Clutch cylinder slave push rod
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Clutch cylinder slave push rod
A friend of mine is looking for an adjustable pushrod for the clutch slave unit.
MS had them but have removed them from their website. Anyone over there making these??
Thanks
D
MS had them but have removed them from their website. Anyone over there making these??
Thanks
D
- Peter Laidler
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
I found that I wanted a slightly longer push rod. Note 'wanted' and not 'needed'. My want was just to be on the safe side. I simply cut the rod shorter, bored onto the cut end and silver soldered a slightly extended end onto the rod. Worked a treat.
It's quite easy to see exactly what length you feel you need
It's quite easy to see exactly what length you feel you need
- woodypup59
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
The old fix in the 70s was a manifold nut poked into the slave cyl before the push rod was put in. That gave you another 1/2".
- Peter Laidler
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
Good idea too Woody.
Just been asked why I wanted the rod extended. As Woody says above..... I wanted the piston to be fully in and the push rod length to match the length between the clutch arm and piston. Thus ensuring full operating length of the slave cylinder.
Just been asked why I wanted the rod extended. As Woody says above..... I wanted the piston to be fully in and the push rod length to match the length between the clutch arm and piston. Thus ensuring full operating length of the slave cylinder.
- whistler
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
I used to use the manifold nut method back then but recently just welded a piece of rod on to extend it an rounded the end.
- woodypup59
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
Of course the nut is a bodge to take up wear.
The usual wear point is the ball on the lower end of the clutch operating arm. This fits in a hole in the plunger that the release bearing fits onto.
The ball and hole often get missed when its comes to regular lurication.
Another bodge to overcome the is to bend the arm .......................

The usual wear point is the ball on the lower end of the clutch operating arm. This fits in a hole in the plunger that the release bearing fits onto.
The ball and hole often get missed when its comes to regular lurication.
Another bodge to overcome the is to bend the arm .......................


- Peter Laidler
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
The trouble with the clutch system is one that many rebuilders simply do not - or do not want to - acknowledge. That of small amounts of wear in the mechanically heavily loaded part of the hydraulic system of levers and pivots. Thinking on my feet I seem to recall working out that .025 wear on the lever ball and the same ridge on the axis pin plus something similar on the slave cylinder push rod clevis pin and hole PLUS wear on the master cylinder yoke X the length of the arm = a LOT of accumulative error that can (?) overwhelm the ability of the ability of the hydraulics to clear the clutch cleanly.
Add to that the fact that all of these rotating surfaces and axis pins are as dry as a witches ti........, er........, tea-pot, just grinding away and you can understand why they wear out over a few years. Just drip some oil on them!
That all might seem to be a load of pure physics teacher waffle. But I learned the hard way and only when I took my complete system apart and measured everything that I realised. New pins, bored/machined and bushed all the associated holes from the clutch pedal to master cyl yoke right through to the lower clutch lever axis holes in the cover and arm. It's now as smooth as silk
Add to that the fact that all of these rotating surfaces and axis pins are as dry as a witches ti........, er........, tea-pot, just grinding away and you can understand why they wear out over a few years. Just drip some oil on them!
That all might seem to be a load of pure physics teacher waffle. But I learned the hard way and only when I took my complete system apart and measured everything that I realised. New pins, bored/machined and bushed all the associated holes from the clutch pedal to master cyl yoke right through to the lower clutch lever axis holes in the cover and arm. It's now as smooth as silk
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
I’m posh I use a 3/8 thread size female brake pipe union not a nut
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
And of course the lubrications is after half the problem. Squirt of bit of oil in there so that it can trap lots of dust etc which then turns to perfectly adequate grinding paste which just accelerates the wear.woodypup59 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 07, 2022 12:11 pm Of course the nut is a bodge to take up wear.
The usual wear point is the ball on the lower end of the clutch operating arm. This fits in a hole in the plunger that the release bearing fits onto.
The ball and hole often get missed when its comes to regular lurication.
Another bodge to overcome the is to bend the arm .......................![]()
![]()
Powdered graphite is a great lubricant that doesn’t attract dirt.
But getting back to the original problem. I don’t know why people waste money on adjustable arms. Once you set up the arm it almost never (not in 30 years anyway) needs further adjustment. When fitting a non standard clutch (Manx flywheel and backplate and aftermarket (form a Chev I think) slave we calculated the required length for the rod, welded a bit of scrap welding rod onto the existing rod and its worked fine for decades.
Cheers, Ian
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
I have NEVER seen one of those before & genuinely wonder why anyone would ever use one.
Just make sure that everything is in spec & there is no need for it at all.
Just make sure that everything is in spec & there is no need for it at all.
- Andrew1967
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
Have to agree with Mark, in a standard clutch there is no need to alter push rod length if all parts are not worn.
As previously said the biggest culprits are the ball in the end of the arm and the hole in the plunger. Either weld them up and file or drill back to spec or fit new ones.
As previously said the biggest culprits are the ball in the end of the arm and the hole in the plunger. Either weld them up and file or drill back to spec or fit new ones.
Last edited by Andrew1967 on Tue Mar 08, 2022 10:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
All of Andy's suggestions above are much easier than adjusting that push rod in situ.
- Peter Laidler
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
Agree with both the above but with an explanation........ I extended my push rod so that it contacted the PISTON while said piston was at its deepest position in the cylinder and after boring and bushing all operating surfaces to ensure zero slackness. No adjustable push rod as it's working length was calculated beforehand
That way I could be 100% sure that I was always getting the max possible stroke of the piston, rod and arm per press of the pedal.
That way I could be 100% sure that I was always getting the max possible stroke of the piston, rod and arm per press of the pedal.
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Re: Clutch cylinder slave push rod
I made them myself with M6 spherical bearing.
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