So before I knew the difference, I installed a long, lever style pressure plate (https://ramclutches.com/product/92502/) between a 351W and a T5, with a ford performance T5 bellhousing. I was using a Speedway master with a Tacoma push style external slave previously, but now the slave doesn't seem to have enough travel to actuate the clutch, and simply blows apart. So I searched for an answer or a "long throw" slave, and pretty much the only solution I've found is to remove the long style pressure plate and replace with a diaphragm plate. Is there any way to use a long style plate with a hydraulic system, or do you need a mechanical linkage? Sorry in advance if this is a dumb question. I feel somewhat dumb for putting it all together before I figured out it was a problem.
I am running a 10" Long style clutch with a Wilcap adapter to Ford bellhousing on my hemi in my avatar. I used a Ford truck slave cylinder with a fab bed bracket to pus on my clutch arm. It work perfectly from the start and still works correctly after over 40k mile of driving. Unfortunately I have long forgotten just what Ford truck the slave cylinder came from. It would have to be a heavy duty (maybe F600 or so). Wish I could remember more. Find a long time Ford truck parts guy and wrack his brain.
I run a Zoom diaphragm clutch plate and have an external slave, advertised at 1.25" travel. I found out that I needed at least .75" of motion at the fork. You have to try to eliminate as much dead-motion between the slave and fork. See if you can find the advertised stroke on other slaves. IIRC, long-style finger plates do take more motion to cycle. I would look for an alternate plate that takes less motion to release it too.
Is there an adjustable pivot ball in the housing, or can you install one? Sometimes moving the pivot point closer can help if you have room for it.
if its a t5 ford orifice you can buy an aftermarket intenal hydraulic thrust bearing or throw out bearing they use a later european ford front wheel drive slave the beauty here is that are all the same bolt pattern and are in differing lengths 2000cc mondeo petrol - diesel v6 petrol etc etc kind of run the same trtansmission with a differing engine and the like much the same as a stock 1996 chevrolet v6 camaro throw out bearing but they are a smidgers smaller in bore than the ford
stock chevrolet t5 19996 up hydraulic slave cylinder the input shaft or first motion shafts bearing retainery thing is specific to this unit the aftermarket jobbie is in one piece
Like Deucemac wrote above the Ford truck slave cylinder will do the job perfectly. Ford trucks in the sixty's used hydraulic slave cylinders with Long style PP and clutch sizes as big as 11 inch. Your local NAPA store might have one in stock if not there easy to order here's the NAPA part number for the Ford replacement we use NAPA 73470 Ronnieroadster
You might consider a geometry change. If the slave's push point on the arm is closer to the pivot, the throw at the release bearing will be greater. Might require a bit of math and some fab work, but what you need is doable without making wholesale equipment changes.
I made up a lot of un-necessary parts for my set up. I had moved the pivot on the arm down too far... big mistake. It took 3 people to work the pedal. I moved the clutch master up to the OG pedal pivot height, much better.
Sounds like the Ford heavy truck slave is your fix. Another option some guys are using is the Mustang clutch cable setup. Good luck.
I did very little research into the cable option, it may have saved me some grief. With my brother helping, it took us 3 weekends (actually Saturdays) to get the hydraulic linkage sorted. If I take the thing apart down the road, it may be back on the table.
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