A Pilot Bearing or Pilot Bushing serves as a guide for the transmission input shaft. When the flywheel and pressure plate assembly turn at speeds different than the input shaft and disc assembly, the pilot bearing rotates.

Even though pilot bearings/bushings are only a small portion of the total cost of a typical clutch replacement, a new pilot should be included with each clutch replacement. Problems caused by a worn or damaged pilot such as excessive noise, misalignment, and imbalance are not worth the labor cost to remove and replace the bell housing and transmission. What’s more, these problems may eventually cause considerable damage that would require a complete clutch system replacement.