So I'm almost finished with my first engine swap and I'm putting the pilot bearing in with a deep well socket as I have read from other threads and as I'm tapping it in into the e-shaft it deforms. I've already ordered a new one but I don't want to have to keep buying them if I'm doing something wrong? I don't see how this could be the cause but should I have installed the pilot bearing before cranking down the flywheel? Has this happened to anyone else, since I haven't been able to find any threads on it?

-Spike

 

Did you put grease on it? Mine tapped in fairly easily.

 

Is it possible that too much grease might be the issue? There was plenty of Hi-Temp grease. I guess I will measure the ID of the e-shaft and the OD of the pilot bearing when I get the new one in but it was not tapping in.

-Spike

 

Make sure the inside of the E-shaft is clean and smooth. Any roughness or burrs can keep it from going in properly.

Also, having a good install tool helps, Mazdatrix has one -

Tools

I have one that some guy on the list back in the day made, it's FAR superior to using a deep well socket.

The outside of the bearing only needs a light coat of grease to slide in. You may want to get it started with something flat like a block of wood between it and a hammer, get it down as far as you can THEN get the socket involved.

Dale

 

I didn't see or feel any burrs or roughness before I tried to put it in but I'll check again, maybe clean it up and give it a brief polish. I was thinking about the tool from mazdatrix I'm just having a hard time justifying the price after shipping for a one use tool. I was about to use a block of wood but it started creating wood chips and dust so I'm thinking to stick with a soft metal. I was only able to get it in about halfway before it just basically stopped. Just doesn't seem normal, I almost wonder if the one in the clutch kit was the wrong size or something.

-Spike

 

They normally go in fairly easy. Make sure everything is clean, and there isn't anything already in there. You do know that the seal goes in after the pilot bearing right?

 

Put the bearing in the freezer for a few minutes and it will almost drop right in. It only took me a few light taps and it was right in place. Once it comes back to steady state temp it will lock itself in just fine.

 

Cleaning the bore is definitely important. I also lightly coat the bearing sleeve with just a little grease. I don't have a tool but have put a few in using a sheet metal hammer for it's large flat head. It's also light and easy to control. I'm really careful to start it straight starting with very light taps. Once your confident it's started straight you can increase the force a little, but it takes patience. To get it counter-sunk enough for the dust seal I use the old bearing on the new one. You don't have to go in very far. Works for me, but that's not to say the PROPER tool wouldn't be the way to go.

 

Ha, yeah Adam C I know what goes in first. I'll clean it up and polish a little and try the freezer trick (should have done that in hindsight but a thread in the FC forum made me think a little extra force was normal) if that doesn't seam to work for it going in easy I'll buy the tool or make one. The old pilot bearing is in the old engine and I have not tried to extract it yet but now I also have the mangled one too. Thanks for the help guys I think I know where I need to go with this.

-Spike

 

Only problem I ever had was extraction until I purchased the Mazda tool from MazdaTrix.
You could always mike out the bore and the OD of the bearing.

 

Just went through the pilot bearing install, but I'm looking for some info on whether I might have damaged the bearing during install. It took quite a few hits with the hammer/socket method to get the bearing into the right placement. Maybe 40 hits total. I was trying not to hit it too hard, but it did take some decently hard hits to get it into place towards the end.

Basically I can no longer insert my finger into the bearing and rotate the inner cylinder. I swore the inner cylinder rotated before I installed it, but now I'm second guessing myself. Can anyone confirm this? The inner cylinder isn't completely locked to the outer cylinder. I can feel that it still has some play. It will move slightly in the in/out direction of the crankshaft, but it won't rotate. Visually it looks fine. Are just the little cylinders rollers supposed to rotate and not the inner cylinder? After all, it's just these rollers that contact the transmission input shaft. Thanks for the help.

 

A couple years back, when I replaced the clutch on my FC, I used an H-Bar puller and appropriated sized socket to press the pilot bearing into the e-shaft. The H-Bar puller needs to be wide enough to accommodate the bolts attached to the two tapped holes in center of the flywheel. Just so there's no confusion, here is a link to photo of an H-Bar puller: https://www.ebay.com/itm/20470933454...95vvzTK0&gQT=1

I used to pound these bearings in as you did, but the blows from the hammer always gave me concerns about the bearing after it was installed.

Make sure both surfaces are clean and lubricated, and the bearing is square with the e-shaft before attempting to press in.

 

If you’re unsure about the bearing, I’d just remove it and get another along with one of these https://mazdatrix.com/product/tool-p...ing-installer/ .
Since posting in this thread 12 years ago I bought one. Since then I’ve done a couple of bearings installs and it literally makes it a 30 second job. It might be a cheap purchase for peace of mind.

 

could also be it was driven too far in and some surface rust deeper in the bore deformed the bearing. folks need to remember the bearing isn't supposed to be bottomed out in the bore.

 

Following up to for future reference by others. I did in fact damage the bearing. Good thing I checked as I imagine I'd be pulling the transmission again soon if I hadn't. The impact from the socket must have beveled the edge of the bearing enough to lock it up. Even if it hadn't completely locked up, I do wonder if the socket method subtly deforms the bearing causing added friction. I picked up the mazdatrix install tool mention above and it was a super easy install with the new bearing. Def recommend spending the $25 for the simplicity and peace of mind. The tool also situates the bearing at the perfect depth so no guessing about that.