Throwout bearing issues

[6spdYJ]

I've been having a weird problem for several years now with my Jeep. I have had to replace the throwout bearing about every two years. It hasn't mattered what manufacturer it is. My latest has gone bad at about 6 months. This problem has existed since I went external. It was the same with the 5 speed as it is with the 6 speed. I'm running a 94 slave with a 92 master. I know there has to be some pressure on the connecting rod on the throwout lever to keep it from falling out. Each piece is not modified (but I assume - politically - mixed pieces qualify as "modified"). Other than the screaming gerbil sound as the bearing matches the input shaft speed at the shift point, the feel and function is perfectly normal.
The only thing I can guess is that being a daily driver is just more use than it was engineered for. It sounds like a stupid hypothesis, but it correlates with my evaluation of average engineering...
It has not been submerged (this one nor the last before it). I don't ride the clutch. On the bright side, I'm at about 3 hours start-to-finish to replace one without a lift or power tools
Anyone have any ideas what I can do to get more life out of these things?

[aw12345]

With a hydraulic clutch the throwout bearing is always in contact with the pressure plate so the rotational speed of the bearing doesn't change with stepping on the clutch or not, the axial load on on it does change though. You sure the pilot bearing isn't dry and making the noise?

[6spdYJ]

Each time the bearing itself is roached. It's probably time to change the bushing. Thanks for the help!

[aw12345]

One thing though, when the clutch and the slave are installed can you push the clutch for in towards the slave cylinder fairly easily? If not check that the master cylinder linkage has free play if it doesn't it will sort of pump up the slavecylinder, putting a lot more pressure on the slave cylinder and the throwout bearing than there normally would be

[6spdYJ]

Yeah, the pedal has about 1" of travel before compression starts. After doing a bit of research and some thinking, I made a bronze bushing to replace the bearing. My logic is that the bearing has about 20 small points of contact to stabilize the input shaft where the bushing has 99%+ contact at all times. I had a few 60's trucks that had bronze bushings and the bearings were fine even in the 90's. We'll see how long it lasts.

[aw12345]

Seems to me you are talking about the pilot bearing instead of the throwout bearing?

[6spdYJ]

Any searching I've done for the pilot brings up a bearing. I figure since I have to pull the whole thing apart I might as well put in a new pilot bushing with the throwout bearing and see how long it lasts.