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The most obvious method is to use a traditional bushing driver and drive it out the back side of the block. The biggest problem is that this also pushes the rear freeze plug out. So what should have been an easy job now has you removing the bell housing and dropping the transmission to replace the freeze plug. Unfortunately in some applications this is the only way to do it.

So with every problem comes a solution. In this case it takes a little tweaking to make it right. This is a BK Sweeney #7 small cam bushing remover. How this works is that you push the puller through the rear cam bearing until you feel the spring loaded feet pop out. Then you slide the slide hammer until the bearing pops out or you knock the rear freeze plug out on the back stroke. The odds are about the same as betting red or black at the roulette table.

Finally a design that works. You slip this puller all the way to the back of number 7 and turn the pulling bar. This forces a ball bearing down the puller collet. This expands the puller head until it has a firm grip on the bushing. You then use a forcing nut at the front of the engine block to slowly pull the bearing from the block. No jarring or banging against the rear freeze plug. It makes replacing cam bearings in chassis a relatively simple job.

I know some of you old timers keep looking back at the Sweeney puller head and wondering where did you find a picture of a new puller head. We maintain a small museum of old diesel tools at Apex Tool Company. I have to admit though, that I am not a very good museum curator. It has to be the only museum that if you call and ask if we have it, we will shoot you a price and it has found a new home.

Happy Wrenching!

--Fred Neff