ZF5 Install

[sle2115]

Ok, so I keep reading about the kevlar pilot and opinions either way.

So my question is...do I use the kevlar pilot or not? I'd prefer to not take the ZF5 out, once I put it in!

 

[hesutton]

I would. I've got one on my truck. It will certainly last longer than a standard pilot that never, ever gets serviced/lubed.

Heath

 

[geonc]

Scott, when my SB clutch took a chit , I noticed the kevlar had spun....Peter from SB sent me a new clutch assy but I had to fork up for the new kevlar ---$40 worth---cleaned the f/w as directed and used bearing lock after pressing in...it spun anyway

I actually have ordered a new clutch from Valair ...have heard good things about them both in performance and cost. It should be here tomorrow

When asked about up grading to kevlar I said no thanks....going back with a roller pilot

just my couple pennies

 

[sle2115]

Two posts, with opposing views, that's what I keep seeing as I read through things and why I started the poll. I think I've found a sealed bearing pilot bearing instead of the open rollers, and am thinking of using it.

 

[Agnem]

I've never had a single pilot bearing fail in any stick shift I've ever owned, including an 86' Ranger that had 260K on it when it was retired due to rust at the age of 17 with the original clutch in it. The pilot bearing only spins when the clutch is pushed in, and that should be very very little at all over the course of a vehicles life if your driving habits are proper.

 

[sle2115]

Well, thus far, twice as many say no!

 

[hesutton]

Yeah, but why haven't all the guys that voted posted their reasoning?

If you're gonna vote, why not post why you say yeh or neh?

Heath

 

[93turbo_animal]

I say no. How many guys have we heard say the pilot went out after changing clutches? Me none that I can remember and I never have one fail on me either and until the 03 all I've had was standards

 

[towcat]

My trucks work in a high congestion metro area and the clutch gets worked hard. Every one of the pilot bearings that had needle bearings were trashed. I even tried bronze bushings with no good sucess. I have five installs with the Kevlar pilots with no driver complaints or customer complaints. In my book, they get a problem solved.
What is an unknown is the people who have had kevlar bushing failures, how many have had input shaft bearing problems too?

 

[The Warden]

I'm one of the people who voted "Yes". Although I lack the experience he has, I agree with Calvin's reasoning. Also, when I took my T-19 out and had an opportunity to inspect the pilot bearing (needle bearing) that was in the flywheel, each needle was flattened and some of them were broken. I don't know how old that pilot bearing was, but it was bone dry. I have some pictures of it, but it's on my other computer and I'm not home at the moment.

I have a Kevlar bushing in my ZF flywheel now, and while I haven't inspected it since installation, I haven't noticed anything resembling a problem either, after about 30K miles. A friend of mine installed one on his NV3500 flywheel (after swapping from a slushbox) in his Dodge Dakota, and while I don't know how many miles he has put on it, I know it's considerably more than I've put on my truck...and, again, it hasn't been torn down, but so far no complaints.

I can't say anything more authoritative until I take the clutch apart on my truck (which I have no intention of doing anytime soon unless I need to do the rear main seal), but so far, I have nothing bad to say about the Kevlar bushing, and after seeing the condition of the needle pilot bearing that was on my old flywheel, I think that that's a potential problem, and the Kevlar bushing may be the best solution available. As to the spinning problems that Geo had...I have no idea what caused that, or whether it's a widespread problem or if there might have been something up with the bore in his flywheel?

Just my $.02...

 

[geonc]

I will take some dimensions with my calipers later this morning.....

But, I can assure a couple things----as I stated over in the PSD thread, the input shaft bearing shows no signs of excessive play, I installed it as per
SB directions including the use of Loctite sleeve loc and pressing in as opposed to driving in with a beatin' iron in each case

 

[TWeatherford]

When I pulled my trans to fix the failing DMF, the pilot bearing was shot. Came out in lots of little pieces. It was a standard needle bearing, and the clutch wasn't even that old. I put a standard needle bearing back in with that clutch, due to having to have the truck on the road the next day and it was all I had. Long story short, when I pulled the engine 1500 miles later, that pilot didn't look too good. In went a kevlar and its been fine, so far. It seems to me it would have to work better, I dunno why it wouldn't.

Dad had some trouble on his PSD after two clutch changes. Strange vibration. Turns out the bearing the input shaft rides in was shot to heck, so he had that replaced, along with a standard pilot bearing, vibration gone. Who knows. I'm going to put more kevlar bushings in until one fails me.

 

[kas83]

I can't believe that SB doesn't send the flywheel with the pilot already installed? I've done a couple Valair installs on Dodges, and all of them had the upgraded pilot in the flyweel and ready to go. Also, none of those Kevlar pilots have failed, but many clutch discs have been fried due to abuse and excessive HP.

But to the OP, I say no.

 

[The Warden]

I will take some dimensions with my calipers later this morning.....

But, I can assure a couple things----as I stated over in the PSD thread, the input shaft bearing shows no signs of excessive play, I installed it as per
SB directions including the use of Loctite sleeve loc and pressing in as opposed to driving in with a beatin' iron in each case

Sorry, Geo, I didn't mean to imply any installation and/or user issues. I was just wondering if the factory that made your flywheel might have bored the hole for the pilot bearing/bushing slightly too big? Or, for that matter, maybe they made the bushing you put in slightly too small?

I didn't read the thread in the PSD forum, so this was probably already thoroughly covered...and, with that said, I didn't realize that the bushing was supposed to be Loc-Tite'd in; I hope the fact that I didn't do that on mine won't lead to any issues

 

[RLDSL]

I've done a few of the Kevlar , the things work great, You have to press them in straight and fully. If you don't have a press, a machine shop will do it for a few bucks. The first roller pilot bearing I pulled out of mine the rollers were seized up.