Hey im doing a clutch install in my 02 six speed. Got the trans down and out and im looking for my pilot bearing but there is none. Nothing. Stock original clutch. Did it bust apart and fall out? Also, there is alot of what looks like grease and oil in the bell housing, im guessing from the throw out bearing, but there seems to be alot of it. The bearing spins very free and has hardly any play in it. Dd the grease come from there? The input shaft has very little play as well. Where else could the **** come from?

If the pilot bearing is totally gone I would be replacing the input seal under the front bearing retainer. Even though it feels tight check the bearing carefully too. With no pilot to help support the input shaft the heavy clutch disk would have been putting stress on the bearing. I would think you should be able to at least find a piece of the pilot bearing??? Or do they run a bushing?

I havent pulled the flywheel yet so i suspect it is in the void behind it. The valair replacement has an actual bearing so the stocker just blew up i guess. I was thinking of replacing the input shaft seal or bearing? Which is it?

Go back in with the brass bushing, do not use the needle bearing, the bushing will last longer and will not destroy the end of the input shaft like a needle bearing can.

grease/oil in the bell housing often indicates a leaking rear main seal.

Got it all in. Big difference with a stout valair in there. The pilot bearing was in pieces behind the flywheel as expected. When i pulled the flywheel, behind it was spankin clean. I already had a rear main seal so just changed it anyway. No big deal. Also changed the input shaft bearing. The clutch seems a little grabby at the start. But gets better after a test run.

What did you use for the pilot shaft, a bearing or bushing?

I used a bearing that came with the clutch. I couldnt find a bushing to get and had to get it back together.