Clutch Release Bearing

[Alpine Addict]

Looking at this an MGB clutch release bearing is the same as a late series Alpine. Can anyone confirm this?

Made in USA Green clutch release bearing CB-2032-C 1962-1980 MGB, Sunbeam Alpine | eBay

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[Tim R]

If you contact Captainrobin on U.K. E-Bay he sells Sunbeam Alpine Roller bearings. They are excellent.
Tim R

 

[Alpine Addict]

I have reached out to him. I believe I have one somewhere but cannot find it. If I order another I am sure to find the one I lost!!

 

[hartmandm]

Hi Tim,

I am curious how many miles you have achieved using a roller bearing with an Alpine. I struggle to get past the fact that the bearing seems like it won't be fully centered as it meets and then bends the fingers on the clutch pressure plate.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Tim R]

Mike,
The roller is fully centred and actually self-centres as soon as it makes contact and starts to spin. Some very clever guys on here once posted the trigonometry behind it. There is some rubbish shown on the internet that claims that the bearing slides across the plate face, this is totally incorrect. The roller bearing is a much better solution that the pattern carbon bearings that are available now. The original beatings were fine but the pattern ones break up, lose the ring and are generally useless. My car has done about 14,000 miles with the roller bearing now but I expect it to do many, many more. It is a high quality conversion.
Tim R

 

[bernd_st]

Tim,

I have done way more miles over the years with the proper carbon one on both my S1 & S5 and never encountered any issue. What needs to be obeyed however is that you only shortly press the clutch when shifting. At the same time and when assisting club mates clutch failures I had to remove 2 roller bearings which were completely stuck and therefore wrecking clutch central pressure rings too. Perhaps your roller bearings are better quality and can't be compared, but anyhow just my 2 Cents ;-)

 

[Tim R]

Bernd,
That is interesting, I would guess that the cars had been parked up for a while and the rollers corroded solid. The ones that we are fitting are real precision pieces and I can't see them seizing. If they were still available I would happily fit an original Rootes bearing with the carbon ring but the pattern ones that are generally about now are very poor quality and don't last long.
Tim R

 

[bernd_st]

Tim, can't tell you whether the roller bearings were subject to a longer standstill, but dirt and corrosion may have played a role. Regarding the carbon ring ones I try to use NOS Borg & Beck parts as long as available...

 

[osomite]

If you contact Captainrobin on U.K. E-Bay he sells Sunbeam Alpine Roller bearings. They are excellent.
Tim R

 

[osomite]

I ordered a clutch roller bearing from Captainrobin in December 2022 and it got lost in shipment somewhere between England and California. I did get a refund. No harm no foul, stuff happens.

I contacted him in March 2023 about a purchase of a clutch roller bearing for my Series V with shipment tracking to the US. He replied that he had found a suitable international shipper which he would use.

However, I did not reply quickly enough. When I did, in April, I discovered that, sadly, Captainrobin no longer has a store on E-Bay.

Does anyone know what the situation is with Captainrobin?

Does anyone know of an alternate source for an Alpine Series V clutch roller bearing?

 

[Green67Alpine]

I just went through this same search, Greggers (our club VP) located a fellow in Australia www.Spriteparts.com.au that has a part that I've ordered, received but not yet installed as I'm doing a couple other repairs while LC is up on stands.
The fellows name is Colin.
Good luck Tom j