I am replacing the transmission in my classic mustang and I discovered a worn out pilot bearing that I have to replace. The proper bearing extraction tool is expensive and seemed a waste to purchase considering I will probably only do this once in my lifetime. I heard about using bread as a method to remove this bearing so I tried it last night.
It works! I didn’t make a video, but my results were just like this video here. Wait for it…
P.S. – I didn’t eat the bread when I finished.
Uncle Bunblefack aka AvE on youtubes did a vidjeyo on this awhile back, except he used a greasy old rag.
If you’re not familiar with AvE and you like shop banter and technical stuff like I do, I suggest you check out his channel further than the vidjeyo included below. Oh, and before you click, his most popular tagline is; Keep your dick in a vise! So you’re warned that he’s mildly NSF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w62c4NQDwP0
It works better with white bread than wheat due to density. I’ve never done it myself, but I remember it from the 60’s.
Was it organic and gluten free?
That takes me back to my Fiat days. The manuals were always referring to these “Special Tools” required to repair things. My “special tools” were wood, putty, duct tape, magnets and some poor bent and ground as necessary.
As far as food and engines go, we used to bake potatoes on the engine of my dad’s ’65 Econoline. No bread, though. I bet that would have smelled good.
“poor” = “tool”
I had a ’74 124 station wagon… Great little car! Hit a deer….
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
Bread can be a useful tool in plumbing as well, I’ve found 2 uses.
1.) Use white bread to plug a wet pipe so you can solder more copper onto it. Think of replacing or adding pipe to an in use water supply. Shut the water off, let drain and then stuff with bread. It will hold residual water back while the solder joint can be done dry. The bread then flushes out when the water turns back on.
2.) Similar to the above, we had a problem where parts of a gasket/o-ring got loose from a tub valve and clogged in the mixing body slowing the water flow to a crawl. Jammed some bread in the cold/hot side and then shot it all out the other side with compressed air, which didn’t work to begin with because the pieces didn’t fill the pipe. The bread gob grabbed it all as it was forced through.
I have learned new things today! I come from a long line of Redneck Engineers.
If you need to turn a bronze bearing in a lathe and don’t have or want to make a driver, a piece of wooden shovel handle works fine. Chuck the handle, wrap a rag around it and tap the bearing on with a mallet. Easy, peezy. This old Machinist used to say “this ain’t rocket science”.
Crackerbaby, I had two of those. It was my favorite Fiat of all. Dependable as anything. So good that Fiat sold all the tooling machinery to the Soviets, who turned it into the Lada. I would buy one today if I could.
If that bearing was really worn out, it woulda fallen out on it’s own.
Google “images” for redneck engineering. There is some truly awesome stuff. Down to earth doers are the best fixers.
Good tip. Sorta kinda hydraulic pressure.
🔴🔴 NOT ME! 🔴🔴
I had to go to a mechanic to torch-out my 6 sparks plugs that were stuck. I turned like hell even with a breaker bar to get them out, even stripped the nut to a smooth circle.
Turns out I was cranking it the wrong way. Lefty-tighty, Righty-loosey is what my former step dad taught me.
JERK!
Mith Dude right 2 tight unless
you have left hand threads as indicated
on the nut by a “tick” mark on all 6 sides…
Whoever thought of this had to have been an inbred Redneck.
Huh…
Inbread? lols
I’ve done this using wheel bearing grease but it makes a heck of a mess sometimes. The bread would certainly be a cleaner way.
Thanks Jethro!
@RADIOATIONMAN/CB/HAM/AM/FM/SSB/VHF
Ahhhh, come on dude. We’re all just trynna have a good time here. Jerkass step-father purposely telling to crank the wrong way? That’s at least a LITTLE funny if you try real hard.
‘Tain’t funny, McGee.
I used raw bread dough to make a toilet bowl seal when I didn’t have a wax ring. It worked great for 3 months until we removed the toilet. The seal became known locally as the “Redacted’s bathroom bagel”.
Mithrandir, He told you wrong, but you already figured that out. Just so know for next time. Right is tight and to properly torque a fastener of any grade, tighten it until you hear a crack, then back it off a quarter turn.
If anyone wants to see more tool hacks, Ichiban Moto mainly does cafe racer mods, but his tool hacks a second to none. Here he is making a knife without a forge, btw he’s SFW, no cussing.
https://youtu.be/z6M3_ETcWwU
What’s a transmission?
For working on old cars, one of the handiest tools in mt toolbox is a set of bolt/nut extractors that grab onto the hex head on a bolt or nut with sharp teeth. Picked it up cheap at Hazard Fraught Tools. Very clever, those Chinese.
And don’t force it, just get a bigger hammer
I replaced a clutch myself on a 1982 Mazda RX-7 in the late 80’s.
I can’t remember needing a tool, but I do remember doing it wrong and having to pull it apart again.
Good thing it was a small car.
I’m not as ambitious repairing cars these days.
Hey redneck chemistry is good too.
Can you make a run of corn likker? aka Moonshine.
And not kill anyone with the end product? Part of the run is poison.
According to Popcorn Sutton. There are many types; the laughing kind, the crying kind, the fighting kinds, and so on.
@Tony R
There are Craftsman versions also that you can get at Sears (while they last) but also now at ACE hardware and on-line. They were around long before the chinese new what a hex bolt was.
Harbor Fright Tools: good for one use….maybe.
@F4UCorsair
Exactly. It is simple fluid dynamics. The bread is acting like a very dense fluid in this situation. The punch creates a pressure shock wave, which the bread (fluid) transmits in all directions. The pressure wave (psi=pounds per square inch) is applied to the inside face of the bearing (square inch area) resulting in an outward force.
I will post more “Redneck Engineering” solutions to everyday problems in the future as I stumble upon them.
@Blink
There are ways to remove the “fusel oil” which is created by the corn at toxic levels during fermentation.
The old timers used “thumping kegs” to separate the oil from the ethanol (at least that is what I was told).