I been having a epic problem with a stupid pilot bearing install. The car was an auto and im trying to finish this god damn 5 speed swap.

After removing the trans and sticking my finger in the hole I can feel a step up lip. I know auto's didnt have a pilot bearing but from the looks of it i think someone tried to put one in before. The auto trans has been removed in the past by the previous owner because i see chisel marks on the flywheel nut. Maybe they tried to put a bearing in when they went to put the auto trans back in?

I tried to put a pilot bearing in and half way in it stopped, nope no good had to destroy it to remove it. Grind out the hole alittle more, tried to install a new one and nope still no good. Got stuck after going in 3/4 so i destroyed it taking it out.

Grind out the hole even more and tried to install the 3rd new bearing. Tapping in nice and smooth then it got stuck. Its poking out ever soooo slightly of the e-shaft. Now is this okay or will it prevent the 5 speed trans from mating flush with the engine?

I do have one more spare pilot bearing if i must remove it and grind it out more but i dont want to if i dont have to. Getting tired of toying with something so stupid. Just want to put this tranny in already. Spring is right around the corner and i want to drive my first vert 7 already.

 

ideally you want it at least flush with the end of the taper on the e-shaft. if it sticks out much further than that it may bind the input shaft.

 

Ugh fudge. If its that close to binding with the shaft then i might as well chisel it out, grind it more and put my last new bearing it.

 

Its actually just flush with the edge of the threads on the e-shaft. I think im going to leave it be.

 

Id ensure it went at least flush with the bottom of the bevel in the eshaft where the seal would sit

 

Thats how far i was hoping it would go in at least. Meh i guess i should just do it right. I keep jumping back and forth. Fix it, leave it, fix it, leave it.

 

There wasnt suppose to be a step..that means there was a bearing outer race stuck in there..i know because i mangled a bearing once and i couldnt see it and the new one would stick out.

 

Sounds like a lot of FC owners make this mistake, when I put my new clutch in last year we pulled out 2 bearings out, probably took us 2 hours just to figure that out then another 4 just to remove the thing

 

Im pretty sure this is exactly what happen to mine. Just an outer race stuck in there.

I tried to grind one side down so i can get a chisel underneath it and bend it up so it would pop up and out easily. I kept grinding and it seemed to go to deep but never went through the pilot bearing? Confusing to explain.

Even more confusing is that it had an auto tranny on the car and everyone says autos dont have a pilot bearing! Previous owner really made this frustrating for me. I want this done and over with but working full time really makes me to lazy to hurry up this job. All in good time i guess.

 

worked on at least 300 engines and i have yet to see it, so it isn't all that common.

there is a step at the back of the e-shaft before a grease channel so there is a step but it is quite deep in there.

 

^ Yup i know what step your talking about but this isnt that step.

To top it all off i lost the clutch to flywheel bolts. I have every other nut and bolt i removed but those. So i went to the hardware store to get some M8x1.00 25mm bolts. Turns out they have everything in the world but M8x1.00 bolts in general. I can't win!

 

yep, oddball fine pitch threads FTL. find a commercial hardware store.

 

Well i have two choices. Ace hardware which failed and then i have sears i can check after work tomorrow. Im already doubting sears though. May have to place a wtb ad just for 6 measly bolts!

 

man I hate pilot bearings, had nothing but problems getting them out! I did the white bread trick last time and it worked amazingly! lol

 

or find local cars being parted out or the wrecking yards(even other imported metric cars for something similar). but i'm sure the wreckers are in the boonies out in NY...

 

The "junk yards" on long island are a joke.

There is one hardware store i forgot about until today. They usually have random things i need when in doubt. I know of one road to get to that store. Im about 2/3's the way there when out of no where a cop has the road blocked off. Its a long drive just to go around the other way so i said forget it for today. Everything i try to do fails haha

 

You might have a commercial fastener supply company near you. I'm sure they would have it. Fastenal has stores in this area so they probably have them around your area. There are even mom and pop local ones too. Just look online.

 

My last hope was a true value store. They had the hardware i needed! Not to far away so it has become my go-to store for now on. Wayyyy more hardware than ace and sears put together!

I don't remember if the clutch to flywheel bolts use lock washers, i assume they do right? Going to use red loctite as well but what should these be torqued down to again?

 

True value bolts are 8.8 not 10.0.

 

Please explain? I assume you mean the grade of hardware right? Well is that going to be ok to use?

 

Better make sure everything is right the first time, or you'll be ripping your hair out going back in with an even bigger problem.

 

Doesn't the flywheel have pins that hold the Pressure plate in place anyways?..and the bolts are just there to make sure that it doesn't fall off,sort of thing?
I'm sure you would be fine with those bolts you got.If you are Lock-Tighting them then sure,no problem.
After all, ALL those bolts would have to loosen up and then the pressure plate slip off the Pins on the flywheel before anything major happens!
I couldn't find the Torque specs,But I know they are on here in a thread..somewhere.

 

i forget the specified torque but i always tighten them to 25ft/lbs.

 

I've been doing the tighten/slap method.
I tighten them up real snug and then Slap the wrench a good one!.Wham..done.
BUT I actually found something useful..
so here: https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...-specs-851448/

 

apparently it is 20ft/lbs but i have been making it a habit of overtightening bolts since almost none of these engines are stock any longer.