Derek Beland from Edmonton, Alberta says: ?
When removing stock rubber bushings to replace them with urethane, sometimes you have to reuse the metal shell. Guys have been known to try and remove the rubber bushings with everything like steak knives, drills, screwdrivers, picks and half the stuff in the kitchen or garage. Forget all that. Use a small plumber?s torch to heat the outside of the shell evenly. You'll know when you're done by two signs: the rubber will begin to crackle and shoot out from between the bushing and shell in thin little streamers. Take a hammer, hold the bushing over an empty garbage can and whack the bushing hard until it pops out. This is pretty stinky, so you'll want to do this outdoors, or at least open the shop doors wide. The bushing will bounce all over the place and the melted rubber will get into everything it touches including your clothes, interior, everything - this is why I say to do it directly over a garbage can. You know if you have your carpet laid out on the shop floor, it's gonna head there first! If it does get anywhere you don't want, varsol will dissolve the rubber. Also works good to clean up the metal shell before reuse. Looking forward to your new show Stacey, the guys they replaced you with... well? stink.
STACEY'S COMMENTS:
Great tip Derek. I?ve had to use this technique many times and it works great. As you said, using a small propane torch is definitely the best way to do this because it is very controllable. An Oxy/Acetylene torch can be quicker, but can also be much more messy and if you?re not careful, you can damage or warp the metal shell with the excessive heat.
