Pilot bearing, use the bushing or use a bearing?

[lincolnmatthews]

Hi you guys just a quick question for you guys. I'm getting ready to install my rebuilt flathead in my car soon, I told the shop to install a bearing which they did. I got the old Ford bronze bushing back, now I'm having 2nd thoughts that maybe I should have kept the bushing in the crank (figured maybe Henry new best). I just don't want to have pull the rearend, trans to replace a noisy bearing. 

 What's the consensus out there? What is more commonly done now days? Thank you!

[m-mman]

I just went through this related to a 1960 223 six engine. 

The basket case car came with two old bushings. The owner bought a bearing from Rock Auto, then a clutch kit from O'Rellieys. which included the disc, pressure plate and TWO bushings and a bearing(!) 

 

The thing is that the pilot bearing/bushing works only when your foot is on the clutch.

When your foot is off the clutch it is linked to the flywheel and disc and supports no weight and does nothing. So it only does something during maybe 10% of the time you are operating the car. 

 

Eventually I installed the bearing.

I dont know exactly why,  It just seemed to spin easily in my fingers when I was deciding which to use. 

Personally I dont think it matters much. 

[Bloo]

If the bearing fails, or just runs out of grease over a long period, you have to take it all apart. That is unlikely to happen with Oilite sintered bronze or similar. Worst case maybe it wears out enough to make the clutch chatter. That probably wont happen before the clutch wears out. Avoid iron/steel based Oilite. Stick with sintered bronze. If a magnet sticks to the bushing, get a different bushing.

[46 woodie]

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to "reinvent the wheel". Pilot bushings have been around forever and seldom fail. Way too much work to replace it when it fails.