easy quick question

[dannyho]

ok, now I am definately going to feel like an idiot for asking this, but it's better to ask a simplle question than assume something that'll hurt me later on.

my car has an automatic transmisison, but i'm going to convert to a manual. anyway. I understand I need to have a pilot bushing machined. but can someone explain the pilot bushing to me.

As i understand it, the tip ofthe input shaft of the transmision sits inside of it and it supports the shaft. what are the tolerances for this, how far in does the input shaft have to go in the pilot bushing.
please be as in depth as possible and don't limit yourself to the question at hand.

as an aside, how does the bolt pattern on a powerglide compare to some of the t5s found in 3rd and early 4th gen camaros?
a pilot bushing i have found has an id of .763" and on od of 1.82". would a .75" pilot of the input shft work, how close do they have to be. its a roller bearing, see picture
any help would be fantastic. Thanks!
Dan

[MrQuick]

As i understand it, the tip ofthe input shaft of the transmision sits inside of it and it supports the shaft. Correct


what are the tolerances for this, how far in does the input shaft have to go in the pilot bushing. .014-.020 from the spline start
please be as in depth as possible and don't limit yourself to the question at hand. If your trans is mounted correctly it should place it right.

as an aside, how does the bolt pattern on a powerglide compare to some of the t5s found in 3rd and early 4th gen camaros? Same, assuming we are still talking about SBC. There is one difference. The bolt hole at the top of the bellhousing is drilled and the block is threaded.
a pilot bushing i have found has an id of .763" and on od of 1.82". would a .75" pilot of the input shft work, how close do they have to be. its a roller bearing, see picture
any help would be fantastic. Thanks! That should work fine but i'd advise against the torrington type bearing for the input, when they go bad it gets real ugly, fast where as bronze bushings will become noisey.

[Bandit]

The pilot bearing is pretty much a no-brainer...you are correct in assuming that it is a very important part for a manual trans though.
It aligns and supports the input shaft of the tranny.

You want to use a roller bearing pilot, I got mine through Keisler along with my trans. I can't give you specific diameters etc, I think it depends on your particular crank.

You may have to remove the old bushing if one is installed in the crank.

When you install the new bearing, use plenty of grease to help it get started, and use a socket of the same diameter to tap it in place with a hammer. Once it gets flush with the face of the crank, it's in place where it needs to be. Be careful starting it so it goes in straight.
If it's not wanting to start, you may need a different pilot bearing a few thousandths smaller.

Also, make sure to smear some extra grease inside of the bearing before installing the trans, to make sure the bearing has a long, happy life.

Hope this helps.

--Paul