Luk pilot bearing press fit?

[Josh P]

M5od?

Yes. I swapped one into an aerostar van. The pilot bearing was as described in this thread. 20k miles later, every time I pressed in the clutch it sounded like metal on metal contact. I pulled the transmission and replaced it, glued the pilot bearing in and had no more issues. I'm not sure of the brand of flywheel, all the parts came with no packaging from Arizona brake and Clutch.

 

[FijiBill]

I’ve never used it for this particular application, but I use Loctite 609/680 (green) for retaining bearings that aren’t a tight fit. IIRC, 680 is thicker but stronger.

I glued it in with Permetex 64000 high temp sleeve retainer, which is the green stuff. Maybe even the same as 680.

The INA pilot bearing OD measured out exactly as specified so I don't think the pilot bearing is bad. And it was a press fit in the old Ford flywheel sleeve.

After seeing the Luk and Sachs flywheels, both very different, I think the aftermarket flywheel guys have unilaterally decided that the pilot bearing should be a slip fit instead of Fords original press fit. But strange no documentation on how to secure it and that Luk tech support seems to think it should still be press.

I am kind of conflicted as both my previous clutches failed at 100K due to a bad pilot bearing. Could pressing it in have caused those bearings to fail. Slip fit should be easier on the bearing, maybe the aftermarket folks are on to something.

 

[Josh P]

Most likely cause of failure of the pilot bearing is when the grease dries out. The stuff lasts years but not a lifetime. That bearing is designed for a press fit, millions of them out there doing just fine pressed in.

 

[410Fortune]

Very interesting
I have done 3 clutches in the last year

All 3 used new flywheel and new pilot bearing all 3 were press the old out press the new in… I only use luk parts

So strange!

 

[FijiBill]

Man, this job...

OK I put in a brand new Luk LSC003B slave cylinder into the transmission. I have the M5OD lifted into place on some long studs in the block and the shop manual says to connect the hydraulic line before stabbing it in. I pushed in the quick connect and.... it won't go in. Seems to go halfway and no further, even with a bit of force. I thought there might be pressure in the slave preventing the connection so I opened the bleeder but I don't think the slave is prefilled as nothing came out that I could see. Still no go.

Old connector in good shape with new O ring from Luk

Old slave (works)

New Luk slave (doesn't work)

They seem to look a bit different at the bottom, but hard to say as the tranny is in the truck now . Any ideas appreciated. I did find this that suggests filing down the teeth ring. That might be my next try

 

[FijiBill]

I removed the quick connect teeth from the new slave and with the bleeder open (there was fluid after all) the line was able to connect. However, putting the quick connect teeth back, it wouldn't fit. I dremeled a bunch of "adjustments" to it ala the video, but still no go. Finally I put the quick connect teeth from the old slave into the new slave and then it clicked in fine. Gravity bled OK too.

Both teeth seemed pretty similar. I'm not sure what the difference was. But whatever.

OK homestretch. I am mating the transmission and engine together and can get within an inch and a half when I meet some springy resistance. I look into the bellhousing and this is the point at which the slave hits the pressure plate fingers. The slave has a return spring (ah) and the slave has fluid pressure too, so it makes since for there to be springy resistance. But I've read that you should NEVER pull the two together by the bellhousing bolts as that is asking for trouble, and that they should slide right up? That doesn't seem possible in my case.

Folks that have done M5OD clutches, does this look normal below? I could easily crank on the long studs to bring things together but are the splines alined or the pilot bearing? Hard to say with the resistance. Should I open the slave bleeder as I do this? Worried about cracking the ears off or blowing out the new slave. Please let me know if I am missing something! Thanks everyone.

 

[Josh P]

I've read that you should NEVER pull the two together by the bellhousing bolts as that is asking for trouble, and that they should slide right up?

This is correct. As for a solution, I'm not sure what the best answer would be. Seems though, the slave cylinder needs to collapse fully. Maybe open the bleeder and use a pry bar?

 

[410Fortune]

It should go together
To make sure the input shaft is stabbed to the pilot bearing you can make very small circles with the very back of the transmission
From your pictures it looks as ifnuuu have everything lined up so it should easily pull forward with some bellhousing bolts

I have never hooked up the hydraulic line before the trans was full stabbed, this is new to me.

The only spring you are fighting is the pressure plate… it should slide together easily
With lots of light make sure there is nothing between the engine and trans up hi hi stopping you, like the wiring harness jammed in there

Good work so far

 

[FijiBill]

Hey guys, it's in.

I took everything apart to make sure the clutch disc would actually go on the transmission splines (I didn't check it originally). It was tight, but A-OK. I also changed my rigging to get rid of the ratchet straps and just go with the floor jack cup on the transmission mount bolts in the back and the front of the transmission on the studs in the middle bellhousing holes. That let me start with the jack way low and give it one pump each time I fiddled. Eventually it went together, so it was just the angle of the dangle. With a lot of wiggling I got all the bellhousing bolts in by hand. I had to raise the back of the transmission way up to help ease in the top bolts. The very last quarter inch was on the dowels which had to be pulled together. Maybe I dinged them with the studs in those middle holes, I dunno. They seem OK.

The shop manual says to connect the master before stabbing. I think to keep from opening the bleeder on the slave and letting air in but the slave really doesn't want to move like that. This time I didn't connect the master and left the slave bleeder open the whole time to let the slave compress, and of course at the end my clutch pedal was garbage.

I tried to vacuum bleed the slave with the master connected and got a lot of air out. Ironically that made the pedal worse! So I took off the master and bench bled it again stringing out the lines and tapping. It was very tough getting the quick connect back in, I think because the slave was completely bled from the vacuum bleed. But it did snap in with force. Maybe this was why I couldn't connect the new slave originally as it was prebled.

Anyway, with the well bled slave and the bench bled master my pedal is pretty good getting travel on the slave right away. So I am hopeful the rest of the project will be uneventful now.

Thanks everyone! I was really doubting myself on every step after the pilot bearing issue. It was good to get some assurances on things.

 

[FijiBill]

LOL it never ends... bolting everything up and the bracket on the new (white/clear) Luk clutch reservoir extends way further out than the original (black) one, so it interferes with the fuse box bracket. I guess I need to get creative. Anyone else run into this?

 

[Josh P]

LOL it never ends... bolting everything up and the bracket on the new (white/clear) Luk clutch reservoir extends way further out than the original (black) one, so it interferes with the fuse box bracket. I guess I need to get creative. Anyone else run into this?

The story of my life. Is it possible to reuse the old reservoir?

 

[FijiBill]

The story of my life. Is it possible to reuse the old reservoir?

Eh, everything is bled and would rather stay with the new plastic. I hacksawed off one of the tabs and zip tied the other one to the fusebox bracket. Seems like it's happy nestled against the inner fender so I think that's how it will stay.

On the bright side truck is back on the road.

 

[fast_dave]

The story of my life. Is it possible to reuse the old reservoir?

Lots of great advice in this thread - great team work!!!

Glad to read that @FijiBill is back on the road.

I'll throw this one out there for future readers of this thread - chances are great that an old clutch reservoir assembly will not fully activate the new slave cylinder.

Ask me how I know

 

[Josh P]

Lots of great advice in this thread - great team work!!!

Glad to read that @FijiBill is back on the road.

I'll throw this one out there for future readers of this thread - chances are great that an old clutch reservoir assembly will not fully activate the new slave cylinder.

Ask me how I know

I was wondering, thanks for the reply.