wtf. '03 r50, Original clutch went nearly 120k miles. maybe 110k.. i don't remember. hell, I got 113k miles out of the original run flat tires. and we're the second owners. replaced that clutch with a valero kit and kept the old flywheel back in like october of '09.. crappy plastic release bearing (just like on the original) goes out on me again around 35k miles later.

someone, please. suggest a clutch kit to me that has a better release bearing.. or at least a decent clutch kit and somewhere to order a better bearing separately. I need a flywheel too.. I'm trying not to spend more than like $450-500 for everything.. I just replaced a blown headgasket and not too long ago.

this car's lucky I love it.. or it would find itself learning to fly.

 

113K on the original run-flats? WOW!

 

Why not go back to OEM if you were able to get 120k out of it?

 

That is exactly what I was thinking. There is NO way.

 

Well, if you're lucky, you can go on them without having them fail for a really long time. I imagine that they're egg-bald by then, though.

Or maybe the OP drives on nicer pavement than I do.

 

yah.. 113k.. I assume they were the original set because we bought the car from CarMax in Miami w/ like 32k miles on it.. I doubt that carmax would have put the runflats on it if it had needed new tires then.. and I drove on them until 113k when I bought a set of used tires down in tampa. Yes, they were bald as all get-out, rode like ***** by then and had a few puncture patches in them (apparently if you go to a chain tire shop they won't repair the runflats, but if you go to a mom-and-pop type place they'll usually do it for you). most of the mileage was highway driving.. and the roads aren't SO bad down here (tampa area), most of the time..

as to the clutch kit.. I've considered going back to the OEM set.. i'm just leery of that plastic release bearing. although, I'm sure that the recent overheating issue that I had didn't help the plastic one from my last replacement set.. I saw a sach's kit online last night with a flywheel in the kit with it for $330 or so.. anyone have any experience with their parts? good/bad/indifferent? It's not like I'm taking it to the track.

 

It was good for 110K last time.

 

I still don't believe 113,000 miles. 113,000 kilometers is 70,000 plus miles so maybe I can possibly believe that.

 

I don't think you need to replace the entire clutch assembly if the only part that concerns you is the throw-out bearing. Replace it and the sleeve and you should be fine.

 

even if carmax did put run flats on it @ 32k-ish miles when we got it, I still got 80k+ out of them myself.. but I seriously doubt they would have put those tires on there if it had needed them, it would have been their el-cheapo tires that they put on every other used car that needs them when it goes through there.

My problem is definitely deeper than just the release bearing.


I discussed my issue with a reputable euro-car mechanic here in Spring Hill and he said that the chewed up teeth on my pressure plate is indicative of a faulty pilot bearing (? i've heard it called a few different things). Looks to me, though, more like the missing teeth are due to the release bearing wearing them down unevenly (see the grooves in the rest of the teeth?).

try as i might, though.. I can't seem to find anything on some kind of pilot bearing or anything in there for the end of the shaft from the transmission to ride against. Does it just float in there? Or is there some sort of bearing that it rests on? I haven't taken the wheel well off on the driver's side so it's kind of hard to wrangle myself down in there to see, and I wasn't able to get a good angle on it for a picture last night in the dark.. (I've searched through the haynes manual, and RealOEM.com.. i guess my next option would be to just call the dealership).

any suggestions?