hydraulic clutch linkage vs. mechanical....

You might be stuck for awhile in ******** nowhere waiting to find a replacement for a broken cable. On the other hand there has to be a million trucks left with the hydraulics you could snag if need be.

 

X2! That's what I've heard. Horror stories of clutch binding shut/open

 

When my race cars had clutches in them, we always used a Howe hydraulic throwout bearing. The same one lasted the four seasons we ran a clutch. It's still setting on the shelf waiting for another call to duty.

My next build is getting a Howe hydraulic bearing in it, that is for sure. It simples up the installation of the pedals and the transmission something fierce, and it saves the space where the clutch fork would swing normally.

If you go with the hydraulic bearing though, do yourself a favor and splurge for the remote mount bleeder. That will make your life much easier when it comes time to bleed the system. If you use braided stainless lines with AN flare ends, you'll only have to bleed them once.

 

Hey Doc,
You have a good thread goin' here. Lots of good info. Damn I like this place...Smokey

 

I used the Chev dual master cylinder hydraulic ***y. for years in my 37 pickup, running SBC w/muncie. No problems ever except bleeding the thing. I finally figured out that if you bleed it a few times and don't get pedal, just leave it alone for an hour or so and it would work fine. I used an old Ford master mounted off the X member, 39 pedal ***y., Chev truck slave, and Ansen brackets. I still have a set waiting for the next project.

 

Here are some pics of the clutch linkage in my roadster project. I have a chevy 4 speed behind a desoto hemi. I have the conventional chevy throwout bearing and arm from a 57 chevy bellhousing. I was unable to make a mechanical linkage fit. After some fab, this pull cylinder works great (in my garage anyway so far). Of course, I only have a diaphram pressure plate. I don't know how well it would work with a 3500 pound plate. The master cylinder for the wilwood cylinder has the plastic top. I think it came from a chevy truck 1990s. It is filled with silicone brake fluid. So far, no leaks. Highly modified Clutch and brake setup 38 ford I believe. Where there's a will there's a way! Hope you see the pics ok

 

We do lots of hydraulic slave kits for our T-5 conversion pkgs. Seem to work out well for most applications where a stock linkage cannot be used. I still think a good stock type manual linkage is the best. There are just some places where a mechanical linkage doesn't work out. We also do a Chevy bellhousing conversion where we move the fork to the right side along with a Willwood slave in order to give more room on the left side where the pedals are frame mounted. mostly on As-32s & 34s.

 

I love it, I am in a similar situation I have a 58 ford pick up ,that I am putting a pontiac 400 with a lakewood bell housing to a T5 ****** and trying to figure out what will fit,it's a pretty tight fit . Any inf for the T5 clutch set up would be awesome .thanks

 

One issue I ran into on the first setup, using an Ansen hydraulic slave, was that the release "interval" was slower than I was able to shift. So the system had a slipping-power-shift experience when you tried to shift quickly. When I switched over to mechanical linkage, not a problem. Instantaneous. As to the leverage issue, seems to me that if the mechanical is setup w/correct lever arm length, then the only difference might be, the additional (minimal) drag that moving fluid thru a hydraulic system requires.

 

update:...
I e-mailed Lakewood about the correct bellhousing for my 454/Richmond 5 speed set up, asking them which bellhousing to go with, and they said they do not have a bellhousing for hydraulic linkage application for a 454 / Richmond 5 speed.

WTF? did I not ask the right question?

I am sure there is a hydraulic bellhousing for a 454 to a Richmond setup.
Like I said, this is a new project for me, so I am short bus dumb on this.

 

I e-mailed Lakewood about the correct bellhousing for my 454/Richmond 5 speed set up, asking them which bellhousing to go with, and they said they do not have a bellhousing for hydraulic linkage application for a 454 / Richmond 5 speed.

WTF? did I not ask the right question?

I am sure there is a hydraulic bellhousing for a 454 to a Richmond setup.
Like I said, this is a new project for me, so I am short bus dumb on this.[/quote]

You might be able to eliminate all doubt and explain things better with some person-to-person contact, i.e. via the telephone. Email's convenient, but sometimes 'old school' communication is better.

 

You might be able to eliminate all doubt and explain things better with some person-to-person contact, i.e. via the telephone. Email's convenient, but sometimes 'old school' communication is better. [/quote]

I tried that a couple times today, went straight to voice mail.
Probably playing catch up from the Holiday's. Gonna keep trying till I get a live person on the phone.

I am sure once that happens, I will be properly educated.

 

To emphasize on Charlie Chops, you cabn use a 1962 C10 bell housing, pedals, master and slave cylinders. You'll have to do some fab work, but it's a good and affordable alternative. Let me know, Thanks

 

I am building (at work) a '57 Chevy pickup with a 454/Lakewood bell/RAM diaphragm clutch/Richmond 6 speed.

The pedal ***embly is a universal under floor from TCI, it has a Wilwood master cylinder.

The clutch arm is stocker '57 Chevy car, fabbed pushrod ***embly, and CNC slave cylinder. I haven't built the bracket to mount the slave yet, but it is just a "drop down" that bolts to the drilled and tapped bracket welded to the Lakewood bell.

I don't have a picture, but I can get one if needed.

 

Here is a GM parts list for using a mid eighties pick up truck bellhousing set up. I put this behind my 454 with a 4 speed (12 inch clutch actually fit). The bell has a flange on the side where the slave bolts onto.

Clutch Shift Fork 15592270
Clutch Fork Pivot Ball 15592268
Hydraulic Hose (master to slave cylinder) 15537760
Flywheel, 168-tooth, Steel 10105832
Pilot Bushing 14061685
Throw-Out Bearing 15613306
Dust Shield 15521936
Bellhousing 15530202
Slave Cylinder 15615868
Master Cylinder 15615867
Clutch Pedal 15592273

 

Ive used both and prefer mech. linkage. I have a lathe and am able to machine my bellcrank its accually pretty easy compared to building brackets and running tubing for slave. Or the easy way out hydraulic throwout bearing which wiil leak one day like mine did.

 

i have used all 3 types and it comes down to having the room. if you run a cable better have one extra in the trunk. my 60' chevy truck has hydraulic and never misses a beat. have mechanical on my 56'&57' chevys and they work great! they all experience high rate of failure when they are pushed hard.