The dumbest thing?

[drofdar]

I got my motor installed and it drives great. Then I begin to hear a squeel when I shift, and realize if forgot to pack the throw-out bearing. ARGGGG!!!
Guess I'll have to drop the trans and bell housing. Anyone know how long a dry T.O. Bearing can last?

Has anyone else done something so dumb as this? Fess up, I need help to feel like less of a knothead.

 

[73k5blazer]

They are pretty durable. THe ones coming in kits these days don't need to be packed, they are permently sealed. I just put one in my '97 K2500, from a LuK kit, permently sealed.
From the many many clutch jobs I've done, almost every bearing I've removed had been bone dry, only 1 was toasted, the others still worked great. They got replaced anyway though.

 

[drofdar]

OK, thanks for the good news. In the old days, we always skouged as much high temp grease as we could get into it. I'll just run it. It dosn't make the noise all the time, and the clutch is adjusted properly. I don't know what else it could be cause it only happens when I let the pedal out.

 

[73k5blazer]

What brand of clutch did you use?

 

[drofdar]

I got the kit from NAPA, and the instruction sheet says "Perfection Clutch", from Timmonsville, SC. The instructions do not mention greasing the bearing. I did install the pilot bushing into the crank first as this motor was auto tranny before.

 

[73k5blazer]

In my early days of wrenching, when I was dirt poor, I'd get the cheapest clutch kits. Almost every remaned clutch kit I put in went bad within 5000mi. You might want to check with Napa to see if that is all new parts or reman stuff.
I use nothing but LuK kits now. Never had a lick of trouble with them.

 

[drofdar]

I'm pretty sure its a new kit. But since the truck drives ok, just makes noise when I let the pedal up, I'll continue to run it till if fails. Or at least really starts to grind. Thanks for the tip on the LuK. Where are they available?

 

[73k5blazer]

I used to get them from www.dialaclutch.com, but they are not 100% luk anymore, you need to call them and ask if the one for your truck is a Luk, last order I had from them they sent a generic box "Brand new Orignal Quality Clutch kit", using a LuK Number. It wasn't a LuK, and I sent it back. Now I just go down to the local trans shop and get it from them. The three trans shops near me all use LuK they get from their local supply house. Doesn't come in the pretty yellow box, but still has LuK stamped on all the parts.
I think there is another online place selling them now.
So it doesn't make any noise when you depress, only when you release? If that's the case, I'd say something could be wrong with the disc itself. Did you resurface the flywheel? If it's brand new, they usally make a little whoshing sound when you release, but that goes away within 100mi or so.

 

[K5Steve]

One time in my old 77,My wife(girlfriend at the time) and I dropped my new 355 in,got everything ready to fire,went to bolt up the torque converter to the flywheel,I realized that my dumbass forgot to bolt the flywheel to the crank and it was sitting there under the truck .I felt like an idiot.It only took 30 minutes to pull the motor and bolt it up but that'll stick in my memory as one of the dumbest things I've done.

 

[drofdar]

Yes, it a new flywheel. I even had the balance checked and it was right on. You know, I don't even have 20 miles on it yet. Maybe the sound will stop.

 

[airbornesoldier327]

well i did the same thing in my 94 s-10 back when i was in high school, and of course it isnt as heavy or the same, but i drove it like that for a good 25000 miles and it never did anything but sqeel

 

[Russell]

Is it maybe your pedal, or one of the sections of linkage that is squealing?

Give every part of your clutch linkage a shot of oil, and see if the squeaking goes away. My 74 was terrible for that, and it would up to be squeaking where the clutch rod attached to the z-bar.

 

[drofdar]

Good Idea. But I completely redid all my pedal and linkage during the build. I used rod and heimjoint connections for the linkage. I replaced the upper clutch pedal arm where it hangs from the bolt and bushings. It all got greased with hightemp when it went back together. It was a great fix for that problem of the linkage ovaling out the holes and getting sloppy. Mine was so rounded out that the clutch pedal rubbed against the upper housing and got stuck all the way down. I should do a writeup on that fix, because it really solves that problem. Most guys run autos now anyway.