[Spridgets] smoking release bearing?

[Marc]

Need some advice -

To make a long story short, I pulled my engine & trans, installed a new 
clutch, pressure plate and carbon release bearing. Installed a new slave 
hose and cylinder (hose was cracked, cylinder was sort of seeping). 
Installed a rebuilt transmission.

After much difficulty bleeding the stinking clutch, I was rewarded with 
a solid clutch pedal, good action.

Only problem, the clutch just would NOT release. Not able to shift into 
gear at all. If starting in gear, a little clutch action was observed, 
but it wouldn't fully release. Visual inspection showed good travel, 
could see the release bearing releasing the plate...

At that point I was fully convinced I had done something stupid, 
backwards clutch disk or something. So, today I pulled the motor & trans 
again. The clutch was properly oriented, and everything looked ok.

The old clutch was actually OK, might have been fairly recent from it's 
looks. I only replaced it because it seemed the sensible thing to do 
while I had everything out and apart. So, at a loss as to what the 
problem was, I reinstalled the original pressure plate and clutch and 
put it all back together. I left the new carbon faced bearing installed 
in the fork. There was a roller type bearing that I had originally 
removed, but it had a plastic body with obvious thermal damage...

Clutch now releases and acts like it should, save for one problem: On 
the initial testing, my son noticed some white smoke - I got out to look 
and there was a fair amount of white smoke coming out of the top 
inspection hole on the transmission. I've smelled roasted clutch before, 
that's NOT what this smelled like. It smelled more like a burning 
electrical component....

Incidentally, while I did not see any smoke with the new pressure plate 
& clutch installed, I did smell the exact same smell, so likely this 
occurred as well, but not to the same extent as I was unable to drive 
the car then.

Now what?? Could there be a problem with the new release bearing? I hate 
to think I have to pull the engine a third time...


-- 

Marc