> What about the BPNW kit, isn't it the same?
>
> GH
Yes, and no. The bearing and sleeve appear to be the same, but the BPNW kit
does not include the preload spring and the preload strap, or the extra
dowels and sliding blocks (from the latest Gunst revision). BPNW maintains
that the bearing manufacturer says the bearing is not meant to be used in a
100% duty setup (spinning all the time), and that is why they do not include
the spring and strap.
I installed a BPNW bearing a few weeks ago, in a friend's TR6 in CT, and it
audibly squeaked all the time except when the clutch pedal was pressed (and
load was then applied to the bearing). I ended up copying the spring and
strap setup from a Gunst kit I had in the shop and installed it on the car
with the BPNW setup... the squeak went away.
The more I get into this subject of the Gunst spring, the more I want to
stay away from even the Gunst bearing, even though it is the highest quality
bearing on the market. No one is giving an answer that agrees, Gunst says
the bearing should be preloaded and spinning all the time, the manufacturer
does not.
So if you buy the BPNW bearing, and it squeaks, you are kind of left looking
for solution to stop the noise... the solution is obviously the spring and
strap, which they do not include. But as I mentioned in a previous email
about the Gunst bearing, no one knows the life span of these bearings, the
most accumulated miles I know of on one of these bearings is about 10k
miles... which is not much. I do not want to hear about failures in a few
years because either the bearing should be preloaded or is not preloaded,
and no one can agree.
Kai
--
Kai M. Radicke
Wishbone Classics
www.wbclassics.com
Ph: 215.945.7250
Check out the new British Cars Forum:
http://www.team.net/the-local/tiki-view_forum.php?forumId=8
|