How do u remove the pilot bearing?
 

My pilot bearing commit sucide the other day. I am installing another one tomorrow. how do I take out the bearing or tell if it is all out. it was in a lot of peices .

your choices are:
1. buy or rent a removal tool.
2. toilet paper method.

as for checking if it's all out, you're just going to have to find a way to look into the back of the shaft.

toilet paper method??

Good luck renting one. I tried all the local parts stores and all the pullers fingers are too wide to fit

I just check and I am not sure if the one I rented will work. Because all the needles are missing with the bearing in the car. So it may work

Ive had to dremel out the old bearing several times before breaking down and actually buying the oem removal tool (mazdatrix sells em). Turns the job into a 10 minute affair

I will for next time. The car is sitting at the hobby shop where the charge me 4 bucks an hour if I am there or not

I used bearing puller, but i'm intrigued by this "toilet paper method"

can someone explain??

Maybe sarcasm? I know not of a "toilet paper method".

When I removed mine... It was in lots of little pieces. I got it out somehow. I totally forget what method I used. I do know that I tried to use a puller, and the fingers/jaws were too wide.

toilet paper method is similar to the grease method ,, but uses paper mache to hydraulic them out with a centre punch

have tried many times and just cant make those methods work in a rotary crank
me, uses the brutal dremel
and wished the tools you have readily avail from rotor shops where easier to get in my far flung corner

I rented one and ground off the tips of the "fingers" a bit, worked great.

It feels good to have the official Mazda bearing removal tool in the garage ... takes less than 10 seconds and it came right out :)

if u live nearby NYC I can bring the tool over to let u use it ... oh well.

"Blind Hole" puller from Harbor Freight. Best $50.00 you'll spend. The time and aggravation that it will save you is worth the cost. You can find a 20% off coupon if you open a magazine. :)

http://www.harborfreight.com/blind-h...ler-95987.html

Nice.

+ 9896875

This is one of a few jobs I'll never do again without the right tool. A buddy has the tool for that now, or else I'd have bought it by now.

One of the others is removing a flywheel. Got an impact gun for that, for next time.

Believe me, the aggravation and time wasted otherwise just isn't worth the money saved.

i rented tool and ground it down till it fit.

This.

Autozone rents an identical set.

This is my plan. I am planning on keeping the puller as it is only $14

no. not at all. i wish i had come back to this thread earlier, but oh well. i was being quite serious.

:) yep. basically you're using pressurized water to force it out by stuffing pieces of wet toilet paper in there and compressing it with a hammer and your choice of wedge (extension or similar rod-like thing). i remember when i first read about it, i held great skepticism. however, i can say that i've done it and aside from destroying a good socket extension and the mess, this method works just fine.

in all fairness though, i did it with a disassembled engine, so i was able to put the shaft wherever i wanted. i can definitely see it being a huge pain in the ass if you're doing it with an engine actually mounted in the car.

i also had an experience renting a removal tool from AutoZone. my girlfriend actually suggested it because i had resigned myself to ordering the "correct" removal tool, but would obviously have to wait for it to get to me from California. anyway, i think the AutoZone tool probably worked for me because my bearing had disassembled itself and therefore left me with diameter of the race only.

Totally agree, the mazda tool just makes the job so simple. Especially if you have the puller and the installer as well.

Well I broke the tool from o'reilly. went and bought the tool from harbor freight, mess that one up a bit, it may still work???? ended up using my gremel and sanded it down enough it it basically cut it. that took about 4 hrs. I may have to wait till monday to work on my car again. if it is not done on monday the next day will be thrusday. I work this weekend and work when the hobby shop is open.