Roller release bearing mod.

[moose549]

I can supply a fork and bearing ready to fit to your car the forks are cleaned, welded to add strength and then modified to accept a early beetle bearing, then holes drilled for lock wire on the clips blasted and painted and supplied with lock wire. All you have to do is swap the arm fit your clips twist the lock wire post your old clutch fork back to me £85 delivered to the UK. Beware of the bearings available to buy on the internet, some are poor quality and there are 3 styles out there and only one is suitable to use and even if the picture on the web page shows the correct one you can have the wrong one sent, some do not have a protective coating on the thrust pad, some have a poor coating. I have rallied on the type i use for 20 + years and never replaced the bearing.
If you want one please contact me on mikedent87@gmail.com i will add a picture on here soon so you can see the quality of the modified arms and bearings.

[John A. Ross]

Mike would be worth adding some images of what is involved.

Frank Schoenberger

Robin Human

Also offer roller bearing replacements to fit standard forks but I always find the fork has some wear or bend anyway.

The VW bearing you refer to should be the early one I think ? same as in the VW lump I have here so pre 1970

Only image I have to show how close the VW bearing is in size, shape, attachment and actuating method.



I have never actually had hands on one myself but I believe the Hewland boxes as bases on VW transaxle castings ?

That always amazed me as the trasnaxle VW transaxle was only ever designed for low revs, nothing like the RPM range of the imp (another discussion I reckon).

I really need to give the VW based car some love before end of summer as this winter outside has been very unkind to it.

[moose549]

Yes it is the early one but there are three styles will get some pics when i can and will show the detail of the fork strengthening.

[John A. Ross]

Cheers Mike, I only knew of two types of the bearing, learn something every day, thanks for sharing the experience. Look forward to the pictures, I have seen the job as Scott Clements had made a few locally but never seen them offered as a part. More parts that can be re-sorced the better

[moose549]

Plastic insert where the wire clips fit in and plain steel face that touches the clutch cover pad.

Again plastic, but has a graphite coating on the face that touches the clutch cover pad

Better housing and clip arrangement. has a graphite coating on part that touches clutch cover This is a pressed steel housing and the one i prefer to use.EMPI

Empi new manufactured item, not used one myself, but has a rounded part that touches the pad on clutch cover but metal to metal without a protective coating may be ok?


There is another with a cast steel housing but cannot fit a picture of it. Depending on the type you have depends on how much you remove from imp clutch for, whether you have to drill holes deeper in bearing and whether you have to remove metal from bearing housing.

I strengthen the forks as a matter of course and use my preferred bearing to make the set up bomb proof.