Need a little advise here. I'm trying to remove the driveshaft bearing sleeve (directly in front of the pinion). I have a bearing splitter on it rigged up to my OTC bearing puller. I can't get it to move. I see two options here,1) heat the sleeve while leaving the puller tight. 2) use a die grinder to cut the sleeve lengthwise (I'm afraid of nicking the driveshaft). Any other ideas??? Thanks, Bruce Kile

Absent owning the period tool to remove it, I suggest 2) but use an abrasive grinder. A die grinder will take forever. When you get close to the driveshaft, you'll know it as the metal in the sleeve turns blue. Its not hard and if you're moderately careful you'll grind it so close to the driveshaft, you can then either pound it off or pull it off without damaging the driveshaft. Done it many times.

Both ways will work. If you use a puller be sure not to damage the drive shaft threads. Sometimes the sleeve can be really tough. If I had to do it again I would use a grinder and cut the sleeve length wise.

I used a pipe with an inside diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the driveshaft as a slide hammer and knocked it off.

I have always wrapped a rag around them, lay it across my anvil and a couple of good whacks with a three pound hammer and usually will come right off. Wear appropriate safety gear. KGB

I cut mine off. I really gave it the old college try, but it just wasn't happening any other way. I tried heating, hammering, pullers, it just was not coming off. A cut off wheel made short order after all the struggling.

I cut mine off as Richard described. But nobody told about the next step. Once the thing is gone, replace it and the pinion bearing with a Fun Projects bearing kit. Problem solved.

Peining the outside, however you choose to do it usually works pretty well. Keith's method above is one example.

A track of arc weld along the sleeve and it will fall off.

I used a piece of steel shaft about 6-7 pounds and dropped several times like a pile driver.

Per David Menzies method, I tried it and it worked very well. I documented it and submitted it to our club newsletter as a tech article. It is attached herewith.

Driveshaft Sleeve Removal Driveshaft Sleeve Removal.bmp (203.3 k)

unfortunately, the bmp file resized is too small. Here is the text of the article:

The most difficult aspect of the disassembly of the Model T rear axle and drive shaft has to be the removal of the pinion bearing sleeve. If you have a need to remove and replace the sleeve, or are replacing the drive shaft Hyatt roller bearing with a pinion tapered roller bearing; the sleeve must be removed. It can be a bugger to extract from the drive shaft.

A three jaw gear puller may be no match for the job. If it can’t be pulled off, perhaps is can be pushed off. To this end, try the following:

Purchase a 1¼ inch x 5 foot steel pipe and matching coupling and thread two together.
Purchase a 5/8-18 nut. Grind the nut hex so that it is less than 1 inch in diameter.
Thread the nut on to the pinion end of the drive shaft so that it is flush with the end of the shaft. This is to provide structural rigidity to the threaded end of the shaft.
Place the pipe and coupling assembly over the drive shaft so that the coupling rests on the pinion thrust washer.
Place the pinion end of the drive shaft on a 2 inch thick plank.
Lift the pipe about three feet and let it drop.

After about 10 or 15 blows in this fashion, the sleeve should be driven down to the point where it is flush with the wood plank.

Then turn the pipe/shaft assembly over 180º so that the threaded end is now at the top, lift the shaft several feet and let it drop. After about 10 more drops, the sleeve should be off the shaft, over the nut and totally separated from the shaft. Your results may vary depending on how much force is applied.

I use a small high speed air motor with a 3/32" abrasive wheel. Cut it lengthwise almost thru, then use a chisel to peel it off the shaft. It doesn't take long, maybe 5 minutes total.

I keep several of the little cheap air motors in my tool box, both straight and 90 degree types. Have some with wire wheels, some with buffers, some with rotary files. It takes longer to change out a tool than the value of the time spent doing it.

Go with the method described by Richard and Steve. After wrestling all day with heat and a 3 jaw puller I cut it off in 5 minutes. Just work slowly and carefully.

Small world, this is the same thing I have been struggling with for a few days on my 23 drive shaft. Last night I found some cold roll 1/2 and today I was going to cut a slot in it to fit under the sleeve and try and press it off with a small press I have while heating it with touch. Will try and snap picture.

I guess I lucked out. I found an original puller at Hershey a few years back. I always like to keep the nut on the threads while pulling it off so the threads don't get damaged.

Got it off this morning. Didn't even have to heat. I made a piece to go between the ball thrust bearing and the sleeve. I had to raise my press on blocks to accommodate the drive shaft length but it came right off. I also had to use a deep well socket to press the axle out of the long sleeve.

James, you used the same method that I did on my Ebay Ruckstell a year ago. Afterwards, I realized that I could have just laid the press on its side on the ground, instead of raising it in the air. Oh well.....