Flywheel bearing

old guy rich

old guy rich

Senior Member
I need some opinions please. Going to swap my standard trans with an O/D trans. Got my parts from Vanpelt and will make the change soon, but have a question as to which should be used in the flywheel a bearing or a bushing. I have both, just want to use what's best. Thanks, old guy rich.
 
Somewhat up there with what is your favorite color! :) You will get folks on both side of this and to me both sides have some good points. If your a Rumble Seat fan, here's his thoughts:

"Bushing type: These are usually made from “Oilite” (a trade name for porous bronze that is impregnated with oil) and are simply called bronze bushings. Oilite wears fairly fast due to it’s softness and porosity. Ford specifies a maximum wear of 0.006". It’s not uncommon to find some worn as much as 0.080"0.100"! Many have been beat on so long they’ve become egg shaped. When installing a bronze bushing, lube it with a very thin film of high-temp grease on the inside of it’s bore. Rule of thumb I use is to replace the bushing whenever I am looking at one."

"Bearing type: These replace the bronze bushings. Because bearings are made of quality hardened steel they last a long time. Most are a sealed type bearing and come with a little cheap low-temp grease. Generally this thin grease is slung out in to the clutch area the first time it’s used. A cure I use is to remove the soft neoprene type seal on one side of the bearing using a sharp pick tool. I’m careful to not damage the seal since I’ll re-use it. Clean the bearing with solvent and dry it with air and/or heat. I don’t spin it with air since it’ll quickly ruin the bearings and races due to heat generation. I work some (don’t pack it since it’ll just sling it off) high-temp thick grease into the bearing (I use Lubriplate #70 which is intended for wheel bearings, but it’s no longer available.). Reinstall the seal and install the bearing. I do this to every new pilot bearing I put in (OHV and FH). Most bearings treated this way last nearly 100,000 miles. Otherwise the cheap grease they come with is gone quickly and the bearing is soon galled and junk. I prefer bearings over bushings since I’m lazy and don’t want to work on things much anymore."
 
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We stock both types. The sealed ball bearing type is theoretically better in that it will hold the transmission input shaft true as long as the bearing lasts. The oilite bushing type is softer and thus wears sooner.

All the ball bearing types that we find are imported. Might be just fine and we haven't had anyone report back that a new one from us failed. If one does, it's likely to go dry and seize up on the transmission input shaft......damaging the pilot of the shaft.

I lean toward the bushing type for two simple reasons. First, I don't have to worry about the seal leaking and the bearing failing quickly. Second, very few of our old Fords are driven as daily drivers. Most will be lucky to see 1000 miles a year. It's going to take many years to accumulate enough miles to wear out that bushing. There are plenty of exceptions of course and those owners may want to consider the sealed ball bearing.

Our clutch kits are available with either type.....customer's choice.
 
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For many years I would use and recommend only the roller bearing. Then, I had one seize in my car. These days I recommend the bushing. I have never seen a problem with excessive wear or seizure using a bushing.
 
Another thing to remember is these bushings or bearings only spin when the clutch is depressed. Unless one sits in a lot of traffic these get used very little.
 
JWL said:
For many years I would use and recommend only the roller bearing. Then, I had one seize in my car. These days I recommend the bushing. I have never seen a problem with excessive wear or seizure using a bushing.
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Did you mean to say ball bearing or were you actually using roller bearings?
 
The condition of the front pilot on the transmission input shaft also plays an important role in how long either a ball, or bushing type pilot bearing will last. If that diameter has been previously damaged in any way, either type pilot bearing, even if new, is not going to last very long.
 
Mac VP said:
We stock both types. The sealed ball bearing type is theoretically better in that it will hold the transmission input shaft true as long as the bearing lasts. The oilite bushing type is softer and thus wears sooner.

All the ball bearing types that we find are imported. Might be just fine and we haven't had anyone report back that a new one from us failed. If one does, it's likely to go dry and seize up on the transmission input shaft......damaging the pilot of the shaft.

I lean toward the bushing type for two simple reasons. First, I don't have to worry about the seal leaking and the bearing failing quickly. Second, very few of our old Fords are driven as daily drivers. Most will be lucky to see 1000 miles a year. It's going to take many years to accumulate enough miles to wear out that bushing. There are plenty of exceptions of course and those owners may want to consider the sealed ball bearing.

Our clutch kits are available with either type.....customer's choice.
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Mac, are those bushing type bearings in your kits also being imported?
 
If the material and dimensions are correct for a bushing or bearing for that matter. It shouldn't matter where it's from. Bearings are still quality that come from Japan, Korea, some Taiwanese, or just about anywhere in Europe. Folks are going to have to accept that a lot of this stuff isn't made in the US anymore.

On the helicopters, many require inspecting and regreasing rotating bearings every 24-months with a shelf life of 4-years on the grease. This is about as long as the lubricant lasts in normal service. I use the phosphor bronze myself. It will go for years without any service at all if you drive gently. FoMoCo used bushings only in the 50s era.
 
The old parts guys like Fred Wilner at SSO, or Ray Helgers in RI will likely have USA made bearings if you are not fond of imported stuff.
 
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