The Ford Barn

harleynut · 03-10-2014, 12:06 PM

hi Guys, started on my conversion to a T5 tranny yesterday......removed the old three speed....removed clutch and flywheel. This is the first time I did a job like this to a flathead. I thought the pilot bushing would be in the flywheel not on the end of the crank. Now the big puzzle. what looks to be the pilot bushing is an inch and a quarter INSIDE diameter. The tip of the input shaft is about nine sixteenths on the old three speed.....how can that be???? Did someone in past years NOT put a pilot bushing in the end of the crank???? Is it supposed to be in the flywheel? What is going on? Forgot to mention this is on a 49 F1 pickup. The picture shows exactly the way I found the end of the crankshaft when I removed the flywheel. The flywheel has NO bushing in it.......any help would be appreciated.......Joe

flatjack9 · 03-10-2014, 12:19 PM

The flywheel should have had a bushing in it. Does not go in the crank.

scooder · 03-10-2014, 03:40 PM

Cripes! As above. The bearing/Bush should be in the flywheel. Any idea how long it's been like this?
Martin.

harleynut · 03-10-2014, 04:02 PM

I bought this truck 3 months ago.......just pulled the tranny yesterday, couldn't believe my eyes......no pilot bearing. I only drove the truck about 15 miles before I bought it.....never noticed any vibration.....shifted good...only thing I noticed the typical jumping out of second gear when you let off the gas.......go figure never saw one that someone forgot the pilot bushing

ford3 · 03-10-2014, 04:40 PM

the automatics had no bushing, if you put a manual on a crank that was an auto you have to get the bushing for the manual trans

flatjack9 · 03-10-2014, 05:28 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

There is no pilot bushing in the crank. Whether it was automatic or manual is of no matter.

rotorwrench · 03-10-2014, 05:54 PM

The automatics did have a larger bore on the back of the crank. This all started in late 1950 for both Fords & Mercury cranks but as was mentioned previously, the pilot is driven or pressed into the bore of the flywheel on manual transmission cars & trucks.

There is a chance that the previous owner or the last wrencher to do work back there was not aware of the need for a pilot bushing/bearing. A person should check the trans input shaft for excessive wear in the input shaft bearings. The clutch plate hub would have been the only thing to keep it centered during the time with no pilot.

03-10-2014, 12:06 PM	#1
harleynut Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Pittsburgh Pa Posts: 279	Pilot bushing hi Guys, started on my conversion to a T5 tranny yesterday......removed the old three speed....removed clutch and flywheel. This is the first time I did a job like this to a flathead. I thought the pilot bushing would be in the flywheel not on the end of the crank. Now the big puzzle. what looks to be the pilot bushing is an inch and a quarter INSIDE diameter. The tip of the input shaft is about nine sixteenths on the old three speed.....how can that be???? Did someone in past years NOT put a pilot bushing in the end of the crank???? Is it supposed to be in the flywheel? What is going on? Forgot to mention this is on a 49 F1 pickup. The picture shows exactly the way I found the end of the crankshaft when I removed the flywheel. The flywheel has NO bushing in it.......any help would be appreciated.......Joe Last edited by harleynut; 02-21-2016 at 01:02 AM.

03-10-2014, 12:19 PM	#2
flatjack9 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oshkosh, Wi Posts: 4,600	Re: Pilot bushing The flywheel should have had a bushing in it. Does not go in the crank.

03-10-2014, 03:40 PM	#3
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,595	Re: Pilot bushing Cripes! As above. The bearing/Bush should be in the flywheel. Any idea how long it's been like this? Martin.

03-10-2014, 04:02 PM	#4
harleynut Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Pittsburgh Pa Posts: 279	Re: Pilot bushing I bought this truck 3 months ago.......just pulled the tranny yesterday, couldn't believe my eyes......no pilot bearing. I only drove the truck about 15 miles before I bought it.....never noticed any vibration.....shifted good...only thing I noticed the typical jumping out of second gear when you let off the gas.......go figure never saw one that someone forgot the pilot bushing

03-10-2014, 04:40 PM	#5
ford3 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: oroville calif. Posts: 1,453	Re: Pilot bushing the automatics had no bushing, if you put a manual on a crank that was an auto you have to get the bushing for the manual trans

03-10-2014, 05:28 PM	#6
flatjack9 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oshkosh, Wi Posts: 4,600	Re: Pilot bushing Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) There is no pilot bushing in the crank. Whether it was automatic or manual is of no matter.

03-10-2014, 05:54 PM	#7
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 17,410	Re: Pilot bushing The automatics did have a larger bore on the back of the crank. This all started in late 1950 for both Fords & Mercury cranks but as was mentioned previously, the pilot is driven or pressed into the bore of the flywheel on manual transmission cars & trucks. There is a chance that the previous owner or the last wrencher to do work back there was not aware of the need for a pilot bushing/bearing. A person should check the trans input shaft for excessive wear in the input shaft bearings. The clutch plate hub would have been the only thing to keep it centered during the time with no pilot.