Register or Log In To remove these advertisements. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
07-24-2010, 08:02 AM | #1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 511
|
Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
When given a choice for a pilot bearing is there any opinions on needle vs solid? Either one better than the other?
Here is an example of what the books don't tell you and my common sense failed to tap me on the shoulder to suggest I look closely or ask someone. There is a front and back to these bearings. Duh! (I didn't 'think'.) So today my humility and I are paying for my mistake, or should I say for learning from "experience". Not the first time, won't be the last I am sure! Now I get more "experience" to replace a new one for not paying attention to the tapered front vs back of the bearing and in the process learned how not to install it. I mushroomed the darn thing in the process and the alignment tool won't slide in. Since I don't want to waste a day driving for parts I have two today with the option to return the one not used. Going to try to beat the heat and get this done this morning after chores but this is the only thing holding this clutch job up. Everything else is ready to go. (dime holding up a dollar!) Any advice is welcome. Mark
__________________
1985 Chevy C-30 Hydraulic Dump Bed 2001 Saturn SC2 (go to work car) 2010 PT Cruiser (wife's car) "Reality is just a hallucination brought on by lack of alcohol." |
07-24-2010, 08:10 AM | #2 |
dang its hot
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: frankfort kentucky
Posts: 1,349
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
use what you have and press on with the job...
|
07-24-2010, 08:35 AM | #3 |
One shot, one kill.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Saratoga Springs NY
Posts: 859
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
33 years with Chevy trucks as a dealer mechanicDO NOT USE THE ROLLER BEARING TYPE EVER!!!! IF IT FAILS YOU WILL DESTROY THE TRANNY INPUT SHAFT!!! USE THE SLEVE TYPE AND SOME WHEEL BEARING GREASE AND IT WILL LAST FOREVER.
__________________
1984 K20 350M engine with 465,000 miles. Well, it's finally done!! Almost 2 years of work, but it was really worth the effort. Little stuff left to do is mount winch, wet sand & buff out and build belly pan\running boards. Body work takes lots and LOTS of beer!!!! God, Guts and Guns made America and God, Guts and Guns will preserve it! The worst thing you could do is get into my sights, but that don't matter, you'll never know it, cause you'll never hear the shotJim or Paladin whichever you choose. |
07-24-2010, 08:55 AM | #4 | |
just can't cover up my redneck
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Columbus OH
Posts: 11,414
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
I'm with James on this one too. Stick with the bronze bushing style, but don't hit it directly. Use some kind of solid object between the bushing and the hammer.
__________________
You can review the site's rules here. Quote:
Bad planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an instant emergency on my part.... The great thing about being a pessimist is that you are either pleasantly surprised or right. |
|
07-24-2010, 11:15 AM | #5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 511
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Thanks A Lot! Your advice is well taken.
Just finished chiseling the old/new one out. You'd have thought it had been there forever. With cautious care the bronze bushing is going back in following this brief break. For what its worth: That needle bearing was prescribed by NAPA and is going back Monday. Nearly 4x's the cost of the bronze from Autozone. (it didn't seem the right choice over the bronze bushing style, but I did not know) Seriously appreciate the advice and experience here. "gettin' it done!" Mark
__________________
1985 Chevy C-30 Hydraulic Dump Bed 2001 Saturn SC2 (go to work car) 2010 PT Cruiser (wife's car) "Reality is just a hallucination brought on by lack of alcohol." |
07-24-2010, 11:29 AM | #6 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lewis County, WA
Posts: 1,523
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Definitely stick with the bushing type.
|
07-24-2010, 11:37 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Delta,Pa
Posts: 14,948
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
I agree the needle bearing is nothing more than another problem waiting to happen. It has no source of lubrication other than the grease that will get pushed out in the first few miles. The brash bushing is more than capable of doing the job.
__________________
Owner of North Point Car Care in Dundalk Md. We specialize in custom exhaust on both modern and classic vehicles. We are a full service auto shop from classics to modern vehicles. Feel free to contact me with questions. I will give a 10% discount to any board member. |
07-24-2010, 01:06 PM | #8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: West Jefferson, OH
Posts: 999
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
I agree, the solid bushing is a much better choice. And it's easier to change than the roller type.
__________________
-Andy '77 K5 Blazer '78 K10 Shortbed '78 C20 Suburban '79 K30 Crew Cab Dually '84 C10 Short Stepside '88 K20 Suburban |
07-24-2010, 07:04 PM | #9 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: MD
Posts: 1,937
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Friction or anti friction bearing. Easy choice.....anti friction ball bearing.
Quote:
__________________
1969 c-10 Step Side Long Bed. I-6 250cid = = 1969 Pontiac GTO hard top. 400, 4-speed. Last edited by GRX; 07-24-2010 at 07:10 PM. |
|
07-24-2010, 08:37 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Delta,Pa
Posts: 14,948
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Its fine and great when the bearing is first installed and has plenty of grease. It wont take long for that bearing to throw its grease out. Rollers without grease wont roll for long.
__________________
Owner of North Point Car Care in Dundalk Md. We specialize in custom exhaust on both modern and classic vehicles. We are a full service auto shop from classics to modern vehicles. Feel free to contact me with questions. I will give a 10% discount to any board member. |
07-24-2010, 08:51 PM | #11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: gadsden, alabama
Posts: 468
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
i have to agree with the majority when the roller brg first came out 20 or so years ago i grabbed one from the chevy dealer and installed one in my sportsman car and three races later had to replace the input shaft in the muncie and man was it chewed up went back to the bushing and replaced every thirty races
|
07-25-2010, 11:43 AM | #12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lewis County, WA
Posts: 1,523
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Quote:
The bushing has a hell of a lot less to go wrong. |
|
07-25-2010, 06:03 PM | #13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 511
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Just an additional update on this topic for anyone as myself who may find it useful reference.
Came up with this bearing driver design to drive the pilot bearing in yesterday. Simple but effective and it worked! More assembly on this project done yesterday and today in between work and life's chores. Will add some progress to the original new clutch thread. Yet it all starts at the pilot bearing. Turning one bolt at a time... Mark
__________________
1985 Chevy C-30 Hydraulic Dump Bed 2001 Saturn SC2 (go to work car) 2010 PT Cruiser (wife's car) "Reality is just a hallucination brought on by lack of alcohol." |
08-29-2010, 11:30 AM | #14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: N Texas
Posts: 580
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
I agree with Bronze BUSHING!
I just removed Brand new Summit roller bearing, apparently there was a little too much "interference" fit, and it distorted when installed. It would not accept more than a few mm of the input shaft before hanging up. Wasted 6 hours and $20
__________________
292 + TKO500 |
08-29-2010, 12:10 PM | #15 |
Well, Whoop-dee-do!
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Easton, Mo. pop.- me & scarcely a few others
Posts: 2,302
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
The bushing will outlast the clutch. If you find one that didn't, another problem such as clutch/ flywheel unbalance caused it to wear. The bushing is made from Oilite, a porus bronze alloy. It holds oil like a sponge. Greasing it with heavy grease keeps it from "self lubricating" as it blocks the pores making it wear out faster. Grease can also cause friction in cold weather, making the transmission harder to shift (especially unsynchronized gears) and a squaling sound at high idle with the clutch depressed.
The only roller pilot bearings worth a darn are typically found in large trucks/ industrial equipment. They have an inner race so the rollers or ball bearings do not contact the input shaft.
__________________
'68 GMC shortbox 4x4 350/SM465/T221- bought it in '83 SOLD '72 K20 500 Cad/TH400/NP205 SOLD '92 Chevy 2500 6.5 mech TD 4L80E crusty daily driver '72 Monte Carlo... sweet low mile toy '11 Dodge Challenger IE 392 6spd... midlife car |
09-03-2010, 09:42 PM | #16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 63
|
Re: Pilot Bearing Opinion: Needle vs Solid
Just dealt with the grief of pulling the trans because of roller bearing failure... never again. Put a bushing in & be done. Atleast the input shaft did not get destroyed when the rollers flew apart... it just got hard to shift.
|
Bookmarks |
|
|