TheSamba.com :: View topic - Bus Center Pin Replacement (Long, MANY pics)

Sun Aug 29, 2010 3:48 pm

hazetguy wrote: bushing installer VW131a: maybe Joey can make some of these? or are they already in the works 8)

hazet 779: can be purchased from many sources. it is still readily availble and currently manufactured. Zelenda, SamstagSales, Baum might be places to ask for current pricing. (this has been asked about and talked about in the past, do a search)

reamer: available through many sources, with many levels of quality available. the one in the pics i got on ebay, the other one i have i bought new. both were made in germany. new ones similar to the type seen below area about $120.

A cheaper way to do this is to use a brake cylinder hone to ream the bushing into spec. You can sneak up on the ID better with the hone and it will only cost you about $25.00 for the hone.
yes, you can rent them from bus boys, here is what their site says. for the price of rental, shipping, and deposit, you could just buy your own.

"Center Pin Installation Tools

Original Volkswagen procedures for replacing your center pin and the bushings required the front beam to be removed from the vehicle. Several years ago, we developed a Center Pin Bushing Removal/Installation Tool (patent pending) that allows you to do the same job without front beam removal. We normally rent these tools to customers that wish to do the job themselves. In addition, we rent the reamer tool required for 1950 to 1967 Type 2 Center Pin Bushings.

210-41571TRL Center Pin Install Tool - Rental 1950 to 1979 $55.00 PLUS $75.00 Deposit

210-41572TR Center Pin Reamer Tool - Rental 1950 to 1967 $35.00 PLUS $125.00 Deposit

These tools are carefully packaged to prevent damage, especially the reamer. We inspect these tools for damage before rental and those that are in questionable condition are pulled from the shelf to be repaired or scrapped. It is very important to take special care in the handling of these tools, especially the reamer, as if the reamer is dropped to the floor/ground, it can be damaged very easily. Deposit refunds are subject to the inspection of the condition of the tools returned. In addition, it is required that the tools be returned in their original packing to qualify for the deposit refund. Tools returned that are damaged beyond repair or that have been abnormally abused will be returned to the customer and the deposit(s) forfeited. Tools must be returned within 60 days of the rental invoice date or the deposit(s) will be forfeited."

Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:07 pm

DragNut wrote: hazetguy wrote: bushing installer VW131a: maybe Joey can make some of these? or are they already in the works 8)

hazet 779: can be purchased from many sources. it is still readily availble and currently manufactured. Zelenda, SamstagSales, Baum might be places to ask for current pricing. (this has been asked about and talked about in the past, do a search)

reamer: available through many sources, with many levels of quality available. the one in the pics i got on ebay, the other one i have i bought new. both were made in germany. new ones similar to the type seen below area about $120.

A cheaper way to do this is to use a brake cylinder hone to ream the bushing into spec. You can sneak up on the ID better with the hone and it will only cost you about $25.00 for the hone.
yes, you can rent them from bus boys, here is what their site says. for the price of rental, shipping, and deposit, you could just buy your own.

"Center Pin Installation Tools

Original Volkswagen procedures for replacing your center pin and the bushings required the front beam to be removed from the vehicle. Several years ago, we developed a Center Pin Bushing Removal/Installation Tool (patent pending) that allows you to do the same job without front beam removal. We normally rent these tools to customers that wish to do the job themselves. In addition, we rent the reamer tool required for 1950 to 1967 Type 2 Center Pin Bushings.

210-41571TRL Center Pin Install Tool - Rental 1950 to 1979 $55.00 PLUS $75.00 Deposit

210-41572TR Center Pin Reamer Tool - Rental 1950 to 1967 $35.00 PLUS $125.00 Deposit

These tools are carefully packaged to prevent damage, especially the reamer. We inspect these tools for damage before rental and those that are in questionable condition are pulled from the shelf to be repaired or scrapped. It is very important to take special care in the handling of these tools, especially the reamer, as if the reamer is dropped to the floor/ground, it can be damaged very easily. Deposit refunds are subject to the inspection of the condition of the tools returned. In addition, it is required that the tools be returned in their original packing to qualify for the deposit refund. Tools returned that are damaged beyond repair or that have been abnormally abused will be returned to the customer and the deposit(s) forfeited. Tools must be returned within 60 days of the rental invoice date or the deposit(s) will be forfeited."

i did not say the bolded text, and i personally would not suggest doing something like that. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2766947#2766947

Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:20 pm

I definitely used a reamer, not a brake hone. It seems to me that it would be hard to get both bushings perfectly concentric with a brake hone.

I did have to remove the front shift rod to completely ream the top bushing.

Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:34 am

:) Well just got done with replacing my center pivot pin and bushings. I used a thread-all and a piece of pipe. Took 3 hours in the rain. No more play..

Sun Nov 28, 2010 9:03 am

does the 64-67 style require the same 1.4 -1.7mm upper bushing spacing as the earlier beams?

Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:13 pm

I'd just like to be one more of many to thank Hazetguy for the excellent illustrated thread on replacing and reaming the center pin on the Bus! A couple of us did this procedure this afternoon to Matt Millers' '61 Panel while he was here in St. Louis visiting from Little Rock. I already owned a brand new reamer (the exact same one pictured above), the dealership press tool to press the old pin out, and the Hazet brand drift to drive the old bearings out and the new bearings in. With his clear step-by-step tutorial, we very easily completed the procedure and now Matt is on his way back to Arkansas with a nice tight front end! Thanks to my buddy Roy, Matt and especially to Jon!

Bill Bowman

Sun May 08, 2011 1:15 am

Got my bushings out, new ones installed and honed. Problem now is, new pin is tightish in the top bushing (bottom one seems ok), even though the reamer passes through both smoothly. I needed a small hammer to get the pin in. Once the assembly was back together, it gave me some leverage to turn the pin. It's fairly stiff. Suggestions?

Sun May 08, 2011 1:47 am

You could massage a piece of fine emery cloth on the bushing to clean it up, Make sure that you blow it off with compressed air. The center pin should not be that tight of a fit.

Sun May 08, 2011 7:49 am

reservoirdubs wrote: Got my bushings out, new ones installed and honed. Problem now is, new pin is tightish in the top bushing (bottom one seems ok), even though the reamer passes through both smoothly. I needed a small hammer to get the pin in. Once the assembly was back together, it gave me some leverage to turn the pin. It's fairly stiff. Suggestions?

I would suggest you clean everything up and take a second pass with the reamer.

Sun May 29, 2011 7:57 pm

Thanks to all of you for providing the info I needed to do my center pin, and a specials thanks to Ronnie @ Bustorations for overnighting my parts. I now have my work truck back on the job!!!

Thu Jul 21, 2011 5:30 pm

pacey wrote: Just thought i'd add a word of warning to anyone who wants to replace their bushes on a cb beam, the tube in which the bushes sit is machined sort of like a stop, so that the top bush goes in from the top and the bottom one goes in from the bottom.
This makes it a nightmare getting the bushes out as you can't pull them both out from the bottom or use the tool and knock them both upwards. The step is also very similar to the thickness of the bush so trying to tap the top bush up is proving difficult.
Thought i'd better warn people with cb beams, although as these beams are fairly new most will not have come across this problem yet. Mine was a loose fit from day one,
Col.

agreed. The cb beams come really sloppy in the centre pin, and the steps make removal of the bushings very difficult. I ended up cutting out the cb centre block and replacing with the stock one. That way in the future you can do the centerpin bushings with the beam in the car. And bought/installed a quality centre kit...the cb pins are 0.002" undersized.

Tue Mar 20, 2012 5:24 pm

I don't know why I'm posting this, I'm a bit embarrassed, but here goes.. I tried doing my pin today. I found a reamer on amazon last winter, a HSS model 101-1124. I get the new bushings in, start reaming and realize this thing is way too long. I take the shift rod off and continue on. I get through both bushings and the reamer hits the body. The shaft of this reamer is roughly the same size as the cutting end. No wiggle room. Its pinned up against the body and still in the beam. Couldn't go forward and couldn't go back so I ended up cutting the Fing thing out. So now I need to order a new kit and find another reamer...Please don't bash me too bad, I've had a bad day... :( :oops:

Tue Mar 20, 2012 5:59 pm

Hi Shano63, sorry to hear about your mishap. Hope attempt #2 works out better.

May I ask where you purchased the reamer as I have been looking and can't find any. I tried all of the above sources but no luck.

Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:28 pm

Thanks Terry, I bought it off of Amazon. I don't see it listed anymore. I don't know what i did wrong, I just think it was too long??

Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:45 pm

Don't you just keep turning it the same direction but bring it back down through the bushings?

Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:16 pm

Maybe go with the Brazilian kit that doesn't need to be reamed?

Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:07 pm

JOGR wrote: Don't you just keep turning it the same direction but bring it back down through the bushings?

Now I really feel stupid...thanks, that totally makes sense...

Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:48 am

JOGR wrote: Don't you just keep turning it the same direction but bring it back down through the bushings?

Yes.

Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:29 am

I have an extra reamer for this job, in case anyone is interested.

Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:47 pm

After last weeks debacle I tried it again. Got another reamer thanks to transportertalkman (thanks Joe), and a new pin kit. Success!!