Never never soak the bearing in oil, it is not how they are designed to work. Soaking the bearing in oil is not a good idea in this case as it will dilute the already meager amount of grease in the bearing. As the bearing is sealed and not open cage, massaging grease in will not be a normal procedure either without removing the side cover which is tricky when they are metal. Commonly done with plastic sealed bearings. The thinned out grease will also leach back out as it is thin and then be free to roam the inside of the clutch cover eventually onto your friction plate.

Best just to install it. Don't tap the outer race or the bearing side cover (even accidentally) when drifting it on.

Most early failures are due to incorrect methods when pushing the bearing onto the carrier (if incorrect clutch adjustment can be ignored). The matter of grease can be an issue, but only in the long run.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

So installing two bearings and having them let go after 2 days without soaking them and then soaking one and having no issues with it, please explain how that works?

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Yeah well thems the breaks I guess. Perhaps your method of drifting them on got better with the practice.
Bearings are designed to work using grease unless they are an open cage design specifically meant for that kind of operation. As I said oil will dilute the supplied grease and is not designed for the punishing loads found in the bearing. What are you using? Singer oil? Motor oil? I use the cheap throwout bearing and generally get a number of years out of them without resorting to modifying them. I've had a number of years dealing with bearings in industry was my job.
I've added grease to known culprit sealed bearings before as they are typically pretty cheap with the grease. Adding too much leads to the grease being ruined by the clay separating from the oil, and to little grease leads to overheating and failure. I usually can work out how long the bearing will last on a known piece of equipment by how well I feel that I have installed it. A tap in the wrong place or incorrectly pushed and aligned bearing will easily take 25 percent of it's lifespan, ad that's just a minor fault. If I muff it up completely, I will expect to be back there the next day.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Did someone once mention using a syringe to inject a little extra grease past the seal? That was a pretty good idea I felt as it doesn't damage the seal as you do so.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

bearings were all applied using Graham Russells press.... The one who said to soak bearing in oil

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Yeah well, use whatever vodoo techniques you like. It's your own choice. Three bearings seemed to have worked out for you.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I just use UK made bearings, they work for years without any massaging. Unlike their asian made equivalent... 3 days I got.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

purchased a new bearing this morning...

went to put it on then realised that the inner part of the old bearing was seized on the shaft... it wont come off....

!!!!1

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They are a press on fit.
If you don't have a press, sit it in a vice with the bearing on top of jaws, use a BFH and a drift.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

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