Premature Release (Throwout) Bearing Failure
Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 6:51 am
Hi all,
Almost three years ago I had the transmission in my wife's '70 transporter rebuilt. At the time, because I was in there and it seemed the right thing to do, I replaced the release bearing with a brand new German-made bearing I bought from Wolfsburg West. Fast-forward to 2011 and earlier this year I noticed a lovely growling noise when the clutch pedal is pushed in. I also noticed it was getting progressively difficult to shift the bus into first gear while sitting at a stop. I realized that the clutch needed adjusting and performed the required maintenance (shame on me not having done it sooner). Now the transaxle shifts as it should, but the growling noise is still present and I'm certain not going to go away on its own.
My question. Can a mis-adjusted clutch cause a premature failure of the release bearing or is the German-made, premium-priced bearing going on the list of "belatedly discovered junk"?
Almost three years ago I had the transmission in my wife's '70 transporter rebuilt. At the time, because I was in there and it seemed the right thing to do, I replaced the release bearing with a brand new German-made bearing I bought from Wolfsburg West. Fast-forward to 2011 and earlier this year I noticed a lovely growling noise when the clutch pedal is pushed in. I also noticed it was getting progressively difficult to shift the bus into first gear while sitting at a stop. I realized that the clutch needed adjusting and performed the required maintenance (shame on me not having done it sooner). Now the transaxle shifts as it should, but the growling noise is still present and I'm certain not going to go away on its own.
My question. Can a mis-adjusted clutch cause a premature failure of the release bearing or is the German-made, premium-priced bearing going on the list of "belatedly discovered junk"?