Clutch related: TO Bearing Clearence

Thowout Bearing question!

When the clutch pedal isn't engaged should the TO bearing still spin? I heard that there should be about 1/8" to 1/4" play between the TO bearing and the Pressure Plate. Because of the cup like recess in the Pressure Plate center (where the TO bearing rests) I can't measure the gap because the TO bearing is resting in that gap! The Pressure Plate fingers don't look like they are engaged but yet the TO bearing spins wether cluch is pushed in or not, is this normal (or could the bearing be spinning because of friction)??

If the TO bearing isn't suppose to move at all while clutch is disengaged, how can I get enough play at the clutch fork to move the TO bearing slightly away from the Pressure Plate (the self adjusting quadrant automatically adjusts to this setting) ??

I have messed with this all weekend to get some free play and I can't get any (I even tried a new OEM cable)!

B.T.W: The car shifts fine, no grinds and when clutch is pushed in gear engagment is butter smooth, I want to make sure i'm not wearing out my TO bearing because of it spinning!!

Thanks for the attention!!!


Little History.....
Been playing around with a squeaky clutch pedal for about a week now! Posted on here before about this and was told possible TO bearing. This may be the case although I have my doubts because of the noise that it's making!

The noise is only present while the pedal is on it's enaging stroke (inward towads floor). When the pedal reaches the floor no noise is present (TO bearing should squeel with pedal on floor). So this noise seems to me to be coming from the cable or stock quadrant! Also note that the noise doesn't happen all the time (it will do it for like a minute, then won't make a peep again for sometimes 1-5 mins). I'm thinking either cable or Quadrant.

GREEN hit the nail on the head with the TO bearing clearance!

First of all, my squeak......
I have located the squeak, it's coming from the Quadrant/Pedal Assembly! When it started making the noise this evening (almost as soon as I left work). I pulled off the road and pushed the pedal with my hand while I had my head under the dash, and the sound is coming from up under the dash somewhere (Quadrant/Pedal area). So that's a big relief off my back!!

TO Bearing Clearance.....
I called 2 ford dealers today and explained my concern "My throw-out bearing spins regardless of clutch engagement, is this normal"?

The first dealer I spoke to (a general service tech) told me that it is completely normal but wouldn't go into any more detail then that.

So I called a 2nd ford dealer and explained my concern. He told me to please hold he'll get a Tech. !
The guy that answered said he was the shops transmission tech. so I explained it to him as well. He told me that it is completely normal for the TO Bearing to spin at all times (regardless of clutch engagement). I was told that the bearing rides the Pressure Plate fingers but doesn’t engage the pressure plate. If the cable is adjusted so loose to allow enough of play in the retainer that the bearing doesn’t spin you will not be able to fully engage the clutch. This will result in notchy gear engagement at best, or no gear engagement at worse and either condition will cause transmission problems in the future. The self adjusting clutch cable quadrant will automatically remove any slack in the cable and restore the TO bearing retainer to the proper clearance. So providing you have a stock cable and quad it will automatically adjust to this setting!

I feel allot more at ease now, knowing that it is normal for the bearing to freely spin while clutch isn't engaged!

I am still gonna buy a new quad (to try and take care of the annoying squeak) and a firewall adjuster!


Thanks to everyone that read and responded to this thread!!