Which Hydraulic Throwout Bearing?

[Bill D]

I did a search but came up empty. I want to know which throwout bearing to use with my RBT ZF? It came with an RBT spacer that goes over the input shaft and fits up against the case.

Thanks
Bill D

[Scott]

Have you checked with McLeod? I've been running theirs on my Cobra and really like it. Light touch but nice feel. I'm running a .70 Wilwood M/C with a -4 line. Gives me plenty of throw on the bearing but not enough to over reach it and blow out the O-rings.

[J What?]

I have used and like the Quarter Master stuff. They have a couple different styles. I used the one that slips over the T/O bearing slider and is located by a pin screwed into the old ball pivot. Initial setup is pretty easy using rings to give proper spacing. I would stay away from the RAM units. Mine needed constant rebuilding and was a pita, even on a race car.

[David Briggs]

I have run a Mcleod in my Tiger for 15 years, I had problems initially but it has been fine for the last 8 years. Mcleod is used on quite a few Panteras and my latest Pantera has one. You need to be careful on the initial setup, the master cyl stroke should be limited to just what is needed to disengage the clutch, once you have determined that distance put a stop under the clutch pedal to prevent blowing the seals out of the bearing.

[Sandy]

BillD-

What do the Pantera folks use? Worth a call to the local Pantera shops in SoCal they may have just what you need.

Sandy

[Mike Drew]

Originally Posted by Sandy

BillD-

What do the Pantera folks use? Worth a call to the local Pantera shops in SoCal they may have just what you need.

Sandy

Almost all the Pantera shops HATE the internal hydraulic throwout bearing; they have all gone over to stock-replacement, longer-throw external slave cylinders, after having repeated failures of the internal style. The only current proponent (and the original proponent) is Dennis Quella of Pantera Performance Center.

I have one in my Pantera, and it has functioned well enough over the years (although admittely my project car has only seen about 500 miles of driving in the past 12 years). Dennis' bearing has gone through at least two design changes/improvements since he first introduced them to the Pantera marketplace about 15-20 years ago. The first two styles were plagued with design defects that led to failure (in some cases, speedy failure); the latest-generation piece has been in service for at least 12-14 years, apparently with much improved reliability.

I believe, but am not sure, that he uses Mcleod (sp). I also have a Tilton in my Cobra replica. The original one (manufacturer unknown) blew up big-time, apparently due to being over-extended (that is, the bearing was mismatched with the clutch, which required more throw than the bearing could safely deliver). I wound up replacing the clutch and got a new bearing at the same time; it involved a fair bit of conversation with the Tilton tech line to ensure I got the right one for the job. It, too, has been working perfectly now for about seven years.

Do all the GT40 replicas out there rely on these things, or do some of them use an external slave system? For that matter, what did the originals use?

[al nuttall]

Bill D,
I have just had my RBT supplied by lloyd, and he recomends using a a mcleod part numbers 1401-20 and 1428 (this is a spacer ). i am still waiting for the parts to arrive and could then confirm that they work.
alistair

[Bill D]

Thanks Al. I have the 1428 spacer. I'll look into the McCleod release bearing.

Cheers
Bill D

[Pantera1889]

Here is the set up Dennis Quella fabricated for my GT40 ZF that he built for me last year.

[Pantera1889]

Another shot...

[Bill D]

Ron-
Could you PM me more info on your setup? Did you use the stock arm? What release bearing, slave cylinder, etc.?

Thanks
Bill D

[Frank Catt]

Bill, I built a similar system to Rons recently useing an Alfa /Fiat slave, Frank