Anyone have a good Chrysler or NAPA part number for a pilot bearing, not a bushing, that I can use in the end of a steel carnk 440 in front of a 833 trans? I used the bronze bushing last time, but heard there is an actual bearing I can use instead? I have also seen that a mid nineties pilot bearing for a 360 RAM works as well?

Chrysler part # is 53009180AB. In a parts store specify a 2007 Dakota V8. The parts store one will be cheaper, but probably an import. The last one I ordered from Chrysler was MADE IN USA.

Someone posted this awhile back...

Yeah, that bearing's worth a ton of horsepower !!!

Not looking for horsepower! The bushing I removed was paper thin after twenty two years of heavy use. I was looking for durability... No one locally had the bearing, so back in goes another bushing!

wow glad i saw this picture.doing a motor swap on a 99 dakota 3.9 v6, has a pilot bearing in place in the old motor.How do i get out the old one? plus the clutch kit sent me a bushing.i must have to knock out the old bearing and install the bushing in place of the old bearing.does that make sence?

I prefer bushings myself. The only time either one does anything is when the clutch is depressed. When your clutch is applied the bearing/bushing rotates with the transmission.

The bearing has moving parts and may (although doubtful) come apart, bushings do not.

There is no performance improvement in any of the 3 designs.

Quote:

---

The bushing I removed was paper thin after twenty two years of heavy use

---

Then consider yourself lucky that you had a bushing in there and not a bearing! Something had to be out of whack to cause the bushing to wear. Had it been a bearing you would have had balls and other bits of metal flying around in the bellhousing and the crank and trans pilot shaft would both likely have been junk.

I just went through this. The 4338876 is discontinued, I had to get one from a dealer in Indiana which had exactly one on the shelf. To me the bushing is just one less thing to fail.

Here are my notes: The "AB"s are what the discontinued part crossed over as the replacement.

4338876 - Old PN for discontinued crank register style bushing

53009180AB hub register style sleeve & roller bearing
53009181AB crank register style roller bearings

Here is mine installed:

2: