Wrist pin bushings
 

Ok , I have the Sunnen machine and the correct mandrels to resize the big end and the small end of the connecting rods. What I don’t have is the know how to remove the bushing from the small end of the rod.

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

Will tell you in the morning from an85 year old expert.

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

I press them out with a mandrel I made and a support plate with a proper hole to accept the bushing. The mandrel has a length at .750 diameter sufficient to extend through the rod and the clearance hole of the support plate plus about one inch. Below the clearance hole, where the removed bushing will reside, is a bore of.750 in that support which the end of the mandrel fits to align everything nicely. The clearance bore should be made only slightly larger in diameter than the bushing OD.

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

Thanks JWL

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

That sounds like a nice fixture - keeps everything totally aligned - good idea!

I imagine you swedge/roller burnish the new bushings into the rods? With thin bushings, this is almost always a recommended procedure (versus trying to press fit them).

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

I learned to take out the old bushing with a punch,
Put the rod in a soft vise, grab nearest the small end.
The end of the punch sharpened on an angle to peal a ditch across the bushing.
This collapses the bushing, making it easy to remove.
I had the mandrel to burnish the new ones in, but did not know to do so.
Oops.

Karl

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

Karl does it exactly the way I was taught. Works every time and is fast. I then take a round file and lightly go around the circumference of the small end to put a slight taper on it so the bushings to be pressed in start easily and don't get off center and then crushed. I also put a slight taper on the bushing itself so it starts easily also. Doesn't hurt a thing. I used to resize and straighten rods, as well as grind crankshafts after school to make extra money. I thought I was making a killing at $5 a journal!

Re: Wrist pin bushings
 

Thanks guys. I made a driver on the lathe and done six of the pretty quick but then the problem child showed up. Stubborn as hell so I resorted to the punch as Karl said and ground it and got it out.