What caused my throw out bearing to fail @ 15k miles ('09 vette, pics/details inside)
05-20-2013, 01:45 PM
#1
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What caused my throw out bearing to fail @ 15k miles ('09 vette, pics/details inside) I've already fixed the problem, but I want to figure out if this is a random chance occurence, or if I need to look at how something is setup on the car.
Background:
I have a 2009 Corvette w/ a mcleod RXT clutch, stock slave cylinder and stock master cylinder w/ the clutch assist spring behind the clutch pedal arm removed. The car makes ~900whp.
How I noticed the issue:
The other day I was out in the car and decided to get on it in 1st and 2nd. Both gears are pretty worthless with this much power, so it tapped off the limiter once or twice in 2nd scrambling for traction and then I let out. After that the clutch pedal felt extremely light w/ a low pick up point like it was barely working, but it didn't stick to the floor (clutch spring removed). I was able to drive it a short distance home, but with the light pedal feel and some vibration in the pedal.
I bled the clutch that night and during the bleeding process it felt perfect. I started it up and pushed the clutch in to engage a gear and move it out of the garage and the pedal felt like it did the day before, super light and barely working. I back the car out and move it back and forth in the driveway a few times and the clutch stays soft and there's almost a little vibration coming through it.
I found this under the car and think it came from the inpection port of the bell housing. It's like some kind of plastic ring w/ a raised lip.
I also found this hanging out of the inpection port, similar material.
It looks like there was some aluminum shavings in the bell housing:
I had someone crank it over and then turn it on and it blew some of the same aluminum shaving stuff out of the bell housing ports, as well as this peice of plastic:
I tore the car apart and found this:
The throw out bearing was completely toast.
Some metal dust around the PP, and what I would think is reasonable/normal wear on the fingers given the contact w/ the soft metal on the slave cylinder maybe?
Here's the new one:
Anyone seen one fail like this before? I'd really like to know the cause since 15k miles (even w/ hard driving) seems like a short life for a throw out bearing. 7k miles N/A, 7k boosted @ 630whp, and maybe 1k boosted @ 900whp.
Background:
I have a 2009 Corvette w/ a mcleod RXT clutch, stock slave cylinder and stock master cylinder w/ the clutch assist spring behind the clutch pedal arm removed. The car makes ~900whp.
How I noticed the issue:
The other day I was out in the car and decided to get on it in 1st and 2nd. Both gears are pretty worthless with this much power, so it tapped off the limiter once or twice in 2nd scrambling for traction and then I let out. After that the clutch pedal felt extremely light w/ a low pick up point like it was barely working, but it didn't stick to the floor (clutch spring removed). I was able to drive it a short distance home, but with the light pedal feel and some vibration in the pedal.
I bled the clutch that night and during the bleeding process it felt perfect. I started it up and pushed the clutch in to engage a gear and move it out of the garage and the pedal felt like it did the day before, super light and barely working. I back the car out and move it back and forth in the driveway a few times and the clutch stays soft and there's almost a little vibration coming through it.
I found this under the car and think it came from the inpection port of the bell housing. It's like some kind of plastic ring w/ a raised lip.
I also found this hanging out of the inpection port, similar material.
It looks like there was some aluminum shavings in the bell housing:
I had someone crank it over and then turn it on and it blew some of the same aluminum shaving stuff out of the bell housing ports, as well as this peice of plastic:
I tore the car apart and found this:
The throw out bearing was completely toast.
Some metal dust around the PP, and what I would think is reasonable/normal wear on the fingers given the contact w/ the soft metal on the slave cylinder maybe?
Here's the new one:
Anyone seen one fail like this before? I'd really like to know the cause since 15k miles (even w/ hard driving) seems like a short life for a throw out bearing. 7k miles N/A, 7k boosted @ 630whp, and maybe 1k boosted @ 900whp.
05-21-2013, 04:57 PM
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Na, I'm guilty of holding it down for a while at lights that I think will change soon, but typically let off pretty soon if it doesn't change.
05-21-2013, 07:42 PM
#6
It's prolly just me, but when I look at the diameter of the t/o bearing nose piece and compare it to the fingers on the diaphragm, it doesn't look like it'll ever make full-face contact. It should be touching the outermost "hump" on the fingers... Can you get a pic of the bearing making contact with the fingers?
05-22-2013, 09:47 AM
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It's prolly just me, but when I look at the diameter of the t/o bearing nose piece and compare it to the fingers on the diaphragm, it doesn't look like it'll ever make full-face contact. It should be touching the outermost "hump" on the fingers... Can you get a pic of the bearing making contact with the fingers?
