The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Throwout bearing lesson

If you need or want to practice removing and replacing your transmission, just put the throwout bearing in backwards. Guess how I know this. Ha!
John

OUCH !! Is that how you make "wrench fetcher" status ??

my guess is you'd be fetching more than a couple wrenches after that mistake!

Actually, the second time was pretty quick because I had just been through it. The first time was the time consuming one where I had to think out everything that I did and make jigs to support the transmission, etc. Obviously, I didn't pay attention to the throw out bearing. Alas.
As far as the wrenches, I have made a great wooden tool tray with four light weight casters and two "L" shaped, flat steel corner braces on the top that hold two of the Harbor Freight magnetic parts cups. Before I made it, I would always lay my tools on the floor and my "creeper" would constantly hang a wheel on something.
John

It's a lot more common mistake to put the clutch disc in backwards. It will fit either way, but the torsion springs in the hub will drag on the flywheel bolts if the disc is in wrong, and the clutch won't release all the way. Been there, done that!
Jerry

It's a real pain when this type of situation happens.But,you do learn from it,and can pass it on to others.What type of transmission do you have in your truck ?

I recently swapped out the original 4 speed with granny gear for a T-5 World Class from an 86 Camaro with the biggest V-8 and put an S-10 shifter on it. The reason that I went with that T-5 WC was not that I needed a killer transmission, it was because it was a five speed with .63 overdrive.
My rear end is the original 4.56 and with the original transmission, I was screaming at 45 mph. Now I can cruise at 2200 rpm at 64 mph. I bought the transmission from Tom Langdon.
John

John,
Funny (sorry, not really) but a couple weeks ago I was installing a new clutch in my beast and was thinking how hard/easy would it be to put the throwout bearing in backwards. Thanks for answering my question.

I got a clutch kit last year from a FLAPS for my S10's T-5. I should have handed it back when I saw the made in China label on the box, but I had to go all the way through installing it before finding they had assembled the 2 halves of the pressure plate backwards so that both the engine and transmission sides faced 1 way. Since they tried to make it idiot proof by stenciling this side towards engine I didn't look at it closely until after I had to yank it back out.

Always sucks to have a "KIT" not be right. You expect it to go together with no real grief.... been there!

I did my apprenticeship in an engine shop working on diesel and gas pots as we called them. When the foreman caught me assuming something he taught me his phrase 'if you found a french safe in an apple box would you eat it' from then on I never assumed anything even if it was new and out of the box. If the foreman did catch me assuming something he would say 'ah you like the taste of rubber'. In one incident a brand new water pump was installed, the engine put on the dyno and overheated. Seems that at the factory someone forgot to install the impeller. Rubber is not my favourite flavour.

FYI = The component is actually called a "clutch release bearing" the term "throw out bearing" originated because the bearing was routinely thrown out (discarded) with each clutch plate (disk) change regardless of the bearings actual condition.