scorp508

Anybody out there got a recomendation for a new clutch fork and pilot bearing on an '87?

Hi-perf is preferred.

Zix

I had the replace the pilot bearing on my LT4 when I replaced the clutch recently...I went with the GM unit, the original lasted 60K miles with little wear so it can't be that bad!

scorp508

Right now I am looking at....


Lakewood Roller Pilot Bearing: $24.99
Moroso Roller Pilot Bearing: $13.99


I can't figure out what clutch forks work with the car though. :)

JonM

Are you staying with the stock bell housing?

http://www.martelbros.com/cgi-bin/st...d/lakewood.htm


[Modified by JonM, 2:49 PM 3/29/2002]

No Go

Chevrolet offers a roller bearing for diesel trucks. I no longer have the part number, but was only 12 bucks or so and had nearly twice as many rollers as any of the aftermarket models.

:)

JonM

No Go...that would be part # 14061685 - Clutch Pilot Bearing

https://www.spoperformanceparts.com/

scorp508

Guys will that Lakewood fork work? The stock part number is 14048868, and this Lakewood one says that it is a direct replacement for 340278 and 14066235.

JonM

Brian ...I would give them a call ...800 882-7223

No Go

Ummmm....that would be the one:)

Rich B.

What lube do you use with that??? Wheel bearing grease??? :confused:

(Jon - That 1984 pic really freaks me out!) :D

JonM

Wheel bearing greese is fine...anything that is slippery, its just to elliminate friction...even KY :lol:
Why does that pic "freak you out"

Rich B.

Seems like it would need high-temp grease...Hot back there... :D

No offense on the pic! It's - :cool: I just haven't seen hair that long in years...(I guess I should get out more!)... :yesnod:

(One of the disadvantages of a life in the military - everybody looks the same!) :crazy:

mooncricket

Scorp, heres my two cents about pilot bearings:

They suck. The pilot BUSHING is the way to go. These are made from Oil-Lite, a material that is impregnated with lubricant. The hotter they get, the more oil that will come out of them in a friction situation. This is why the OD is so much larger that the ID on the GM unit, to hold more oil. This whole pilot bearing/bushing thing was taught to me a long time ago by a machinist I know.

As far as bearings go, a pilot BEARING is a hell of a remote location for a bearing in the whole scheme of the entire car. Any other bearing in the car is an integral part of another unit with available lubricant from a larger source, if you want to think of it that way. Even the U-joints either can be greased, and if they go bad it is much easier to service.

Bearings get funny when the rollers don't roll, and you lose enormous contact area from the input shaft surface to the pilot bearing. Remember that if you buy a pilot bearing from Lakewood or even GM, it is like buying a bearing WITHOUT a fitted innner race, because Lakewood or GM didn't have your input shaft to fit it to. In the world of bearings, this is not an ideal situation.

Bottom line is, these things are neat and seem like a good idea. But the truth is, the input shaft is probably hardly ever going to spin anyway in the bushing/bearing anyway, unless you really, really sit in traffic alot. I think it's not worth it, and in this particular application I think the one piece bushing is just less likely to fail than a bearing, and the bushing is just way more than adequate.

just my two cents...

ol,RJ

I'm pretty sure you'll have to go with a stock GM fork.
the vette has a real short fork compared to everything else (I'm talking multiple inch's).
A stock one should be fine as long as your not running a clutch/pp with lot's of pressure..
RJ

I use white lithium grease on the pivot points. wheel bearing grease is fine for a pilot bearing, but it is made to thin(melt) when hot so it flows into a wheel bearing. If you use it on a pivot point it might end up in the bottom of your bellhousing instead of where you want it.


[Modified by ol,RJ, 2:56 AM 4/1/2002]