I have a 1988 T-5 in my 54 Ford Mainline Custom behind a mild 302. I am converting to an hydrolic clutch to get rid of the mess that is a Z setup by a previous builder. I have the 88 Ford clutch fork that uses the passenger ball pivot. I have mocked the setup with an S-10 T-5 master that is 11/16, and I am ready to build the bracket for the matching slave from the same doner vehicle that is 13/16. Upon further research I am confused and worried that this might not work as I have planned but I don't know now. I am in the Army and on a tight budget so I have pride and build everything myself. Any help will be appreciated Rangers Lead the Way
Most of the T5 used a cable system that pulled the clutch pedal - with your description of the "passenger ball pivot", I'm assuming that's what you have. I'm not familiar with the S10 hydraulic setup, but all you need to figure out is if your master/slave combo will give you enough travel to effectively disengage your clutch. You can control only some of the factors that affect this and only to a limited degree. I'm not smart on hydraulic setups outside of their original application - Specifically, I don't know how much is safe/good to extend the slave when tweaking a system. For example, you can change your pedal ratio to get more master stroke or use a larger master to get your slave to move more, but at some point, you don't want to move the slave anymore - that's what I"m not smart on. Is there a percentage of total travel? Once you have maximum slave movement, you then have to translate that to the clutch fork. As it pivots on the opposite side of the bellhousing, it's going to potentially require a large movement vs a clutch fork that pivots on the driver's side. You have a limited amount of wiggle room as far as mounting the slave to get the piston to contact the clutch fork closer to the bellhousing or farther outboard. I probably didn't help, but it would help to know what the throw on an S10 clutch fork is.. RLTW only after being thrown out the back of a Talon!
Does anyone know where to find the throw. The master and salve are matched from the doner vehicle that had an t-5 in it. I am hoping these will work.
I had to go larger on the master to get the proper travel out of the slave. It needs to move about 1.5" at the slave to disengage.
Hey, I put a t5 from a 1987 Camaro RS in my 1947 Ford coupe. Used the tranny and bell housing. I cut the firewall out, took the brake master cylinder as well as the hydraulic clutch set up and just welded the whole thing into my firewall in approximately the same location. The only issue I had was the line from the reservoir to the cylinder on the side of the bell housing was stretched out a bit tight. I solved that issue by using a braided stainless line from a mid 90's (I think) Corvette. It fit perfectly and I have for the most part used the same set up as it was in the Camaro. I have a 350 Chevy motor in the car.
Thanks for the braded line fix for one small problem I noticed already. I should clarify that I purchased the 1988 WC T-5 from Jeggs as an I lived thru another deployment again gift for my Rod. I have a bellhousing for an mustang to mate it to my tranny. If this helps anyone in any way. I am starting to think that I should bite the bullet and pruchase a complete kit even though I have most of the setup done and I like the pride in making things work like so many of you.
11/16 master and 13/16 slave figures to be about the same as the 3/4 master and 7/8 slave if you convert the fraction to decimal. That is how I figured this might work. I am not a math guru but that is where I am.
For me, this was the ticket for my 55. The Wilwood activates the stock slave, all I had to do was figure out a bracket to mount the slave, get a grade 8 bolt (a must)) cut down to make a rod to push on the arm. Pedal ratio is impt.-normally around 5 or 6 to 1 for most systems. cooger
I was in a somewhat similar situation with my mid 90's T-5 mate-up to a mid-60s poly 318. I'm using a SPEC Stage II clutch and pressure plate, Ford Top Loader release bearing on a Mopar release arm. I'm using a pull-type externally mounted slave cylinder. I started by asking SPEC how much release bearing travel was needed to disengage the clutch once the bearing touched the pressure plate spring-fingers. 1/4" to 3/8" was their answer. I then mocked up everything minus the slave cylinder and took measurements at the release bearing and pressure plate when the proper disengage / engage positions where achieved. At those 2 positions, I also noted the release arm positions and took measurements to an easily measured feature on the transmission or bell housing. These dimensions were used when setting up the slave clinder to know when I was in the disenage / engae travel range of what the clutch manufacturer suggested. As Erine and others have mentioned, you can get into "games" with release arm travel (both under-travel and over-travel) by playing with the slave mounting position, adjustment, clutch pedal ratio, cylinder bore sizes, etc. - EM
This is the same set up I have used on this deal before. CNC, Wilwood and others make a small "puller" type slave cylinder that is used mostly for VW and sandrail use. I have used this type by simply extending the rod for the throw arm and sliding the whole unit through the hole that would normally hold the cable. Simple and it works fine, and no weird bracketry needed. I do warn you to keep an eye on these little after market aluminum slaves though, as they do wear after a bit. I would possibly keep an extra on board if you are traveling interstate with the car, as they aren't common parts store kinda stuff.
Cooger, I'm running into a similar problem on my 48 ford with T-5 from S-10 Chevy . Trying to use the original pedal with a fabricated adapter arm on the clutch pedal throw, which pushes the master from a Jeep to a slave for a 90 Chev. pickup. Is the suggested 5-6 to 1 pedal ratio you mentioned total ratio from pedal movement to bearing travel? or just the pedal to master travel etc? I've fabbed the bracketry, but having trouble getting enough travel at the TOB Thanks, Hook
The 5-6:1 pedal ratio is at the master cylinder. Manual brakes take a 6:1 pedal ratio at the master. I also set up my other car with a Wilwwod 3/4" clutch master and an early Chevy pickup slave. mounted on the pass side for more floor pedal clearance agaist the bell housing. also the other car I have with a 7/8" CNC clutch slave is a push type. I carry a spare with me.
Unfortunally not the smoking gun I was looking for but I will go back thru the math and figure it out. I believe it will work Nothing is easy with this car. I will post images of the frame and the full air suspension with a triangulated 4-link. It has been a journey to have the car I want.
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