Apparently, they are now called "release bearings", which is news to me. Went to order one, and FM apparently doesn't carry them separately anymore.

So, where to get one? What brand are all the smart shoppers buying? Rockauto, my usual go-to parts place, has 4 different ones. Having been burned by inferior (Chinese) stuff before, I hesitate to just pick one at random.

Begi has one for $53(!), but Goodwin has them for $36 and it looks like the same one. Trackspeed doesn't seem to have them, either.

So, which one?

 

****, FM doesn't sell them separate any more?

I could have sworn I read a recent thread where a FM clutch exploded a normal autoparts store "release bearing." Guess the FM came with a lot beefier unit, or something like that. Can't find the thread, don't remember what to search for...

I know they sold them separate then though, and I was kinda betting on being able to get one...

Boo FM. What are new clutch customers supposed to do if they ever want to replace just the TOB?

 

FM does sell the Super Duty ones as part of a package. It was $75 for me and included a flywheel bearing and clutch centering tool. The bearing is way beefier than a stocker.

 

Just buy OEM, rosenthal. They're $61.68+shipping and you won't have to worry about quality. Install it properly and adjust it properly and it won't give you any problems.

 

This looks to me like a business opportunity for one of the forum sponsors.

Make a kit:
Throwout (or "release") bearing, pilot bearing, rear main seal, front tranny seal and a small tube of lube for the seals and the clutch fork. Basically, everything except the clutch itself.

 

The FM bearing is different/stronger. You just need to call and ask them to buy one, I just did this a few weeks ago. I want to say it was $60 something shipped.

 

Roger, FM sells it as a kit with the pilot bearing and clutch tool, as Andrew said above. At least they did 6 months ago when I bought it from them. Same price Andrew listed as well.

Did you call them directly?

 

No, I just noticed that it is no longer listed since the new website. Then I started searching through the forum sponsors and found that most places don't list it, either.


Savington (Trackspeed Engineering) came through for me. Thanks to him.

 

Correct, if you call them directly they will sell you just the bearing with out the kit.

 

FM Super dooper TOB FTW!!!!

 

They will not, I tried. Considering the cost of an OEM one, how difficult it is to get all up in it and replace (drop the tranny like its hot), and that you get a FW bearing and alig-ner) as well, this should be the only bearing people purchase. There can be only 1.

 

^exactly everything he just said. Came only as a kit when I last called.

Sounds like TSE has him handled though. Very good. Always love it when the smaller more specialized vendors get the business.

 

Even if they did sell it, that's horseshit. I'm surfing the web some evening, looking for the parts I need. Not listed on the website? I don't think, "I will just call in the morning". No, I just go to another website and look. And if it happens again with another part, pretty soon I'm not even checking that particular site anymore. That's just bad for business.

And if one place is slightly more, but has all the parts I need , I am much more likely to order there than to go to several different vendors looking for all the various bits. That goes double as shipping charges add up for multiple orders.

That said, I do tend to favor FM because the excellent service and follow up I have gotten on past orders. But their new website sucks sweaty donkey *****.

 

I'd hope we'd all give them time to work out the kinks of their first new site in decades.

But do remember, Fab9, TSE, 949, FM, Bell, Goodwin, MR, and any other Miata specific vendors have TONS of product that they sell that isn't listed on sites. It's just not worth their time to list every tiny part, but trust me, if you need it for your Miata, they have it.

 

I bought the bearing by its self a month ago from Mike at FM, total for just the bearing was $60.95 and the kit was $74.95.. Just for future reference. Unless one of you have tried to purchase one more recently.
-Mike

 

I will call FM Monday and report back, pretty sure I have nothing to worry about now.

Did you actually call TSE, or PM him? I tried the latter weeks ago with no results.

 

I routinely ignore PMs, although not always on purpose. They are hugely cumbersome to reply to and keep track of, and impossible to search through later on. Even if I do reply to a PM, I usually ask people to just send me an email with the exact same questions so I can reply easier and track the correspondence more easily.

This is why my signature says "Email, don't PM!" and if you click "Email", you get a mailto link that lets you email me directly.

 

I am eggplant.

Email about MTG incoming, thanks!

 

Goddamn stupid flyin miata, this is why I wish they'd put things on the website. People always **** **** up, never fails. Either they don't sell the heavy duty one separate, or whoever I talked to doesn't know they have it.

I called and asked about the heavy duty throw out bearing that comes with the happy meal kit. I asked three times if the ~$50 kit (pilot, tob, alignment tool) had the same exact TOB as the happy meal kit and was assured it was the same. I get the mail today, and it's a standard ******* throw out bearing.

Anyone with a stiffer than stock pressure plate, level 1 FM and up, does your OEM TOB actually last? I was looking forward to either getting a hardtop this weekend or doing a torsen and clutch swap, not it looks like neither and I'm ******* pissed.





Can I trust this sub $50 bullshit to not explode in my face in >5k miles?

 

FWIW, I have always used an OEM throwout bearing with my ACT XT clutch and it's worked fine...

--Ian