What to blame, the part (from SoS) or the installer (my shop)?

[haveblue]

My shop installed an SoS Sport 275 clutch and SoS-provided throwout bearing in November. About a month ago, the bearing started making a constant humming noise when the clutch is fully disengaged, after the car has been driven around a little in gear. There is no noise on startup. The noise ceases when I lift the pedal an inch, starting the clutch engagement, or if I hold the pedal down for about 20 seconds.

SoS and Larry Bastanza suggest that my shop didn't grease the inside of the bearing face where it contacts the input shaft, but that should only make a noise while the bearing is sliding along the shaft, during the pedal movement. My shop insists that they greased the bearing.

Argument for SoS: A new OEM bearing shouldn't usually fail like this.
Argument for my shop: There's not much to go wrong when installing the bearing.

I'm thinking it's a defective bearing, but there's no way to know until they take it out. Any ideas before I drop it off on Monday? Should SoS hold any responsibility to reimburse labor costs if it was indeed a faulty part?

 

[CStricker]

Difficult situation. You supplied the parts, correct?

A bit different situation, but years and years ago, I bought Koni shocks and H&R springs from a vendor online, and brought it to my mechanic I had been using for a year or so at that point to get everything installed in my BMW. He looked everything over, agreed, installed the parts… and then took them out and replaced the OE suspension, and charged me for all those hours. His reasoning that the H&R springs weren't "safe". He is obviously entitled to his opinion, but he should never have agreed to do the work in the first place. I didn't end up paying, obviously, but that took some time to work out.

I'm curious to see how this goes.

 

[venomous42]

My shop installed an SoS Sport 275 clutch and SoS-provided throwout bearing in November. About a month ago, the bearing started making a constant humming noise when the clutch is fully disengaged, after the car has been driven around a little in gear. There is no noise on startup. The noise ceases when I lift the pedal an inch, starting the clutch engagement, or if I hold the pedal down for about 20 seconds.

SoS and Larry Bastanza suggest that my shop didn't grease the inside of the bearing face where it contacts the input shaft, but that should only make a noise while the bearing is sliding along the shaft, during the pedal movement. My shop insists that they greased the bearing.

Argument for SoS: A new OEM bearing shouldn't usually fail like this.
Argument for my shop: There's not much to go wrong when installing the bearing.

I'm thinking it's a defective bearing, but there's no way to know until they take it out. Any ideas before I drop it off on Monday? Should SoS hold any responsibility to reimburse labor costs if it was indeed a faulty part?

i ran a shop for years, and if the customer brought the parts in to be installed, there is only a warranty for said labor if the installer messed up. but the parts problem is between you and who you bought them from. are they a authorized installer for sos? And yes, i have had this happen with aftermarket parts. not a common issue, but it has happened. but since the shop bought the parts, they get paid to replace it by the part supplier. so you wouldnt be out nothing but your time. sos will most likely give you a exchange bearing when you bring the bad one to them, but you or sos will be paying the labor. but this can vary shop to shop. but common practice.

 

[Pchpleno]

It's an OEM release bearing? If so they can argue that your using an aftermarket clutch and extra pressure from the pressure plate is what did it. Either way I know they might exchange the part but labour costs your probably going to be responsible for.

Everyone greases the bearings and shafts. This is an old school common practice. I don't. It's been my experience your better off not greasing. Think about it, what is created by the use of the clutch? Dust a lot of out just like brakes. Bearing...dust...what happens to grease when subjected to dust...failure.

 

[davidf]

Any new part can fail, from any manufacturer. The fact SOS did not do the labor, unfortunately you'll need to suck it up and pay for labor again. Once it's apart then it can be determined if your shop was careless and that may be hard to do. It's their word against yours unfortunately. Even if the part is faulty, you got at least 3 months of service before it gave issues. It's a tough situation and I feel for you. Good luck.

 

[Phoenix599]

Taking this question to a public forum and not mentioning who your shop is, while mentioning SoS, doesn't seem fair to me. Given what you've shared with us, no one has any idea what caused the problem, other than conjecture. IMHO it would have been better to leave SoS unnamed until you could definitively determined cause and effect.