Clutch thrust bearing

Which bearing are you talking about? The throw-out bearing? If so, I would recommend replacing it with a Hill Engineering unit, they are a better quality unit and come with all of the seals already installed.

Carefully inspect the surface on the flange where the throw-out bearing rides, If you can feel any wear on the sleeve surface or see wear through the plating/anodizing to the base metal, then it needs replacement.

The other thing to check is the clutch shaft bearing inside the bellhousing. It is a good idea to replace this bearing and inspect the bellhousing for wear. The bearing is only held in place with a snap ring, and I have seen multiple cars where the outside of the bearing spins in the bellhousing causing wear to the bellhousing. The last 550 clutch I did had at least .050" of wear in the bellhousing, allowing the clutch shaft and bearing to move all over the place. a new bellhousing was $4000+. We had to have the original welded and machined.

Brian Brown
San Francisco Motorsports

 

Don't forget to replace the pilot bearing in the end of the crankshaft. And neither the original Ferrari throw-out bearing nor the Hill bearing come with the roll pin installed that keeps the bearing from rotating. You can lever the roll pin out of the old throw-out bearing with a pair of side-cutters and reuse it, or order a new pin.

 

Once you go to all the trouble of getting to the throw-out bearing, would it not make sense just to change the clutch, too? A lot of labor involved for just changing the T/O bearing, even with flange and pilot bearing thrown in.