Intermediate shaft bushing install

[bbeckwith]

It seems I need to install a new intermediate shaft bushing in my 340.

I am going to pull the motor and take care of my long needed replacement of the rear main oil seal, and along the way, find out how to install and burnish the intermediate shaft bushing.

The mopar manual shows using a now discontinued tool for installation, C-3053, does anyone have one, or know what I might use as a substitute? I think I may have to take the block to a machine shop for this. I would rather do it myself if it's feasible.

I would appreciate any advice.

Bruce

[dave571]

The reason for the special tool, is that the bushing is soft. It will distort when you drive it in. The special tool fits inside the shaft diameter part of the bushing, so it will not distort when pounding it in.

What I have always done, is drive it in with a drift, or punch.

Then I use a tool I have, that I made from a distributor shaft. It's used for priming engines with a drill. I roughed up part of the shaft, and use that part to ream the newly installed bushing for clearance. Otherwise the shaft will not go in, the hole is too small for the shaft to go in.

The shaft should go in, and turn freely. Not a sloppy fit, but if it's tight, it's too tight. Keep reaming until it's good.

As for the right tool... I have no idea where to get one.

You shouldn't need to pull the motor to do either one of those jobs. The oil pan will come out to the rear main, if you jack the engine off the mounts. (I did it in my 73 340 duster) You should also be able to pull the oil drive/dist shaft out with some long pliers, then drive in the new bushing. Just a thought.

[bbeckwith]

Hi dave751,

thanks for the reply, I'm pulling the motor because it's so awkward for me to work under the car. I have a bad shoulder that pops out of joint when I move in the wrong way, and working under the car is such a pain. Besides, I've had my own engine stand and engine hoist gathering dust in my garage for the last year. It's time to use em' I want to replace the clutch and throwout bearing while I got it out anyway. I also am waiting for year one to deliver a new poly tranny mount and driveshaft loop as well so all in all, I guess it's a good thing I found the problem when I did before it trashed the whole motor.

Bruce

[dave571]

The tool I made, is fairly easy to make.

Get a distributor/oil pump drive shaft. It can be from almost anything, as mine seems to work in b/rb/ and A engines.

Grind/cut the helico cut gear off completely,(the gear is gone completely on mine) or just grind the teeth back so that it will not touch the cam anymore.

Then weld on a piece or rod(ready rod or just straight round stock) to make it longer. Grind down the top end so it will fit in a drill.

Then rough up the shaft, where the bushing rides on it, with a grinder.

You now have a dual purpose, engine priming tool(the hex end still fits in the oil pumps of all the engines) and a bushing reamer.

Maybe I should start building these, and sell them on E-bay.

[Mr.Mopar]

Sounds like a good idea Dave! Looks like Mopar is discontinuing a lot of the stuff in the catalogue. By the way, Dave, where could I get a set of cast rings sized .035 for my 340? Mopac? I don't want moly's, just cast. My engine build shop says they can only get them in .040. Thats the closest size they say. I don't believe it. The moly's that I had in it this spring didn't seat so I had to tear it down and start over. Re-hone, remeasure, etc. Now cast rings would be fine. I'll wait to hear from ya. Snow in the forecast for Monday....dammit!

[John Kunkel]

The bushing installation tool is still available from Miller Special Tools http://www.miller.spx.com/ Their P/N is MLR-C-3053.

The special tool not only installs the bushing but burnishes the bore to the correct diameter. As the burnisher is pulled through the bore it expands the bushing tighter in the block to prevent spinning. Merely reaming the bushing is not the correct method of installation, using any method other than the special tool on the factory style bushing risks having the bushing spin in the block.

In the aftermarket, Pioneer makes a bushing that can just be driven in the block with no sizing required. The P/N is PC780.

[DartByU]

Guess I'm lucky, I have access to a complete machine shop and I just made a tool to install the bushing, it was made from a piece of 1 1/4 cold roll steel and I just turned down the end to fit the bushing with about .003-.004 clearance and then just hammered the bushing in, then I made a tapered burnishing tool to size the bushing correctly.

[dave571]

How are things Mr. Mopar!

I doubt you can get .035 over rings. What I would do, is get the .040 overs instead. They will obviously be too tight, they won't have enough end gap.

Then get a piston ring filling tool. Size the rings individually to proper clearance/end gap(.010 to .020 in my 73 manual)

Stay a little on the tight side, and you'll have some very good fitting rings. Very little blow by. I heard of this trick from an old timer, who claimed to get power increases because of it. It's a lot of work but we've all got lot's of time right!(yea right!)

When I ringed my 400, I used cast rings and found they seated very quickly. I think it was pretty much broken in by the time I got home with it, from the shop.

Back to the tool. If the right tool can be got cheaply then go for it. I wouldn't worry about the bushing spinning though. They go in quite tight, and I've done enough that I would have seen one spin by now. With my luck, it would have been on one of my cars. and not a customers.

[Mr.Mopar]

Dave, been having a hell of a time with the 340 lately, couldn't understand why it was burning oil and had lost power. The moly rings didn't hardly seat at all, and the end gaps were too big. I had 23% leak down in all cylinders! If you read the post on Acceptable leak down rate, you will see what was going on. Nice to hear from ya! Now back to putting things back together again.......geeezzz.

[bbeckwith]

Wow, thanks for all the responses, I appreciate the help very much. John K, thanks for the tip about Miller special tools. Sounds like the way I'll go, but first, I'll wait and see what the bushing I get from Mopar is like, and how they recommend to install it just in case it is really one of the pioneer bushings that dont require the tool. With my luck, I would have already ordered the tool. If worse comes to worse, I can use my old shaft to ream it out like Dave said. This week will be a busy one I think.

Bruce