Installing new bearings in a 3.65 Muncie before buttoning it back up...

Three of the races can be extracted with a drift, but the other three (output shaft + input shaft tail) are seated in blind holes. The tool which comes to mind would be a slide hammer with an appropriate sized claw to hook the "back" of the race, and pull it out. Is this the best way to go about it, or is there something better?

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What's this... progress?

his: 1985 2M6 SE, L67 build in progress
hers: 1984/86 hybrid 2M4

One old trick- pack grease into the hole then drive a wooden dowel (same diameter as it inside of the race) into the hole and hydraulic pressure will pop the race out.

As Phil meantioned...

Or as you stated, you could try one of those slide hammers...and if those fail (although shouldn't) you may have to weld a piece of steel to the race for something to hook onto. I have to do the welding thing a couple of times on some bearings on some industrial equipment

Tim

Sleeve bearing?

I have taken a hachsaw blade, cut the end off square (so you can get to the back) and sawed through the bearing carefully. Then they just pull out..

If their ball then as above.

quote Originally posted by Dodgerunner: Sleeve bearing? I have taken a hachsaw blade, cut the end off square (so you can get to the back) and sawed through the bearing carefully. Then they just pull out.. If their ball then as above.

What brand hacksaw blade did you use? The last time I tried something like that on a bearing race I bearly put a scratch on it..

I said is works on sleeve bearings, no way it would work on a ball bearing.
A lot of the sleeve bearing are not as hard.

A word of warning...

I one tried to pull a clutch pilot bearing using a slide hammer with a hook attachment. After one whack, the bearing shattered and the inner race and needles went everywhere. Unfortunately, the outer shell was still stuck in the flywheel I finally got it out by carefully grinding a line through the shell (front to back) with a dremmel tool. Just pulled it out after that.

I don't know if this will work on your trans, but in my business I have a part where a ball bearing is in a blind hole. when these come in for repair the inner race is often totally gone, along with the balls etc. what I do is heat up the housing with a propane torch just until the oil residue in it starts to sizzle then just give a light whack on the bench. the heat expands the housing just enough for the race to fall out.

YMMV,
Russ

quote Originally posted by Phil: One old trick- pack grease into the hole then drive a wooden dowel (same diameter as it inside of the race) into the hole and hydraulic pressure will pop the race out.

This will work for sure. I always got pilot bushings out with this method, only I used a brass drift and hit it with a large hammer. Works everytime
Don

If you have access to a welder then run a bead around the center of the bearing cup and it will usually fall out

Lots of good suggestions here... thanks folks.

I'll likely end up trying a slide hammer and/or careful grinding of the races. Failing that, I can always run the case halves in to a welder. I'm leery of using flame heat to pop the races out, as there are plastic "oil slingers" behind the races.

BTW I found a photo of the "official" tool for pulling these races out just now. Looks like an adjustable claw which can be fitted to the end of a slide hammer or pulling shaft.

quote Originally posted by jsmorter1: If you have access to a welder then run a bead around the center of the bearing cup and it will usually fall out

dang, beat me to it.
after the weld cools it shrinks and pulls the race in onto itself. and will almost fall out.

I had to pull a stuck pilot bearing once - pump it full of grease and use a dowel didn't work for me. I got a washer about a quarter inch larger in diameter than the inner race, filed two flats opposite each other so it would pass thru the inner race when tilted, put a bolt with a head larger than the inner diameter of the washer into the hole first, then screwed it into the end of my slide hammer and popped it out.