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Clutch hydraulics. AN fittings/braided stainless line.
Figured I'd post this as a reference.
I installed a new OE plastic clutch line a month ago, and during install it was about an inch from the header. At some point it musta moved, because I almost burned the car and my house down. Not really "almost", but a lot closer than I would've liked. Brake fluid dumping out on a hot header, smoke bellowing out from under hood in the garage! -NOT good!!! ...anyhow, crisis averted. Decided to go with a braided line not for durability as much as flexibility. Figured another plastic line would always leave that nagging doubt in my head about the same thing happening again. The braided line could be routed away.
Anyhow, I bought the following parts:
Earls PN# LS641001ERL - converts the slave and master to -4AN.
Earls PN# 64191915 - 15" braided hydraulic line
Earls PN# 924104ERL - a 45* adapter to help angle the braided line off the master, towards the fire wall and away from the header.
Everything went smoothly, and functions just fine. You could probably get away without the 45* adapter, and/or a shorter line. Maybe 12 or 13 inches, but 15 doesn't hurt anything and it works just fine. If you're comfortable making lines you could make it perfect, but I am not, so I bought it premade. I have some metal zip ties holding the line to a harness bracket I made on the firewall "just in case", but I don't think it was necessary. Line routed naturally away from the header as planned.
Anyhow. We all like pictures.
-in that last pic you can still see melted plastic on the header!
- Don't make fun of my rigged up bench bleeding contraption!!!! -worked great!!!!!!
Re: Clutch hydraulics. AN fittings/braided stainless line.
I seem to recall that one of the replacement assemblies I bought from GM back in the 80s or 90s came with a cable clamp that was supposed to secure the line to the firewall, to prevent just such accidents. Seems like it went on with like a speed nut to some bolt that came through the firewall, maybe for the gas pedal or something. Memory fades over time. Wouldn't be too hard to rig up something from universal hardware though.
Re: Clutch hydraulics. AN fittings/braided stainless line.
Yeah, the stock setup had a ding-a-ling string to anchor the line to the body. Truth told it's been years since I looked, couldn't say exactly where its supposed to anchor, but it definitely was there on my 84.
Re: Clutch hydraulics. AN fittings/braided stainless line.
It had one. ....couldn't find where it bolted to, besides, the way I have my wiring routed kinda gets in the way, PLUS....the header extends out farther than the manifold. Even if I could've found a place to anchor it, I don't know that it would've been enough.
Re: Clutch hydraulics. AN fittings/braided stainless line.
Originally Posted by Drew
Yeah, the stock setup had a ding-a-ling string to anchor the line to the body. Truth told it's been years since I looked, couldn't say exactly where its supposed to anchor, but it definitely was there on my 84.
I could never figure out what that stupid thing was for! Thanks, it makes so much sense now
Re: Clutch hydraulics. AN fittings/braided stainless line.
I just did the exact same thing about 2 weeks ago, including melting the factory plastic line.
Just this morning though the fitting at the master blew out for some reason...so now the car sits at my shop untill I can get a chance to investigate to see if the master failed or the fitting, or maybe it was something down the line that is seized causing excess pressure.
05-26-2019, 08:44 AM
