Pilot bushing removal and replacement

I have a V6 Chevy Astro with 5-speed manual transmission, and for more than half a year, I've been trying to get the clutch pilot bushing out. I tried all the suggestions that I could find previously posted here, and finally I came up with my own method that worked.

Suggestions that didn't work (you can skip this part)

1. Hacksaw through it - nope, takes too long. I don't have that much time to work on it.
2. Shove grease or wet toilet paper behind, get something round that just fits the hole, and hammer in - supposedly works "every time," according to some of those who have tried it. But it didn't work for me. Stuck too tight or something. I first tried grease, with a socket that almost fit the hole, with electrical tape wrapped around the socket to make it fit better. The next time, I tried wet toilet paper, with a bolt that we filed down to fit very snugly in the bushing, and hammered hard enough so that the small bits of toilet paper shot out around the bolt fast enough to make my hand hurt when they hit the rubber glove I was wearing. The bushing moved about 1/64 of an inch maybe, but then it stopped and wouldn't go further (probably water creating surface tension around it).
3. Use a blowtorch and melt the bushing. - No, I didn't try this. Whoever suggested it before did so mostly in jest, and besides, I don't have a blowtorch.
4. Use the proper tool (GM tool number J-1448) - Unfortunately, this tool seems to be impossible to find. The local GM dealer doesn't have one. I did find a puller tool at Autozone, that attaches to a slide hammer, but I broke the tool instead of moving the bearing.

My method that worked

So, after failing on all of these things, I finally decided to drill through the bearing. I don't know why this wasn't ever suggested by anyone

drilling into the crankshaft instead of the bushing, but I was careful, and
I only made two tiny nicks in the steel, which were small enough to sand down in a few seconds with some sandpaper. I drilled a small, shallow (the shallower, the better) pilot hole a tiny bit closer to the steel crankshaft than to the inner edge of the brass bushing. Then I chose a drill bit just large enough to leave as little brass as possible on the outer edge of the bushing, without getting into the steel crankshaft. I did this four times, on the top, bottom, left, and right of the center. Then I took a hammer and screwdriver and hammered through the brass from the inner part where the transmission shaft would go, into the holes I had drilled. Then I placed the screwdriver against the outer edge of one of the sectors, and hammered toward the center. Bending that sector in and out a few times broke it loose. The other 3/4 of the bearing were still stuck, but they all came loose at once when I started hammering on the second sector.

This was a happy ending to months of frustration. I was getting ready to walk into an automotive shop with $200 cash in my hand, and offer it to the first person who could remove that bearing. But this way was a lot cheaper, and probably worked better, too.

Now, what's this I hear about a small peice of grease-soaked felt that's supposed to be installed behind the new bushing? Is that required for my van? What kind of grease should be used?

Well done, Dan. The grease and hydraulic pressure always has worked for me, but I obviously have never been up against a pilot bushing like yours. Good information to remember, this.

Well, moving the van would have been difficult since the back of the engine is being supported by a jack stand because the transmission isn't there to support it. Also then I would never get the driveshaft back in in exactly the same position, but maybe that doesn't matter.

Any peice of felt will do? It didn't have one before. I guess I can get some at Hobby Lobby.

Glad you finally got it out but, if I had seen it move a bit with the grease trick, I would have been greatly encouraged and gone for a bigger hammer and more room to swing the sicker! Get the leather gloves and eye protection for sure!

Not to be insulting but...........

I would ask if the poster if :

1)The cavity was PACKED FULL of grease - thicker the better ?

2) He used a SOCKET vs SOLID DOWEL.

I asume he used the BACK of the socket to push on the grease. What was plugging the 3/8 hole on the socket if the electric tape was on the side of the socket for a secure fit ? An EXTENSION ?

If he used the broached face / open end of the socket, the grease would simply have filled the cavity of the socket vs pushing on the grease.

The grease and dowel method usually works.

At least the job is done.

[posted and mailed]

Yes, the cavity was packed completely full. I didn't know it had to be thick. Maybe I should have tried thicker grease. Everyone I talked to said any grease would work. I used wheel bearing grease.

I never did find anything that fit exactly. Eventually I managed to file down the head of a carraige bolt to the right size. I tried a socket first
I used the open end of the socket, after filling it with grease also. Yes, there was an extension plugging the hole, but it also had a layer of electrical tape to plug the space between the socket and extension. The only reason I tried this was because I hadn't yet managed to find a method that worked to cut my carraige bolt head down to the right size, and hadn't found anything else that fit in the hole. After a couple of times hitting it, I hit my thumb, so I gave up, figuring that this method wouldn't work anyway.

Maybe it would have worked if I had more faith in it, or more space in which to work. The van is just setting on top of 8 inch concrete blocks, giving a total ground clearance of about 16 inches.

Geese man, the last one that was giving me trouble I just took to a crank shop and the gent popped it out in 30 seconds for me at no charge.

My Jeep has a GM flywheel and my book says to soak the felt wick in engine oil.
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

You're very lucky to be able to relate your story to us....