87 hydraulic clutch

[1980 gold]

my  friend drove my 87 4x4 swb today and said my clutch is harder (pedal feel) than his 70 c10 with a mechanical clutch. he couldn't believe it was hydraulic. i did notice it was hard but i figured its not a car so.. is there anything i could check or fix this?

[1980c10]

I have converted two clutches to hydraulic set ups from mechanical and both pushed a little harder(but I also replaced both clutches at the same time). It may also be that his clutch is a little more worn than yours. If the amount of pressure seems reasonable then it is probably fine.

[snibook7537]

I dunno if it helps because my clutch is a really heavy duty one but the pedal in my 87 V3500 is a LOT heavier than in my 76 c-10 with a 454 clutch and pressure plate.  So not sure if it's really the same but the hydro clutch is a lot heavier.  Also I would any day take a mechanical linkage clutch over a hydro one, feel is nicer and no bleeding in my opinion adjusting it is way worth the feel.
 

[1980 gold]

i guess when you think of hydraulic it kinda sounds like it should be an easier pedal but your 87 is a hydraulic clutch and you say the pedal feels harder than your c10 mechanical?

[zieg85]

Because of the way the clutch linkage is on the 73 and newer it is harder than the previous years for some reason.  I had a 69 and 72 both of which was easier than my 85 hydraulic set up.  My 86 hydraulic set up is as easy as a foreign car which leads me to believe the key is the pressure plate.  I know my 85 has had one clutch put in it by my uncle who went heavy duty all the way because he hauled a old heavy 35ft fifth wheel.  My 86 more than likely is original with only 70K original on it. 

[1980 gold]

that sounds good, would you reccomend a clutch? i read online the centerforce dual friction is a good one for an easier pedal but i'm not sure

[1980 gold]

i was also reading about hydraulic throw out bearings and the idea that the slave cylinder is partially seized. gotta look into all of it  i guess i just don't want to change parts just to change parts rather get a good opinion from more knowledgeable people than myself

[Edahall]

For hydraulic setups, a lighter clutch pedal can be achieved by the use of a clutch master cylinder of smaller bore diameter or by the use of a slave cylinder of a larger diameter.  However, with a lighter clutch pedal comes a longer stroke.  On my 1990 Suburban, I installed a Jeep CJ5 clutch master cylinder which has a smaller bore and it gave a light clutch pedal feel but it lengthened the stroke about 30%.  A longer stroke makes shifting a bit slower but the light pedal sure is nice in stop and go traffic.  I can drive in Los Angeles CA stop and go traffic for hours towing and it doesn't tire my leg out so much.

[1980 gold]

hey thanks what year cj5 was it?

[Edahall]

hey thanks what year cj5 was it?

1989

It fits right in but the rod has to be lengthened.

[1980 gold]

do you weld a peice to it? or can you use the rod from the original chevy one. i just had to put an ignition switch in the truck today thank God for standard trans it woas stuck in the run position. also there is a grease fitting on the bellhousing is that anything that may help its near the clutchfork

[1980 gold]

hey did you mean wrangler? i looked up cj5 but they didnt make em that year

[Edahall]

hey did you mean wrangler? i looked up cj5 but they didnt make em that year

I should have said 1989 Jeep YJ Wrangler.  The part should look like this.  I welded the Chevy rod to the Jeep master cylinder rod.

[Edahall]

Sorry, I left part of the equation out.  I also used a slave cylinder from a 2001 Dodge 3500 truck with the Cummins.  The bore on this slave cylinder is larger than the Chevy (Dodge .906 vs Chevy .8125) which would be responsible for my lighter clutch pedal.  The master cylinder bore on a Chevy is identical to the Jeep 11/16" however, the Jeep has more volume which is needed to run the larger slave cylinder from the Dodge.  Anyways, I hope that this didn't add too much confusion.

[Edahall]

Alright, I did some research for you and for your truck, you would be better off to buy a 5/8" clutch master cylinder from Wilwood.  

http://www.amazon.com/Wilwood-260-2636-Master-Cylinder-Girling/dp/B003XVEFHC

You would achieve a very similar pedal feel to mine and not have to change out / retrofit the slave cylinder.

Let me know how it works out when you're finished.