Yesterday, I removed the clutch slave bracket and linkage from the transmission. I noticed something that requires assessment. First picture is the bearing that bolts to the bottom of the bracket where the shaft passes through the bracket to the clutch shaft. Note considerable wear.
My first thought was that this wear was simply a function of thousands of uses over the course of the car's life and that the uneven wear resulted simply from excessive use and gravity.
But the plot thickens.... the cross shaft itself is also worn at the bearing location.....see second picture. the wear pattern includes marks suggesting that even the bearing housing was rubbing on the shaft........ the third photo shows the bearing in its housing, sitting in the bracket (but w/o the felt washer that cinches the bearing in housing- it disintegrated when I opened the housing). The big question comes from the dent on the bottom of the bracket itself. It doesn't appear to have shifted things but the wear on shaft and bearing suggest otherwise.........
So the questions are:
is this normal wear or is it the result of the vehicle bottoming out on the slave cylinder bracket and throwing the alignment off? And if it is the latter,
a) should I just replace the bearing and sit tight for a number of years, or b) replace the bearing and shaft and sit tight for decades,
or c) is it clear that the replacement of all three parts (bearing, shaft AND bracket) is warranted.
Thanks for your help and insight.....
Jay
My first thought was that this wear was simply a function of thousands of uses over the course of the car's life and that the uneven wear resulted simply from excessive use and gravity.
But the plot thickens.... the cross shaft itself is also worn at the bearing location.....see second picture. the wear pattern includes marks suggesting that even the bearing housing was rubbing on the shaft........ the third photo shows the bearing in its housing, sitting in the bracket (but w/o the felt washer that cinches the bearing in housing- it disintegrated when I opened the housing). The big question comes from the dent on the bottom of the bracket itself. It doesn't appear to have shifted things but the wear on shaft and bearing suggest otherwise.........
So the questions are:
is this normal wear or is it the result of the vehicle bottoming out on the slave cylinder bracket and throwing the alignment off? And if it is the latter,
a) should I just replace the bearing and sit tight for a number of years, or b) replace the bearing and shaft and sit tight for decades,
or c) is it clear that the replacement of all three parts (bearing, shaft AND bracket) is warranted.
Thanks for your help and insight.....
Jay
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