My first clutch job

Just wanted to see if I could get some help here with my first clutch job. Man, I've been put through the ringer! Finally got the tranny out (I've got the 2WD 2rz) and had a hellacious time getting the old pilot bearing out, carefully tapped in the new one and somehow ended up denting it a little!

Question: Is a small dent in the pilot bearing ok? Just trying to figure out if I have to go through the heartache of taking out another pilot bearing and waiting to get another one in the mail.

I would be extremely grateful for any thoughts on this!

p.s. I'm sure i'll be asking some more questions!

 

how hard was the old bearing to get out? I pack as much grease as you can fit in the pilot bearing hole... take a solid piece of pipe (or the drive flange end of a 3/8 extension fits I think)that fits through the bearing and smack it in with rubber mallet...you compress the grease you packed in and it shoots the bearing out...no damage done ,just wipe grease out and install the new bearing

 

yeah you wouldnt believe all the cuss words I used and or made up one day I was trying to get a pilot bearing out of a old pickup laying on the dirt in a driveway and it wouldnt come out... finally rented a tool (paid few buck this was before the loan a tool thing at auto part stores) got it out...then maybe 1 month later was working on my one taco and did this little trick......I have done this like 9 times I bet and it always works, hardest part is finding a pipe or something that fits in bearing but isnt so loose all the grease can get past it... but a good sharp hit and it has no choice but force the bearing out

 

Thanks for the ideas! Got the new pilot bearing in. Wish I had read earlier about the grease idea! I ended up having to break the new old bearing to get it out!

How bout the pressure plate alignment. Chilton's says I should have marked where it aligned with the flywheel (which of course I didn't read until after taking it off!) It seems though that as long as the bolts and dowels line up (there are three different placements this works) it should be fine. is this right?

 

yeah I have never seen the benefit of putting it in exact place... only thing is did you re-use the old pressure plate? I normally get a new one