Inserting bushing into mounting

Do you have a pillar drill? With suitable bits and pieces, this is an accurate press and can give more force than you might at first think.

Depending on the geometry of the bits, you can sometimes press bushes into place using a vice.

The other trick is to use bolts or studding with suitable nuts and washers to pull it into place.

As with a ball bearing unit, ideally you would apply the force to the outer part. This avoids stressing the rubber, also you can tap it with a hammer to get some impact force.

If you have a suitable sized socket set, sockets can be used as really useful drifts. The steel is hard so you can apply a lot of direct force, or impact with a hammer, without the socket distorting.

A trolley jack would probably be the last thing I would use, and I certainly wouldn't be pressing against a sump. Against a chassis member, maybe.

Pop the bush in the freeze for a few hours.

If you can, heat the 'hole' (eg with boiling water).

I had the same problem some years back on an old Mk2 Escort, the bushes on a stabliser bar at the back. I popped the bushes in the freezer and dipped the holes/receptacles in a pot of boiling water. I then just tapped them into place, with a tube as a guide.

Bolt and big washers.

Suitable nut and bolt and washers? Sometimes a square drive socket can be used instead of a washer - rather stronger.

G cramp and sockets make a decent small press.

Agreed. For small stuff I have occasionally used Mole Wrenches too.

A bolt through the middle is likely to keep it square, though.

I was wondering about cooling and heating.

Most plastics are around 50 x 10^-6 /K, so 40C below room temperature would give a contraction of 0.2%

Steel is around 12 x 10^-6 / K, so 80C above room temperature would give you an expansion of 0.1%

Total 0.3%

I'm wondering if that is enough, given the rubber will lose it's ability to deform at low temperatures? I might consider oil, cooking oil vapourises at 200C or so.

Oh yes, agreed; just that sometimes there are other constraints. And a mole concentrates the force like nothing else.

I *assume* the OP's problem was silentbloc type bushes so only the differential expansion associated with steel. Unlike rolling element bearings (where the housings and races are accurately machined but have small clearances), these components are usually pressed steel and so not particularly accurate. As long as the bores are clean and rust-free, you should not need too much force and personally I doubt if heating would make much difference. Obviously, it would if you took the housing up to red heat with a gas torch, but then you would be in danger of "cooking" the rubber even if you sprayed it with water as soon as the bush was in place.