P38 Radius arm Bushes

[Blanco]

Realised months ago that the bushes on the front were shot and ordered replacements, but only just got round to it.

First thing to say is that I didn't appreciate until I started to look on here and elsewhere that P38 bushes aren't what I'm used to. They are a sort of 'Tupperware' outer not metal, and the bushes are somewhat larger  thean the hole they go into!

Then I discovered that the 'proper' way to fit them is with a tapered sleeve which costs upwards of £100 depending where you buy one!

I decided to spend the money I saved on buying a cheaper phone on a workshop press and get on with it anyway......

Its obvious reading other peoples experience that it can be done.

So got 'Woodie' on the ramp all stripped out and waited for the press to arrive, it was a day late for some reason, but that doesn't bother me these days.

The meccano kit was quick to assemble, about 1/2 hr and was put to work this morning.

It is quite surprising how flexible the outer layer is under pressure so after a bit of experimentation I arrived at the following MO which worked very well.

Make a bevel edge on the downward leading side that fits snuggly inside the hole in the arm. I found that 35 or 40 deg was betterr than 45.

Instead of jubilee clips I found the pipe clamps you see here which I got at the local farmers coop, I think they are for dairy pipework really but were that bit stronger, size 60 to 63mm.

And they had the advantage that 2 of them left the bevel exposed and gave the socket I used a nice lead at the top.

The socket I used was 1"13/16ths (46mm) but had about the same O.D. as  the bushes (62mm, pre insertion). I found that the clamps,  tightened on to the bush enough to prevent a strong man removing it, but not really enough to deform it, acted as a good enough 'sleeve' to press through, I put a tiny bit of white grease round the bevel just to help it in.

The second bush I tried without really gripping the 'Tupperware' just to see if it was quicker, but it allowed the bush to kick sideways which took me sometime to redo as the 'Tupperware' end got damaged.

Then I just had to wrestle the radius arms back in!

Slightly off topic...... during the job I discovered that the track rod end rubbers, only 13months old had already perished! ...... OK it was a cheapy from Paddocks but even so rubber that wont last that long?? As it happens I had some Bepco replacements for a Grey Fergy which were near perfect, so problem solved, but if not in a year or two the TRE's would be toast.