Replacing Pilot Bearing, Feeling lost (now found!) Options

[ThinAir]

Looking at the tranny end of my flywheel, I see a smooth surface that looks like a "bushing" rather than a "pilot bearing". Since I've already replaced the input shaft seal, and have once again developed a leak in that area, I decided that I must be missing the pilot bearing and have pulled the transmission and clutch in order to fix this. Now that I've got it apart, I'm not sure if I'm right or how to proceed.

I've purchased the pilot bearing and felt washer, but I'm not sure just how this all goes together.

Is it correct that the pilot bearing and felt washer go into the flywheel from the engine side?
If this is correct, does the felt washer to in first? The pilot bearing "race" looks different on each end - does it matter which way it goes in?
Assuming that I have some kind of bushing currently installed, how do I get it out? (Or are there some flywheels that use only a bushing and not a bearing?)

Any other advice? I don't want to remove the flywheel without a better picture of whether I'm on the right track.

TIA for the help!

[ThinAir]

Well, I stumbled across an old print-out of the Pelican Parts article on Replacing the Clutch so I've got most of my questions answered. I just wish the diagram of the exploded parts view was larger, but the article text seems pretty clear - the bearing goes in from the engine side of the flywheel, and the felt washer goes on the transmission side (under the crush washer).

The one thing I'm still wondering about is why it looks like I have a bushing in the flywheel where the pilot bearing should be. Was this ever done as a normal setup? Given the P.O. on this car, it would not surprise me to find out that he machined something instead of doing it right.

[Tom]

I am pretty sure I put mine in from the clutch side and looking at the Haynes manual comfirms this. You will need a new crush washer to put under the 6 flywheel bolts as this washer needs to be removed to allow access to the pilot bearing and felt washer. The pilot bearing needs to be inside the flywheel hole deep enough to leave a "lip" of 126 thousands for the felt washer.
Tom

[Dr Evil]

A bushing is a stupid, DAPO thing. The friction of the flywheel to the shaft when in neutral would be bad, and can cause damage. This needs to be corrected. You are on the right track.

[ThinAir]

Just wanted to report back that I successfully got this done thanks to the affirmation that I got here about being on the right path.

I was wrong about there being a bushing in the flywheel - it just looked that way, but turned out to be a pilot bearing (found one "needle" on the ground after I removed the flywheel).

The new pilot bearing does indeed go in from the engine side, and it leaves the perfect amount of space on the tranny side for the felt washer to fit under the crush washer.

I've got some photos to add, just for clarity, but I'll have to come back to add them.