Quote:
Originally Posted by acammer
The newest GM HRB's (hydraulic release bearings) or CSCs as you call them actually have upgrades the throwout bearing support to metal straight from the factory. We still sell those billet supports as there are plenty of the old style HRBs in circulation, but we don't offer them with new HRBs for that reason. That's your most common failure mod, the throwout support melts and takes the bearing out of alignment and causes it to fail.
Sounds like your failure was related to the dust shield (green part) failing and allowing debris into the sealing area of the bearing, ultimately causing it to bind, and leading to it seizing. The big spring is low tension, it's designed simply to place that bearing in constant contact with the clutch fingers, but it's not responsible for any part of the actual clutch release actuation.
As you probably realize, these things are designed with service in mind, and I don't think you can get many of the parts individually. Sounds like the right call on replacing old, hard sealing rings with fresh ones. I would give them a touch of fluid, you don't want it going together dry.
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For the newer HRB’s/CSC’s, are you talking about the most recent, newer GM manual cars, or for all the manual ones pasts like 2013-2015+ era in general? I have yet to find any CSC for the 5th gen Camaro V8 manual models, that come with a metal release bearing support, besides obvious performance companies that make or supply a billet support and have it installed already (to sell as a whole CSC assembly).
Off note, I notice that there’s mainly all FTE-supplied parts for the CSC’s, which isn’t a surprise; although the very original GM ones (have the cast logo) have been long discontinued. And as far as aftermarket performance options go, you’re limited to like Centerforce, Ram Clutches, or Tick Performance (and maybe some other companies I don’t know of).
I might upload a closer photo when I get the chance, but what exactly is in the aluminum hydraulic release bearing assembly, once you remove all the external parts and pieces? There’s like a metal ring thing inside of the area where the release bearing support rides on, and also helps plunge down. I’m assuming it was part of the plunger and maybe had a seal underneath? You were saying something about a bearing, but I was under the impression that the only bearing in the assembly, was just the release bearing itself, which is on the very top of the CSC.
But yes, like you and I were talking about, gunk and debris got into it through the ripped dust boot/cover, clogged it up and probably seized it. I just don’t know what’s inside of the thing, and it’s kinda driving my curiosity crazy. I sprayed brake cleaner through the bleeder end and the clutch line end, and they both go straight through each other obviously. But the plunger thing was so seized, I don’t think that anything except maybe something blowing a ton of pressurized air through it one way, will get the plunger to un-stick itself, or come back up.