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Old 10-01-2020, 09:53 PM   #18
Tom Endy
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 3,122
Default Re: throw-out bearing

Quote:
Originally Posted by KR500 View Post
Tom Endy, Back about 20 years ago a friend of mine known for installing BW overdrives planned a trip to the National. He decided he wanted to replace his clutch disc and since he also had a brand new throwout bearing from Macs he decided to replace it as well. Well when the job was completed the new throwout bearing squealed worse than the old one. Aetna was in Chicago on the near northside. He took the bearing which was marked Aetna and they placed it on a lathlike machine which clamped the inner portion and applied pressure to the area which contacts the pressure plate fingers. It screamed. The Aetna employee did state that it indeed was marked Aetna, but was not their bearing. He asked my friend if he minded him cutting the bearing open and since my friend had no objection, it was cut open. Result; Inferior junk for materials. Bearings were being made in India and other third world countries and goin so far as even copying Aetna's logo. Spend the money and buy the better throwout bearings.

The problem here is Aetna bearings are now showing up in the boxes of other quality bearing manufactures. years ago the Aetna problem was solved for me by the supplier I use almost exclusively. He began stocking throw-out bearings made by Federal Mogul. They are made in Mexico, but they were good quality bearings and I have been using them exclusively ever since without a problem.

About eight months ago I received some Federal Mogul bearings that I could not turn by hand. I contacted my favorite supplier and he checked several in his stock and confirmed what I had found. I returned the ones I had and the supplier returned his inventory to his supplier. The replacement inventory he received was the same. He returned them and went looking for another throw-out bearing source. He found a supplier that could offer Timken throw-out bearings, so he ordered and stocked them. Inside the Timken boxes the bearings have Aetna stamped on them. So, are they truly made by the legitimate Aetna company, if they still exist, or are they the junk bearings of yesteryear. Good luck with that one. I for one will never install a throw-out bearing that has Aetna stamped on it.

Tom Endy
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