280i clutch release bearing : where to find ?
Discussion
Hi everyone,
We are trying to source a clutch release bearing for an early 280i from 1981, the one for the concentric slave cylinder. Here in Canada, we can't source one that fits that setup. TVR North America in Toronto told me it was made by SKF UK, but it is no longer available. He proposed to convert the car to another setup with another slave cylinder mounted to the outside of the gearbox, acting on a fork. KIt price is a bit steep for a car that is seldom used. The owner is now 80 years old, and this car won't see many more miles under his guidance.
Is there a cheaper solution, even one that would involve creating a spacer or a sleeve to use a common part from another car ?
Thanks in advance,
magalar
We are trying to source a clutch release bearing for an early 280i from 1981, the one for the concentric slave cylinder. Here in Canada, we can't source one that fits that setup. TVR North America in Toronto told me it was made by SKF UK, but it is no longer available. He proposed to convert the car to another setup with another slave cylinder mounted to the outside of the gearbox, acting on a fork. KIt price is a bit steep for a car that is seldom used. The owner is now 80 years old, and this car won't see many more miles under his guidance.
Is there a cheaper solution, even one that would involve creating a spacer or a sleeve to use a common part from another car ?
Thanks in advance,
magalar
sadly, we don't have the bearing anymore... The shop that rebuilt the slave cylinder had to destroy the bearing to remove it from the shaft, so it went to the trash bin before we discovered its NLA status...
From memory, the old bearing looked a lot like those for newer TVRs, See this one from TVR parts : http://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/part-details/tvr-q0...
I have the gearbox here, and the slave cylinder outside diameter is 40.6 mm. That's all I can tell...
From memory, the old bearing looked a lot like those for newer TVRs, See this one from TVR parts : http://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/part-details/tvr-q0...
I have the gearbox here, and the slave cylinder outside diameter is 40.6 mm. That's all I can tell...
magalar said:
sadly, we don't have the bearing anymore... The shop that rebuilt the slave cylinder had to destroy the bearing to remove it from the shaft, so it went to the trash bin before we discovered its NLA status...
From memory, the old bearing looked a lot like those for newer TVRs, See this one from TVR parts : http://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/part-details/tvr-q0...
I have the gearbox here, and the slave cylinder outside diameter is 40.6 mm. That's all I can tell...
Somewhere I have a sketch I did of the co-axial cylinder on my S1 Tasmin waaay back when, I'll see if I can find it and what notes I made... don't go away From memory, the old bearing looked a lot like those for newer TVRs, See this one from TVR parts : http://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/part-details/tvr-q0...
I have the gearbox here, and the slave cylinder outside diameter is 40.6 mm. That's all I can tell...
ETA: Here it is... I can see is that the OD of the piston where the bearing fits is 41mm but maybe your 40.6 is correct. For some reason I haven't noted the bearing number (if there was one).
A quick search of SKF, Bearingboys and another site fails to produce any bearings with the sizes shown; my guess is that clutch bearings are odd sizes related to their construction. I vaguely recall someone telling me that a near-identical coaxial cylinder was used on some SAABs, maybe a user-group or owners' club could tell whether the bearing is a SAAB one.
I did wonder if it might be an Imperial-sized bearing but the dimensiosn shown are definitely closer to Metric sizes (and if it was from a SAAB it'd more than likely be Metric anyway).
The cylinder casting had no makers marks on that I could see; my experience of TVR is that where they had a special part cast, it would have their part number on... so odds are it was nicked from another car.
Edited by Wedg1e on Saturday 19th March 02:26
Thanks for the drawing, From it, we can find the bearing dimensions : 66.5 mm outside diameter, 41 inside, and 15.75 width. Armed with that, I'll try the usual suspects to see if I can find one that fits.
But, from memory, the bearing that was on the car (the one that was destroyed and discarded by the shop) didn't look like your drawing. Yours is a standard cylindrical bearing, like the one we can find on numerous cars. The old unit was similar to the "rounded" ones we find for newer TVRs.
Anyway, with the dimensions and the info about it beign a Saab part, I'll stop at my FLAPS (friendly local auto parts store, in Audifans speak...) and browse their inventory. I have the Electronic Parts Catalogue for Saab, so finding previous part numbers will be easy.
Thanks, Wedg1e, it is very appreciated.
But, from memory, the bearing that was on the car (the one that was destroyed and discarded by the shop) didn't look like your drawing. Yours is a standard cylindrical bearing, like the one we can find on numerous cars. The old unit was similar to the "rounded" ones we find for newer TVRs.
Anyway, with the dimensions and the info about it beign a Saab part, I'll stop at my FLAPS (friendly local auto parts store, in Audifans speak...) and browse their inventory. I have the Electronic Parts Catalogue for Saab, so finding previous part numbers will be easy.
Thanks, Wedg1e, it is very appreciated.
Oh, I forgot..,
Curbside Classics posted a scan of an old Road and Track paper about the Tasmin and the 308 a few weeks ago. In it, on the second page, we can read that the slave cylinder was a Jaguar Racing part developped by Broadspeed for the XJ12C.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/vintage-review...
One can see the difference between a car magazine article of 30 years ago and now. Back in the day, such interesting information was quite common, while today it is almost non-existent. Oh well,,,
Curbside Classics posted a scan of an old Road and Track paper about the Tasmin and the 308 a few weeks ago. In it, on the second page, we can read that the slave cylinder was a Jaguar Racing part developped by Broadspeed for the XJ12C.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/vintage-review...
One can see the difference between a car magazine article of 30 years ago and now. Back in the day, such interesting information was quite common, while today it is almost non-existent. Oh well,,,
well, wedg1e, it looks your notes proved helpful after all. From the drawing, I typed the bearing dimensions in Google and found an exact match.
41mm x 66.5 mm x 15.75 mm is what you noted. It translate to a bearing for many Ford compacts, like the Capri and the Cortina, and some Transit MK1 with a 1300 or a 1700 V4 engine. Maybe that's the link with Saab, this V4 beign also installed in some Saabs.
Anyway, I can find NOS parts on eB4y, like this FAG 524444 from Israel. (item 311040095529).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/524444-FAG-Angular-Contact...
I then downloaded the Quinton-Hazell interchange catalogue, where that 524444 translated to a more common National F01267C. That same interchange gives us many other part numbers : SKF N3022, Sachs 3151803001, Centerforce N3711, etc. At Ford, there is a lot of part numbers with 7548 in the middle : 71BB7548KC, D1RY7548A, 80BB7548AA, etc.
From the pictures of these bearings, I see that I will have to remove the plastic sleeve and keep only the bearing for it to work on the Tasmin slave cylinder.
I'll try to source one locally, and report back to this forum with my findings.
41mm x 66.5 mm x 15.75 mm is what you noted. It translate to a bearing for many Ford compacts, like the Capri and the Cortina, and some Transit MK1 with a 1300 or a 1700 V4 engine. Maybe that's the link with Saab, this V4 beign also installed in some Saabs.
Anyway, I can find NOS parts on eB4y, like this FAG 524444 from Israel. (item 311040095529).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/524444-FAG-Angular-Contact...
I then downloaded the Quinton-Hazell interchange catalogue, where that 524444 translated to a more common National F01267C. That same interchange gives us many other part numbers : SKF N3022, Sachs 3151803001, Centerforce N3711, etc. At Ford, there is a lot of part numbers with 7548 in the middle : 71BB7548KC, D1RY7548A, 80BB7548AA, etc.
From the pictures of these bearings, I see that I will have to remove the plastic sleeve and keep only the bearing for it to work on the Tasmin slave cylinder.
I'll try to source one locally, and report back to this forum with my findings.
Hope you find one, I knew keeping all this old paperwork would make sense one day 
ETA now you come to mention it I vaguely recall the Broadspeed connection; that would explain why it doesn't have a TVR casting number.
I presume the thinking behind the coaxial release was to make the clutch more direct, removing cables and levers (or hydraulics and levers) gets rid of system slack. In the Tas's case of course it was a space-saving fix. I know some owners did retro-fit lever-actuated releases.
ETA now you come to mention it I vaguely recall the Broadspeed connection; that would explain why it doesn't have a TVR casting number.
I presume the thinking behind the coaxial release was to make the clutch more direct, removing cables and levers (or hydraulics and levers) gets rid of system slack. In the Tas's case of course it was a space-saving fix. I know some owners did retro-fit lever-actuated releases.
Edited by Wedg1e on Wednesday 23 March 00:11
More info -
If the slave cyl itself fails and is unobtainable (probably true!), then the S series cars had the OE Ford cable clutch lever with an adaptor bracket to fit the common Landrover/Rangerover/Triumph/BL slave cylinder to that lever.
Those parts are available, and would be another way to solve the problem.
Early RHD 2.8 wedges had a cable clutch with an awful setup to adapt the pedal end ....
If the slave cyl itself fails and is unobtainable (probably true!), then the S series cars had the OE Ford cable clutch lever with an adaptor bracket to fit the common Landrover/Rangerover/Triumph/BL slave cylinder to that lever.
Those parts are available, and would be another way to solve the problem.
Early RHD 2.8 wedges had a cable clutch with an awful setup to adapt the pedal end ....
Good news, the clutch bearing I found on eBay UK is correct.
What I bought is a Motaquip VCB116, but in the box was a SKF bearing, Made in Germany, 415280C.
On the Motaquip box, we can read :
VCB116*
Ford
Escort MK II, 75-80,
Cortina Mk III, IV, 70-,
Capri MK II, III, 74-,
Consul, Granada MKI, II, 71-
(* Bearing only, for non self-centering type)
The most amazing thing was the price : 6 GBP ! Shipping to Canada was twice that, so for us it is a very cheap fix at less than 40 $CDN.
If one of you need one, there is this guy in Germany that sells one for 69 euros: http://www.motomobil.com/clutch-bearing-without-hu...
Interestingly, it lists many cross-reference : 5244444 (FAG), 10282704, 415280C (SKF), 470012. The bearing dimensions can also be useful, so I'll repost them : 41mm X 66.5mm X 15.75mm
Now, we have question about the clutch plate itself. It is in good shape, but when the owner removed it from the engine, it fell to the ground before he could note its orientation. The clutch plate hub is thicker on one side, we need to know where this thicker part goes : toward the engine, or toward the transmission. Anyone has a clue ?
What I bought is a Motaquip VCB116, but in the box was a SKF bearing, Made in Germany, 415280C.
On the Motaquip box, we can read :
VCB116*
Ford
Escort MK II, 75-80,
Cortina Mk III, IV, 70-,
Capri MK II, III, 74-,
Consul, Granada MKI, II, 71-
(* Bearing only, for non self-centering type)
The most amazing thing was the price : 6 GBP ! Shipping to Canada was twice that, so for us it is a very cheap fix at less than 40 $CDN.
If one of you need one, there is this guy in Germany that sells one for 69 euros: http://www.motomobil.com/clutch-bearing-without-hu...
Interestingly, it lists many cross-reference : 5244444 (FAG), 10282704, 415280C (SKF), 470012. The bearing dimensions can also be useful, so I'll repost them : 41mm X 66.5mm X 15.75mm
Now, we have question about the clutch plate itself. It is in good shape, but when the owner removed it from the engine, it fell to the ground before he could note its orientation. The clutch plate hub is thicker on one side, we need to know where this thicker part goes : toward the engine, or toward the transmission. Anyone has a clue ?
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