Hello everyone, I just picked up a W/C t5 that I will be putting in a car that has a mechanical clutch linkage setup already installed. I know the 82-83? t5 bellhousings are ideal for this, but can a later t5 hydraulic bellhousing be used with a mechanical linkage clutch fork if you cut off the slave cylinder mounting?

Thanks for any help.

Rob

 

If the mech BH is already there, leave it alone, and just put the trans in.

 

That would be a simple solution

butttt The bellhousing is not canted, and I want the shifter, and crossmember to line up correctly.

 

So what you're trying to say is, you have a 82 4-speed BH, instead of the 83 5-speed BH with mech linkage?

 

So what im saying is I have a bellhousing that is not canted for the t5. Doesnt really matter what it is , I cannot use it. I should have specified more clearly 83 T5 mech bellhosuing** not 82..

Now back to my original question. Will a t5 hydraulic bellhousing work with mechanical linkage if I use a clutch fork from from a mech linkage setup... or even the original?

 

Well if you had the mech BH that came with a 83 T-5, you COULD use it; but not knowing that that's not what you have, I suggested it.

I'm not much of a mind reader. Might have something to do with, that I don't have much of a mind to begin with.

But all that aside, yes AFAIK that will work; not the fork you have now of course, but a 83 T-5 fork. AFAIK there's no need to cut anything.

Or, you could get the pedals and hydraulics out of a 84-up car, and make it hydraulic. That's what I'd do to my 83 T-5 car with mech linkage. Oh wait... I can't, I already did that, back in about 86 or so I guess it was. Just another option available to you, which might come in handy if you can't find a fork that works. Not sure whether the mech fork is the same as the hyd one; it's been near 25 years since I threw all that other stuff away with extreme prejudice, and my memory of it has somewhat faded, except that I HATED it, just like I HATED the clutch linkage in all the 4-speed cars I had in the decades prior to that.

 

The hydraulic bell needs the hydraulic fork (and mech needs mech) due to the ballstud / pivot location.

Yes an 84-92 bell/fork will work.

But, because the fork is fulcrumed closer to the throwout bearing, the release will be very quick. It's entertaining to drive one like that on the street for a short time; then it's annoying.