Thanks to Patrick Hayes:
Last week Bill Irwin floated the idea of replacing the crude, loose-ball clutch throwout bearing with something technologically superior. He tweaked my imagination and directed me to some commercially available captive balls and races.
This represents a few hours of lathe work while I figured out techniques and dimensions and sequencing the various procedures.
The captive balls and grooved race washers are commercially available and made from 52100 chrome steel. I fabricated the support piece and the cover cup out of stainless.
Runs smooth as silk. It has to last much longer than the stock bits.
I wanted to make a "double cup" affair like the stock bearing but there isn't enough room available unless I make VERY thin wall cups. I think this overlap between the cup and the support will be enough to retain grease adequately.
These caged balls and races are nominal 14mm OD. There is an alternate brand available at 13mm OD and that would allow for thicker walls and the possibility of true, double-cup overlap.
Either way, the bearing is not sealed and will always need periodic attention to replace the grease as it gradually oozes out.
BTW, as an aside. Regardless of what bearing you use, when your clutch cable snaps, the clutch lever arm flops outward and the entire bearing system goes bounding down the road. Many of my Italian friends use a loose zip tie on the clutch arm so that the arm can't flop away if the cable breaks. At least you don't lose the bearing. I'll try to get a picture. Always carry a spare bearing AND a spare cable.
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
Last week Bill Irwin floated the idea of replacing the crude, loose-ball clutch throwout bearing with something technologically superior. He tweaked my imagination and directed me to some commercially available captive balls and races.
This represents a few hours of lathe work while I figured out techniques and dimensions and sequencing the various procedures.
The captive balls and grooved race washers are commercially available and made from 52100 chrome steel. I fabricated the support piece and the cover cup out of stainless.
Runs smooth as silk. It has to last much longer than the stock bits.
I wanted to make a "double cup" affair like the stock bearing but there isn't enough room available unless I make VERY thin wall cups. I think this overlap between the cup and the support will be enough to retain grease adequately.
These caged balls and races are nominal 14mm OD. There is an alternate brand available at 13mm OD and that would allow for thicker walls and the possibility of true, double-cup overlap.
Either way, the bearing is not sealed and will always need periodic attention to replace the grease as it gradually oozes out.
BTW, as an aside. Regardless of what bearing you use, when your clutch cable snaps, the clutch lever arm flops outward and the entire bearing system goes bounding down the road. Many of my Italian friends use a loose zip tie on the clutch arm so that the arm can't flop away if the cable breaks. At least you don't lose the bearing. I'll try to get a picture. Always carry a spare bearing AND a spare cable.
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA