pilot bushing question again

[Kevin Johnson]

I'm waiting on Paul's response. The national part mentioned above is apparently still available through Summit.

The parts I have here are seriously magnetic. I can rub of the black dirt in the pilot bushing but I assume that things were sticking together causing the wine and other things.

Have you checked to see if the input shaft is magnetized? You would need to disassemble the trans and get the parts cleaned and degaussed,

[Belgian1979]

I'm waiting on Paul's response. The national part mentioned above is apparently still available through Summit.

The parts I have here are seriously magnetic. I can rub of the black dirt in the pilot bushing but I assume that things were sticking together causing the wine and other things.

Have you checked to see if the input shaft is magnetized? You would need to disassemble the trans and get the parts cleaned and degaussed,

Kevin, it's a steel shaft so a magnet will certainly stick to it. I'm not planning on taking the trans apart.

[Kevin Johnson]

No, take a steel paperclip that you know not to be magnetized. To do this, start with a pair of them and progressively exclude one or the other till you arrive at a mutually non-attracted pair.

Use that paper clip to make your very own dowsing rod and see if it swings to the shaft.

[modok]

Did you clean the crank with the bushing in it,.....and clean all the oil out of it?
That's really the only reason they are sold separate.

[gmrocket]

isnt there a pilot bearing available for your application?

[Belgian1979]

Did you clean the crank with the bushing in it,.....and clean all the oil out of it?
That's really the only reason they are sold separate.

Good question, but this crank came out of my first engine. It was lightly polished and I cleaned myself (not in a cabinet or under high pressure) prior to assembly.

[Belgian1979]

isnt there a pilot bearing available for your application?

Yes, but I want to avoid a bearing and prefer a bushing as it has less tendency to eat the input shaft when something goes wrong.

[gmrocket]

isnt there a pilot bearing available for your application?

Yes, but I want to avoid a bearing and prefer a bushing as it has less tendency to eat the input shaft when something goes wrong.

Oh ok, I thought the opposite was usually the case?

[jsgarage]

FWIW, Oilite bronze alloy is made in three grades: SAE 841 is 87-90% copper. Super-Oilite is 18-22% copper with the balance being iron, and Super-Oilite 16 has 1% graphite added. Both the last two are magnetic due to the cheap, adulterating iron and will score up an input shaft nose if run dry. Even soaking them in oil before use doesn't increase the tiny lube volume.

I use Lockwood's Oilite 841-90% bronze pilot bushings. They are made for a SBC but if you own a small lathe, a simple press-fit aluminum ring adapter allows them to fit almost any crank recess. McMasters-Carr has the bar stock. Sure, they wear out- they are disposable like windshield wiper blades or incandescent bulbs.

[Belgian1979]

I'm unsure but I think the bushing in there right now doesn't really lube well by the judge of its looks. I can image it starting to make noise.
The release bearing when turning by hand seems totally fine as is the clutch. Already ordered another one but I guess it's good insurance.

I did check for bellhousing alignment prior to mounting it and the trans, but the pilot still has a slight ridge from the 3 through 6 and 9 o'clock positions. So for certainty's sake I will check it again.

I measured the input shaft with a micrometer and it turns out to be 0.588' so that seems fine.

Kevin was so kind to help me out with the oilite bushings so hopefully these will hold up in use.

[Belgian1979]

Guys

A question to this as I have the parts coming in to correct this :
I use a Lakewood scatter shield that at the time was dialed in to the crank. Right now I have a ridge in the bushing which extends from roughly the 3 to 9 o'clock position. Would this be indicative of an incorrect alignment or is this caused by the clutch hanging on the axle and pressing the pilot tip of the input axle into the pilot bearing ?

[enginenut2]

The wear ridge being off center tells us the bushing center is not the center of rotation (crankshaft). Is the bearing bore alone offset or is the crankshaft bore offset? If the trans shaft were misaligned the wear ridge would be 360 degrees in the bearing. I agree that a bushing is more durable than a rolling element bearing and I would grease it at assembly with a stiff grease. As previously stated, the crankshaft and trans shaft only rotate at a different speed when the clutch is disengaged so NO movement in the bearing most of the time and no noise. When mechanical clutches were common I have serviced some and found the pilot bearing not installed or failed if of the ball type. Usually there was no indication of the inadequacy- sometimes the clutch engagement had been rough (chatter) but such is the way of an old clutch. Anyone who has worked with early Ford with enclosed driveshaft can tell you how many thought to be clutch troubles are not clutch faults.

[Belgian1979]

Any harm in letting the pilot bushing stick out a little to compensate for a block plate ?

[Sparksalot]

Just read your thread and noted the wear pattern described. The main suspect for such a pattern is the bore of the pilot bushing is off-center to the crankshaft center of rotation. This could be caused by the crank's pilot bore being off-center or the ID of the pilot bushing is off-center to the OD of the pilot bushing.

I've seen the pilot bore of a crank off-center only rarely but it does happen. Have never seen a off-center bushing but who knows?

Perhaps the bushing was installed crooked. It happens.

It's easy to measure to determine what condition you have. It's almost certain one or more of them are present in your situation. Check the run out of the pilot bore of the crankshaft first.

[Belgian1979]

It was in the bellhousing apparently. Must have done something wrong when I initially aligned it.