[DeTomaso] Clutch and -2 ZF Pilot Bearing - Late '73 PanteraLModel

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

FWIW, I don't like rolling-element pilot bearings in high performance engines 
for the identical reason I don't use high-iron bushings there: bearings scar 
up the transmission input shaft when (not if!) they go dry. The location in 
the back end of a crankshaft is possibly the worst place for a bearing in the 
whole car- its hot, there's abrasive dust is everywhere from clutch wear, no 
possibility of periodic lubrication- all the things a bearing DOESN'T want! 
If you absolutely must use one for some arcane reason, be sure the bearing is 
a truely sealed type; most are simply dust-shielded, not sealed and these are 
the ones that fail first. And some are adapted from alternators! For those 
users, I have developed a possible repair system for torn-up clutch input 
shafts- but you gotta remove it from your ZF first! Good luck all- J Deryke



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