trans get hot= no shiftie??, what the flux?? Options

[aircooledboy]

I have had this problem since I put the 8 back together, but it has gotten really bad lately. I'll be pulling the trans this winter to get taller gears, but I'm curious what you guys think. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

When I start out, the trans shifts perfectly, as good as any modern car. But after about 15 minutes, things go south. I'll go to put the clutch in, and it will be stiff toward the bottom. Then, the next time I put the clutch in, it will stop about an inch or so from the bottom. If I muscle it, it will make a "pop" and go the rest of the way. At that point, even if I crank it to the floor, it is very hard to get into any gear. It then continues that way until I shut the car off, and let it sit. The next day, without fail, it will shift perfectly again, until it starts all over again. I was sure my clutch tube was breaking free until it healed itself overnight. It has done that 5 times now. When it is acting up, it will not go into reverse, not matter what.

My WAG is the pilot bearing. I used a KEP bearing, because I am a cheap bastard ( I know, a cheap 914 owner, who ever heard of that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif) ), and it was less than half what Rennegade gets. But when I was at Rennegade this summer, they told me the reason the KEP is so much cheaper is because KEP uses an aluminum ring, and Rennegade uses steel. Renegade claims that the aluminum allows the bearing to walk when it gets hot. I scoffed at the time, but now I'm not so sure. What do you guys think (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)