forged a path through the race, but it still wouldn't budge. I couldn't get anything between the race and the shaft to pry and twist the race, so i got my welder, and welded two "knobs" onto the race. Then I went to town on those, but hit them at a diagonal so as to impart a twist and lift the race. Viola! A minute later, I have the beginings of a trophy I should make myself...the twisted mangled race.

I like the idea of the soap! Unfortunately the ID of my race was too mangled for that to be effective. And the heating trick sounded cool, but my little propane (I know, I know, buy a real torch.. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/rolleyes.gif ) couldn't put enough heat into the race and it just sunk through the E shaft. And the hardware store wasn't open at 2AM to try Brians idea.

Up until know, I thought I was a fair mechanic...but now I see I am just a grasshopper! (or something like that...it's late, I'm outa here.

Thanks again guys! http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

Jake,

Int he future I recommend getting a hold of the proper Mazda Pilot bearing tool. You can "rent" it from Rotary Performance in Texas, or just buy it. The first time you use it you'll find out why it is well worth the expense.



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Paul D'Angelo
73 ITS CENDIV
Indy Region
www.iridiumracing.com

Jake,

I just went through this not long ago on my 85 GSL-SE. I borrowed an inside puller (MAC, Snap-On?) from Jesse Prather here, and after I figured out how to get it on the tricky inner race (the back lip, it was a challenge), it worked great. I thought about the grease idea, but with my luck I would splatter it everywhere, and heat didn't work because my propane torch doesen't work well either. The eccentric shaft is too good of a heat sink.
Mike D.

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Better to have been a racer for a moment than a spectator for a lifetime.

Jake:
I ran into the same problem during an engine change at Road Atlanta. I tore up half the tools in my tool box trying to get the outer race out of the shaft.
When I got home I went to my local Mazda dealer and had them get me the slide hammer with puller and the installation tool. I consider this a must have tool. Now I can change a pilot shaft bearing in about 5 minutes.

we tried the 'special' puller, but could not get it to 'hold' on the outer lip.
****************************************
Rodney Williamson
#93 IT7

Jake, the bearing is from hell. Normally normal people say that the engineers should do one more design like that & drop dead or some such thing. I ruined a set of perefectly good/brand new Snap-on puller jaws. The friken tool even had an adjustment to keep the jaws spread. Worked for $hit. The air grinder did the job to slit the outer race & out it came.

Have Fun http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
David

I've divotted many a chisel trying to get them out. Seen the soap or ,get this!, BREAD idea work on other stuff but the rotary bearing it way too tight for that method to work IMO. We go to Autozone and get their puller which they loan for free. The jaws are too big to fit in the whole so we grind a bit off the corners till it fits. Had one that the teeth on the jaws were a bit rounded and it wouldn't bite. Ten minutes with a file cured that. Never been let down and never invested a dime.

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Chris Ludwig
08 ITS RX7 CenDiv

Whew...you guys are making me feel better! Ray lee Chee, (Moto62) just called and concurred...it sucks!

The puller would not work for me, even though I was able to have it get a good purchase (without pressing outward), but after 15 minutes of slamming with all my force, no progress. Got a blister from that....

It was one of those decisions that was a "While I'm here" deal. In the future, it's getting synthetic grease, and it's not coming out until it fails!

Unless.....I bet getting the thing super cold might just shrink it. Maybe a shaft of dry ice?? Or, what's that stuff you spray from a can that freezes on contact?? Hmmmm...

Thanks again guys...


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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by lateapex911 (edited August 06, 2003).]

Now that you mention it I have heard someone say something about dry ice.


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Chris Ludwig
08 ITS RX7 CenDiv

Well, benracin and I just went through this and all's We used was a tool rented from a parts store. It is a pilot bearing puller, but not on a slide hammer. It has the same end as the puller adapter except instead of the slide hammer being used, there is a threaded shaft and a u-shaped bar that actually pulls slow and evenly and the pilot bearing came right out.

Just like butta!

That is a fantastic bearing exchange John & Ben. It would sound as tho things are changing to the positive side. (It's about time) Where is the sensitive spot on the car that you guys massaged?

Have Fun http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
David

Quote:

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Originally posted by ddewhurst:
That is a fantastic bearing exchange John & Ben. It would sound as tho things are changing to the positive side. (It's about time) Where is the sensitive spot on the car that you guys massaged?

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Don't believe it. As Ben knows very well it's evil nature is just luring them into complacency - then the big one comes. Stay prepared!

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Marty Doane
ITS RX7 #13
CenDiv WMR

Well I stopped sitting in it and making car noises, maybe that did the trick. We also parked it in the garage with the front towards the other end, that's probably it.

But ya, pilot bearing came right out. Might just be Johns skillz. Or maybe we just did something wrong and the whole car is going to burst into giant flames as soon as I pull it off the trailer. We will see!

So I don't suppose you got a chance to use that new clutch Jake? I went with the ACT 4 puck.

OK, the jury is back.

The 4 pucker is okey dokey.

A touch more abrupt on engagement, but nothing too bad. Engages lower, and requires a better touch on the downshift, (which I better develop!)but is crisp on the upshift.

I think you'll be pleased.

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]