I am slowly collecting the parts to drop a 4.9 in my Fiero. 86 GT 2.8 4 speed. I've got just about everything but it hit me last night that I don't have a pilot bearing for the input shaft of the 4 speed. Is there a special one? do I have to fabricate this? any insight would be awesome.

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Mike T
CCWorks
http://www.ccworks.org
Choppers and Fiero's RUUUULLLLEEEEE
michael.tullock@ccworks.net

No pilot bearing is used with any Fiero manual transmission.

https://www.rockauto.com/en...h+pilot+bearing,1964

Not to disagree but I've never seen a manual trans without one. If you don't you will have clutch chatter when engaging.

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Mike T
CCWorks
http://www.ccworks.org
Choppers and Fiero's RUUUULLLLEEEEE
michael.tullock@ccworks.net

quote Originally posted by P.O.L. Mafia: https://www.rockauto.com/en...h+pilot+bearing,1964 Not to disagree but I've never seen a manual trans without one. If you don't you will have clutch chatter when engaging.

I guess you haven't looked at a Fiero transmission yet.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 08-21-2018).]

well you are correct, I've never cracked a Fiero, but I have done a bunch of others. guess I'll see when I drop the motor later.

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Mike T
CCWorks
http://www.ccworks.org
Choppers and Fiero's RUUUULLLLEEEEE
michael.tullock@ccworks.net

If you open the Fiero transmission, you'll find its input shaft is already supported by a pair of tapered roller bearings. Adding a 3rd support would be ill-advised.

interesting, thank you for the info, I need to look into this.

quote Originally posted by P.O.L. Mafia: https://www.rockauto.com/en...h+pilot+bearing,1964 Not to disagree but I've never seen a manual trans without one. If you don't you will have clutch chatter when engaging.

Don't worry, Rock Auto's catalog is wrong (again).

quote Originally posted by pmbrunelle: If you open the Fiero transmission, you'll find its input shaft is already supported by a pair of tapered roller bearings. Adding a 3rd support would be ill-advised.

This is correct.

The other piece I would add is that due to the lack of protrusion of the GM FWD crankshafts (they are essentially flush with the bell housing face) and the lengths of the transverse manual transmission input shaft, there isn't sufficient length for them to even touch, let alone slide into each other to be supported. There is one know exception with the a case swapped F23 and 3800, that input shaft is actually long enough to slide into the crankshaft by about 1/8", but the OD of the end of the shaft is too large to fit in the ID of the 3800 crankshaft, so you use a flapper disk to grind a small portion away so nothing touches.