Piranha

Hey guys... well, it's not that I'm mechanically inept, I've done quite a few engine installs, trans removals/installs, rewired things, installed and tuned my Microtech... but this thing is kicking my ***.

My pilot bearing was bad, so I bought the Mazdatrix puller to pull it. Instead of really figuring out the correct way to use it, I ended up putting it in and ripping out the inner race/bearing. I thought I was using common sense, since this tool was supposedly perfect for our cars, I would put it in, tighten it, and pull the bearing.. However, if you've used the tool, you know you have to first insert the puller part, then push the rod in to spread it, then push futher HARD to get it to hit the threads. While this didn't make sense to me I ended up screwing it up in the end.

So I've done searches, and seen people have cut it, or used heat and chisels, or both. I've tried all of that. I used a bit on my dremel to grind part of it away, it was a spinning carbide bit. This did nothing, and trying to chisel an area away from where I cut didn't help, infact, for some reason it is harder. I've tried using a screwdriver and a 3 lb hammer to chisel (small screwdriver). I've tried hitting it in other areas, and it peels back and then just flakes away.

I've spent a good 5 hours underneath doing these things. Right now I'm on my spring break.. I have another car, but it would be nice to get this thing back together.

I'm considering having it towed to a shop with the trans out to have them remove it.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any good ideas/methods to get the pilot bearing outer race out.

Thanks...

meddle

Keep going at it with the puller. I had problems getting my pilot out and didn't have access to a puller at the time. I grinded/chisled my *** of for yours trying to get it out and got out the iner race as well. Then a puller arrived and I was able to remove it with a puller after a couple tries.

Piranha

Hey.. I tried 2 different pullers... you feel it kind of grab, and then slip. The outerrace is all the way in, you can see a very small hair's breadth of where the lip is for it. I mean, I have the mazdatrix puller AND one that fit perfect on my last engine that is a 2 jaw.

I mean, I've tried a good dozen times with the puller, and it just keeps slipping before I even get a chance to expand the jaws now.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I had the samething happen. I didn't expand the jaws hard enough against the shaft and pulled the inner parts out. I put the jaws behind the outer race and tightened them down as tight as I could. The second try the race came out.

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

If you have a good carbide bit, grind 2 slots 180 degrees apart, try not to get into the e-shaft. With the 2 slots you should weaken the race enough to be able to pry the 2 halves out.

Piranha

Hey Trochoid, my buddy was mentioning doing something like that as well.. that was our current plan. I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow. Thanks!

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

I've never had the pleasure of using a puller. When I put a new clutch in this summer, all that was left of the bearing was the outer race. (I finally figured out what that noise was that I was hearing a couple of years ago.)

Just be careful of the e-shaft and you will get it.

rx7whore

we sanded mine down until it was almost nonthing, then chisled the rest out, good luck. getting the outer race is a bitch

buttsjim

I don't know if I can explain this method clearly but here's how I once got just the outer race out:

Grind enough of the head off about a 4" bolt, so that the head will fit in the space behind the pilot bearing (the bolt must be long enough to protruce from the eccentric shaft).

Find a washer with a diameter that is larger than the inside diameter of the outer race, and slightly larger than the inside diameter of the eccentric shaft. Grind it to an elliptical shape so that the minor diameter of the ellipse is smaller than the inside diameter of the outer race, and the major diameter is very slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the eccentric shaft. When you put the washer on the bolt, you want it to lay back on the bolt at about a 45* angle--when it does so, the washer's profile will be smaller than the inside diameter of your pilot bearing. You may have to increase the inner diameter of the washer to get it to lay back properly.

Put the washer on the bolt, and lean it back at the 45* angle so that you can insert it into the bearing. Use a pick to push it through the bearing until the top and bottom edges of the washer have cleared the inside edge of of the bearing. Now, when you pull the bolt back toward you, the bottom edge of the washer will catch the bearing, and the washer will pull up straight until the top edge catches.

You now have a grip on the inside edges of the bearing. Just put a big washer on the protruding end of the bolt, add a nut. When you tighten the nut, it will pull the bolt and bearing out with it. I use a large socket between the nut and the shaft, so that I can pull the bearing completely out of the shaft and into the socket.

I wish I had a digital camera. One picture would explain this much more clearly than I can. But think through what I'm saying. It takes about 5 minutes to make this puller, it costs almost nothing, and it works. Maybe I should patent it.

Wankel7

Your nightmare was my dream....

The slidehammer was the key...

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ighlight=pilot

Piranha

Also, the outer race is pretty much as far back as it can go. My plan is to grind it down, like sanding it..

I did the 180 degree cuts, they didn't do anything, it sits in there laughing at me still.

Piranha

I got it out today. I just went back and forth with my carbide grinding bit on one half. I ate through part of it. I then hit at it with a hammer and screwdrver, and a lot of it flaked off as well. Even a piece that was maybe 45 degrees stuck pretty hard until I ground some of it away. Quite a phenomenon. Of course, between pounding on it and the cutting, I had a few gouges. The new pilot bearing fit fine though. I've had so many people warn me not to "screw up" the inside of the Eshaft... Yes, it is a press bearing, but that is a lot of surface to mess up.