Dealer Throwout Bearing Alternative?

[Tom and Vipers]

The Viper "throwout bearing" is much, much more expensive than other T56 TO's. In particular the LT1, LS1, LS6 Chevy.

Has anyone found a reasonably priced substitute?

Also, does anyone know the designation of the clutch? Borg & Beck, Long, etc.?

I've been told you can't resurface the flywheel and the clutch cannot be rebuilt.

Sounds like whooey to me.

 

[Tom and Vipers]

This is the latest I've found for a 96 Viper:

Auto Supermarket:

TO bearing $18.99
Disk/PP/TO kit $296 (made by Auto Specialty whoever that is)

Advance Auto:

TO bearing $23.02
(no clutch available)

Of course, the question, is this stuff crap or OK? I'm really tempted to bite on the TO bearing. That shouldn't be rocket science.

I'm going to consult with my clutch rebuilding friend.

More on this later.

Tom

PS. Auto Supermarket Stocks the TO bearing which leads me to believe it is a T56 part rather than a Dodge or Chevy part. This also suggests that the GM part might interchange.

 

[Joel]

Tom
Think the clutch is LUK
I'll be interested to hear what the bearing is like. Have you found a number on the bearing, if so it may be available from a bearing supplier. The workshop manual does say that the bearing is not seviceable and must be replaced with the slave hydraulics

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

AutoSpecialties is a division of TRW for brakes and driveline parts. They also make rebuild kits for the supposedly "non-serviceable" rear brake calipers on non-ABS Vipers.

 

[Tom and Vipers]

The latest I've determined is that the TO bearing is just that and is not the hydraulic slave cylinder.

Auto Supermarket did not have a listing for the slave cylinder.