Need help with manual transmission!

[freak]

2000 XLS 5 speed
My tranny wasn't shifting right. It acted like there was air in the line and the clutch wasn't disengaging. I also heard a screetching noise occasionally so I figure the throwout bearing was going. I just took out the tranny and it appears that the bearing and clutch are ok. The input shaft has a stub on it that rides in the flywheel (in a bearing?) and that stub has been galled up and there are shavings in the flywheel. It looks as if the shaft was catching in the flywheel and spinning even when the clutch was disengaged hence the hard shifting. Looks like a new input shaft for the tranny and ? Comments?

 

[Betsy98Sport]

Did you ever figure out this issue? I just replaced my clutch and noticed the pilot bearing was disintegrated

 

[freak]

Yeah it was the pilot bearing. It chewed up the input shaft and I had to replace that also. You have to completely disassemble the tranny to get it out. I bought a new shaft off of ebay and make sure you buy the plastic slinger because you will likely ruin it taking it off. The shaft was around $75 and the slinger about $2. I put in a new clutch (and resurfaced the flywheel) while I had it apart. The clutch kit came with the pilot bearing.