Please look at this clutch release bearing

[Wilbur]

I have a question for those who truly know clutch release bearings and how they should appear before being installed. I want to avoid the: "I don't know but..." type replies so please, no guess work, if you don't know thank you for your good intentions but please don't reply.

This is a brand new never used throw out bearing, also known as a clutch release bearing if I have the name correct, that goes onto the fork in the bell housing of my car.

I put two red arrows pointing to the extremes of where the gaps differ, do you see how it is off center?

Is this an issue?

I looked at a new one at O'Reilly's and it too is way off center, even more so than this one in the photo.

So I called NAPA and they looked at two of these bearings, high quality manufacture, twice the price of those at O'Reilly's and theirs too are off center.

Are they supposed to be off center? Four different clutch release bearings from three different manufacturer's and they're all off center.

[SmithKid]

Wilbur,

Though you asked NOT to receive inexperienced answers, I felt I must volunteer an observation......

The surface facing the camera is the surface that contacts the pressure plate and then the bearing spins. I would apply pressure to that surface and turn the bearing. My thinking is that the bearing will center itself when this is done. Give it a try. Can't hurt.

Gene

[Nathan289]

Locate N.O.S otherwise use the best looking name brand made in America you can find..

Do you have any bearing houses in your area? They may have some better quality choices.

Stay away from private label house brands.. locate timken, skf, bca, bower etc.

[BadBird]

You probably already did a search on the internet? I just went and did a small look see and there are several sites that have had people ask the same question. This question and answer came from "Centerforce"


MY NEW THROWOUT BEARING APPEARS TO BE OFF CENTER ON THE BEARING RETAINER AND

WOBBLES, IS IT DEFECTIVE?

ALTHOUGH THIS MAY LOOK ABNORMAL, THIS BEARING MOVEMENT IS ONE OF ITS DESIGN FEATURES. CENTERFORCE STRIVES TO SUPPLY

ONLY THE BEST QUALITY BEARINGS AVAILABLE, FOR MOST APPLICATIONS WE PREFER TO USE A SELF ALIGNING OR SELF CENTERING TYPE

THROWOUT BEARING. THIS BEARING MAY APPEAR TO BE OFF CENTER OR IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED, HOWEVER, REST ASSURED, THE
BEARING WILL ALIGN AND CENTER ITSELF PROPERLY DURING NORMAL USAGE

Take a look and you will find numerous answers like those you already received from other ford sites where you asked the question also.

[Wilbur]

Thanks for all the replies. I did a search for "self aligning" etc. etc. and found that this is in fact how they come.

My next problem is going to be that the new bearing is 1 mm or 2 mm less diameter than the old one, but I checked two new bearings and they are the same size as my new one which is what the parts book says it should be.

Anyway, thanks for the replies to all three respondents! :-)