Standard Issues
- Subject: Self-aligning clutch-release bearings
- Essential Reading: Rebuilder, R & R
- Author: Gabe Vajda
When automotive technicians order parts for a repair job they know they need the right part, and a quality part as well. So it is just a common procedure in any repair job that technicians will inspect the new part to make sure it is both the correct part and a quality part without any visual or functional flaws that would lead to a poor repair job and a customer comeback.
Many of today’s release bearings may not look like the original bearing that was in the vehicle. A large number of release bearings are now of the “self-centering” type.
At first it may appear that the bearing race and bore are not concentric (having the same axis). Also, some of the newer release bearings can adjust to different “angular” positions, which gives the appearance that the bearing race is loose and wobbly.
These types of release bearings adjust to any slight misalignment between the engine and transmission. This helps them run cooler and reduces axial and radial bearing wear. And that is an important asset of these types of bearings, because with modern hydraulic clutch-release systems the release bearing runs constantly whenever the engine is running.