Sleeve bearing puller and installer

Apparatus for removing and installing sleeve bearings in a bore of an engine block comprising:

• an operator rod having longitudinally spaced notches each defining an annular shoulder around said rod;
• means for coupling said rod with a face of said engine block when said rod is in said bore of said engine block;
• means associated with said rod for moving said rod longitudinally in said bore of said engine block;
• and
• a sleeve bearing puller sized to fit on said rod and latch at each said notch against said annular shoulder around said rod along the length of said rod, said sleeve bearing puller including a tubular tapered expander mandrel having a bore for fitting said mandrel on said rod and sliding said mandrel along said rod, split sleeve extractors fitting together on said mandrel, said extractors having tapered bore portions for coacting with said mandrel to permit said mandrel to expand said extractors, and said extractors having external flange portions for engaging each of said sleeve bearings along said bore responsive to longitudinal movement of said rod moving said mandrel in said extractors, said extractors being contractible together to a reduced diameter for movement through each said sleeve bearing and expandable apart to a diameter at which said shoulder on each said extractors is engageable with an end face of each said sleeve bearing.

Apparatus for removing and installing sleeve bearings in a bore of an engine block comprising:

• an operator rod having longitudinally spaced notches, each defining an annular shoulder around said rod;
• means for coupling said operator rod with said engine block when said rod is in said bore of said engine block including a wing hub having arms connectible with said engine block and a cylinder portion fitting around said operator rod and having a bore sized to receive a front sleeve bearing pulled into said bore from a front position in said camshaft bore, a puller plate fitting in said cylinder portion of said wing hub, a thrust bearing fitting around said operator rod engageable with said puller plate, and a pull nut engageable on threads on a front end portion of said operator rod in front of said thrust bearing to move said rod longitudinally responsive to rotation of said nut;
• a split rod guide engageable around said operator rod in said camshaft bore of said engine at one of said sleeve bearings along said bore, said guide having a external cylindrical surface sized to fit within said sleeve bearing to support said operator rod along an intermediate portion of said rod;
• a sleeve bearing puller sized to fit on said rod and latch along the length of said rod at each of said notches, said sleeve bearing puller including a tubular tapered expander mandrel having a bore for fitting said mandrel on said operator rod and sliding said mandrel along said rod, split sleeve extractors fitting together on said mandrel, said extractors having tapered bore portions for coacting with said mandrel to permit said mandrel to expand said extractors, said extractors having external flange portions for engaging each of said sleeve bearings along said bore responsive to longitudinal movement of said operator rod moving said mandrel in said extractors, said extractors being contractible together to a reduced diameter for movement through each of said sleeve bearings and expandable to diameter in which said shoulder on each said extractors is engageable with an end face of said sleeve bearing;
• and
• a snap ring sized to fit on and move along said operator rod and latch at each of said notches against said annular shoulder while engaging an end of said mandrel to apply a force from said operator rod to said mandrel for expanding said extractors.

Apparatus for removal and installation of sleeve bearings in a camshaft bore of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• an operator rod sized for longitudinal operation in said camshaft bore, said operator rod having a plurality of annular notches longitudinally spaced along said rod, the first of said notches being located at a front pulling end of said rod and the remainder of said notches being spaced apart distances equal to the spacing of said bearings along said camshaft bore, said rod having a reduced externally threaded rear end portion and wrench engaging flat portions for attaching a wrench to said rod during installation of said apparatus in an engine;
• a bearing puller adapted to be installed on said rear end portion of said rod, said bearing puller including an expander mandrel having an internally threaded bore for engagement on said threads along said end portion of said operator rod, said mandrel having a pulling shoulder and tapered cam and cylindrical holding surfaces, split expandable and contractible sleeve extractors having internal tapered cam and cylindrical surfaces engageable with said expander mandrel surfaces for expansion and contraction of said extractors, and a resilient retainer around said extractors for holding said extractors together around said operator rod and said expander mandrel;
• a split operator rod guide engageable in one of said sleeve bearings along said camshaft bore around said operator rod to support a central portion of said rod during operation of said apparatus;
• a wing hub having a cylindrical body portion provided with a bore of the length and diameter to receive one of said sleeve bearings pulled into said bore from a rear end of said hub, said hub having a countersunk front bore portion defining a stop shoulder, and radially extending arms on said wing hub for securing said wing hub on a front face of said engine with the longitudinal axis of said bore through said hub being aligned with the longitudinal axis of said camshaft of said engine;
• a hydraulic jack having a cylindrical housing and a hollow center piston having bore extending throughout the length of said piston sized to receive said operator rod, said housing of said jack fitting along one end portion into said wing hub against said stop shoulder in said hub for supporting said jack at a position at which the longitudinal axis of said bore of said piston is aligned with the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing of said wing hub;
• and
• a stop assembly lockable on said operator rod at each of said notches of said rod in front of said hollow piston of said hydraulic jack, said stop being sequentially locked at each of said notches along said rod in front of said hollow piston for removal and installation of a sleeve bearing at each sleeve bearing location in said engine block along said camshaft bore.

Apparatus for installing a camshaft sleeve bearing in a camshaft bore of an engine at an end position in said engine from a location internal of said engine comprising:

• an operator rod sized to fit in said camshaft bore extending from the end of said engine in which said sleeve bearing is to be installed along said camshaft bore and outwardly from the opposite end of said engine, said operator rod having a smooth reduced end portion at said first end of said rod and an externally threaded end portion at a second opposite end of said rod;
• a sleeve bearing installation device mounted on said first end of said operator rod, said device including a tubular expander mandrel having a smooth bore fitting on said smooth reduced portion of said first end of said rod and a tapered external expander surface for operating said device responsive to longitudinal movement of said expander mandrel, a plurality of split sleeve extractors around said expander mandrel having internal surfaces defining a tapered bore engageable by said expander mandrel to expand and contract said extractors, said extractors having external cylindrical surfaces sized to fit within the bore of said sleeve bearing and end shoulder surface engageable with an end edge of said sleeve bearing, and a resilient retainer encircling said extractors for holding said extractors on said expander mandrel;
• rod guide means sized to fit around said rod within sleeve bearings along said camshaft for supporting an intermediate portion of said rod during installation of said end sleeve bearing;
• an internally threaded drive nut sized to fit on said threaded second end portion of said operator rod and adjustable along said operator rod for determining the depth to which said end sleeve bearing is pushed into position in said camshaft bore;
• a tubular spacer sized to fit on said second end of said operator rod one end of said spacer engaging an end edge of said drive nut;
• a hydraulic jack having a tubular hollow center piston having a bore sized to receive said second end portion of said operator rod, a first end edge of said piston being engageable with a second end edge of said spacer when said jack is on said second end portion of said operator rod;
• and
• a push bracket having means for mounting said bracket on an end face of said engine block clamping said hydraulic jack between said pusher bracket and said end face of said engine block for holding said jack in position while said piston is operated to push against said spacer and said drive nut to move said operator bar longitudinally into said camshaft bore for pushing said end sleeve bearing into operating position at the first opposite end of said engine block.