RJohn50603@aol.com wrote:
> I picked the old bearing up for another look 30 minutes later. Upon closer
> examination, what I found was bizzare! The two pivot ears on that old bearing
> were worn to less than half of their original diameter in the forward,
> rearward direction. The normal diameter of those ears is about .550". The
> measurement is now .260" Of all the ways that bearing could fail, the extreme
> wear to those pivot ears is amazing considering the slight motion they go
> through. I can also tell you I wiped a little grease on those ears when the
> bearing was installed five years ago, as I did again today.
Hmmm. I tend to question the wisdom of putting any grease on the ears of
throw-out
bearing casting. I thought the casting was made of a softer metal with some
brass
in it. With some brass, a little grinding of the ears will make it
self-lubricating.
OTOH, adding a little grease to the ears will provide great lubrication as long
as
the grease is clean. But that isn't a clean environment. Clutch material is
supposed to be slowly rubbed off the plates. That stuff ain't supposed to be
slippery. So this flying clutch fibers finds its way to the grease on the ears
of
the throw-out bearing and, over time, makes a pretty effective grinding paste.
--
Bob Allen, Kansas City
"There is nothing more expensive than a woman who is free for the evening." --
Bill Maness.
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