Bronze Bushings, removing and installing professionally

[34FordFabricator]

Here is how I remove and install bronze bushings. I have 35 years as a machinist and have done this thousands of times with perfect results. The photos I used are of a piece of machinery but this can be applied to any antique auto water pump, distributor, or generator starter end plate where bronze bushings are used. I never ever use a hammer, punch, drift, bushing driver, or slap hammer. These tools can damage a casting and are not necessary to do a quality job. The bushing I am pulling had a 5/8" inside dimension and has 8 thousands wear. So its shaft moves from side to side in the bushing. Bushing needs to be replaced. First to remove the bushing I use a tap to thread the bushing half way through. For a 5/8" inside dimension bushing I use a 11/16"-11 tap to do the job. Next I thread in my homemade puller into the threads I made in the bushing. See my second and third photos. Next I rotate the nut and the top of the tool and it just pulls the bushing straight out. See the fourth and fifth photo. Because of the way the tool is made the bushing comes out straight and smooth. The new bushing must have a 2-1/2 thousands interference fit. I use the next tool I made to pull the bushing in. The tool should have a loose fit in the bushing and have hefty washers on either end. Hold one nut with a wrench and turn the other and it will push it in nicely. Do not put oil on the bushing before you pull it in as it must have a good friction fit so it does not move after installation. My last photo shows it pulled in to place flush with the top. After done you may have to ream it to size because it may collapse just a bit and that is very normal. I hope this helps in the restoration of your car. There is no need to pay a machine shop lots of money when you can do this yourself.
Bill Monzo