Np242 Shift Rail Bushings

[flint54]

Ok, I've got the NP242 reduced to a large mountain of parts. Most

new parts are on their way (chain, bearings, seals, etc.) When I opened

up this case it was filled with sludge, the magnet was heavily encased

with metal-infused sludge, the oil screen was gone (ground up in the chain),

so this box has seen some hard times. Total strip down and total clean

should bring it back to life. My big mystery, so far, is how to replace

the shift rail bushings. They're galled and need to be replaced. They're

pressed into blind holes, one into each case half, and they're bottomed

out. No chance to use a traditional bushing puller. The bushings show

as available (4338945), but how to get the old ones out has me baffled.

Who has the technique for this task?

[HOrnbrod]

Different scenerio, but had a similar problem with the rear axle bearings on a motorcycle. The bearing was pressed and bottomed out into a blind hole - no way to get a puller behind it. It had desintegrated and all that remained was the outer shell of the bearing. It got it out using a Dremel with a tiny wheel on it, cutting through the shell being very careful not to cut into the hub. Once it split, it came right out.

[flint54]

That's the surgery I feared, just like having to drill out that @#(%$ shift fork roll pin (easy out my @$$).

Astonished to find what I thought were replacement bushings at the local Jeep dealer, only to see that

they're very different than the originals. The new bushings are only 2/3 as tall, and they come spilt.

Plus, they're sloppy as hell on the shaft. Those originals are suddenly not looking so bad. They may

polish up and serve just fine, since the shift rail isn't a rotating, or even a sliding, part. It just floats in

these bushings and stuff slides up and down on it.

[fiatslug87]

Is there any room behind the bushing? The puller I had for my pilot bearing was too large and HKB3 on here suggested wetting toilet paper, filling the hole and hammering it in and repeating. The bearing did come out, I was very surprised.

 

[flint54]

If this were a pilot bearing in the and of a crankshaft I wouldn't mind some hammering.

As it is though, it's in a thin aluminum T-case housing, probably not a good candidate

for blows. Also, there's no gap under the bushing, cannot even get the point of dental

pick under it.