Thank you guys. I've been lucky. It's not uncommon for me to screw up first attempts and with this one having so many...good luck has been a major factor...so far.
I wanted to share a great tool. A well designed tool specifically for one job- to handle vintage style tuner bushings.
It inserts and extracts them with no damage when used correctly. It was expensive but worth it. Using hammers and screwdrivers or such is just not the way IMO.
I stopped working on the neck to take this shot and post for ya'll.
It is setup to install the bushings.
The extract a bushing the loose metal piece replaces the insert piece and the white cap is removed thus leaving
a space for the bushing to exit. The metal pusher to extract does adjust for bushing.
It's nice after going to the trouble of getting the holes correct to fit the bushings properly not being destroyed and bushings that fall out of loose pocket- after all the tuner is riding and positioned in place by it. Tuner action is without doubt better due to these steps being done correctly.
Replacing used ones may need correct attention so it's good to know what the repair person plans to do and what you expect how he/she should perform the job.
These bushings are of different dimensions so there are factors to be known.
The bushings will be removed at least once during the build. The test fit and at this completion stage.
They are the correct fit- the ones supplied with the tuners were not although the dealer was smart enough to include the right ones in a zip bag- and they have been installed correctly so should give many years of service.
I imagine the bushings supplied with tuners were to replace original- oversized to fit worn hole- the problem was the internal diameter for tuner peg was also enlarged which leaves to much slack for peg movement (to bend under string tension). Again...that's my guess.