Pilot Bushing ? for the masses.

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DoubleDingo

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Should I keep going? How many examples do you want? See why I didn't want to start this.

I still want to see the engine-side of one of these torque converters that need or utilize a pilot bushing/bearing.
 

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Cool. My old truck doesn't have one, but I learned something today.

Edit: I am boring. I only run what came as a factory option in my vehicles. A lot less headaches, and easier on the wallet. And the only foreign jobber is my 2007 FXT Forester. It is 5 speed with pilot bushing/bearing.

Turbo4whl,

I'm with Dingo. I learned something today.
 

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I still want to see the engine-side of one of these torque converters that need or utilize a pilot bushing/bearing.
They look just like any other torque converter. Look at that bushing pic I put up.It goes in the end of a chevrolet crankshaft and holds the pilot end of a regular old th350 torque converter when you have a motor plate. The bushing is just there to make sure the converter is centered.
 
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Frankenchevy

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WTH? A bushing for a torque converter on a gen 1 chebby? Never hear of such a thing...
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Turbo4whl

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Ricko1966

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WTH? A bushing for a torque converter on a gen 1 chebby? Never hear of such a thing...
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Turbo4whl

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They look just like any other torque converter. Look at that bushing pic I put up.It goes in the end of a chevrolet crankshaft and holds the pilot end of a regular old th350 torque converter when you have a motor plate. The bushing is just there to make sure the converter is centered.


I read this post before your edit. You were right all along. Should have left the sleeping dog lie.
 

DoubleDingo

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So basically the bushing, if needed, is only for centering on the crankshaft. For those that don't need a bushing, the nub that @Frankenchevy showed on the engine-side of his torque converter, goes in the hole where a manual transmission input shaft pilot bushing would go.
 

Frankenchevy

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Okay, but that’s to adapt an LS engine to an early TC. Did a gen1 Chevy to a gen 1 TC get a bushing?
 

Frankenchevy

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So basically the bushing, if needed, is only for centering on the crankshaft. For those that don't need a bushing, the nub that @Frankenchevy showed on the engine-side of his torque converter, goes in the hole where a manual transmission input shaft pilot bushing would go.
Not even that. Your TC snout should fit perfectly to the back of your crank with no bushing. The small hole for the pilot is about 1/2 of the diameter of the TC snout. I’m holding a MT pilot bushing up to a TC snout.
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here’s a brand new gen 1 TC and a 327 crank. Identical measurement.
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Ricko1966

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Okay, but that’s to adapt an LS engine to an early TC. Did a gen1 Chevy to a gen 1 TC get a bushing?
The pic I put up was th350 to gen 1 small block with a motor plate so that bushing makes up the difference so the center of the the th350 can center in the sbc crankshaft. Factory automatic sbc/th350 never had one to the best of my knowledge.If the end of the crank or the pilot on the converter are damaged a bushing is an option for repair.Its only to locate the converter in the crankshaft to keep the centerline.
 

Frankenchevy

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The pic I put up was th350 to gen 1 small block with a motor plate so that bushing makes up the difference so the center of the the th350 can center in the sbc crankshaft. Factory automatic sbc/th350 never had one to the best of my knowledge.If the end of the crank or the pilot on the converter are damaged a bushing is an option.
The third pic I see in your post says LS...

I must be looking at the wrong thing.
 

Ricko1966

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The third pic I see in your post says LS...

I must be looking at the wrong thing.
Yea I put one of those up too.

That little nub sticking out of your converter is called a pilot and it has to center in whatever crank you are using. So Cars with a motor plate need a bushing, different motor to different transmission combos sometimes need a bushing.Cars with damaged cranks or converters may have a bushing. And some manufacturers just bush them from the start .
 
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SquareRoot

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Good job @Frankenchevy !

Yes, there are bushings available but only in industrial applications or non-factory conversions made by the aftermarket. I still highly doubt bushings are used from the factory for engines and transmissions that were designed for production.
 

Ricko1966

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Good job @Frankenchevy !

Yes, there are bushings available but only in industrial applications or non-factory conversions made by the aftermarket. I still highly doubt bushings are used from the factory for engines and transmissions that were designed for production.

Jeep does
 

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