Tranny bearing: new vs old style, with pics! Options

[Dr Evil]

I have found these new style bearings in only two of the trannies that I have rebuilt. The old style input shaft bearing at the intermediate plate has a fragile brass cage for the balls. This new style, of which I have never seen a failure (in the two that I have seen on high milage trannies) has a steel cage for the bearings. I was reacently able to order the new style from GPR so I figured I would take some pics for posterity.

First, the old style bearing cage and its common failure -disintegration.
Notice the sharper peaks on the cage when comparred to the new/old style bearings in the next pic. The peaks could be due to wear, but I am not sure.

[Dr Evil]

Mike,
that is a good question. I don't know. I do know that for the longest time Red-beard and to a smaller extent I have been looking for replacements for this bearing that resemble the new style due to the aformentioned problems with the old style. He found that the flanged bearing was not offered by any vendors as it was a Porsche specific bearing and was proprietary or somthing along those lines. Having a non flanged bearing flanged would negate any cost savings so we gave up. Now these have surfaced and are not as expensive as they used to be. They are still about $150, though (same as the old style).