Inliners International Forums General Discussion Drive Train T5 Hydraulic throw out bearing?

Does anyone run a hydrolic throw out bearing. I have read that there is one made by McLeod, but summit sells the kit for $406. OUCH!! I need to get rid of the stock clutch linkage.

It might help to know this is on a 1954 chevy belair, with a 235 and a t5 tranny.

Why do you need to get rid of the stock clutch setup?

www.speedwaymotors.com has a hydraulic throwout bearing for $150 part number 91025610. Of course, you will still need a slave cylinder and some fabrication work done. I believe 53chevy is doing this setup, but found that some machining of the input collar was needed to make it all work.
You would be farther ahead to get an adapter from Buffalo for $120. That way you can keep the stock bellhousing and clutch linkage, etc...

I want to get rid of the stock stuff cause it wasnt looking right. it looked to be pulling the arm down more than it was pushing it in. I think some previous owner cut som of the linkage rod off. I have compaired mine to another guys here in town, but even his looks a little funky. I am just always looking to improve, and thought it would be cool to have a self adjusting clutch linkage. I have the T5 hooked up already to the stock bell housing, no adaptor needed.

Think that it would be easier to find the correct pieces of the original linkage than the headache coming up with replacement. Per the original shop and parts manual you should be able to diagnose the problem. My old original 46 and 47 linkages still work great even with the T-5 and other trans units.
Best of luck

A T5 will not bolt up to a '54 car bellhousing. If yours does, then it sounds like the bellhousing has been changed. The input collar diameter is also larger on the T5 than on a'54 or earlier bellhousing.

If I were to guess, It sounds like you have a later bellhousing that has been modified to accept the downward angled clutch fork (which is unique to the 49-54 cars) which also means that it may not have been modified correctly to do this. I posted a picture awhile back showing the differences between the 49-54 and later bellhousings. I can't remember which post it was under though...

I never noticed that the bell housing throw out hole was different. I found that post about the bellhousings that had the pics. Thanks for that it really cleared things up. My next question is, What do I do to fix my problem? I am fine with staying stock, granted it works like it should.

Dear Cabbie;

You may be able to use the 49 housing (for linkage) with the Buffalo adapters for the trans and crank.

Sounds like you got a hydraulic one from a 60s era pickup.

Good luck.

I would like to see those pictures...can you put up the link for that post? Or at least give out the title for a search.

Gearhead posted them here a while back. If you check past postings, you'll find them.

Good luck.

To answer your orignal question about hydraulic throw out bearings: myself and a friend have tried them twice and not been happy with the results. Short answer is they leak. Both were meticulously installed and checked so it wasn't the way it was done that made them leak. We ended up going back to a stock fork and throw out bearing and using late model Camaro or S-10 bellhousings with the GM slave cylinder and the Wilwood master that was already in place. Never another leak. To top it all off the Overall cost of using the GM slave and standard fork and bearing is less than 1/2 of the aftermarket set up and even cheaper if you already have some of the parts around.

BTW the late model bellhousing only fits the 194 - 292 family inlines and not the 235 jobs.

Dan,
If it were me, I would get a 49-54 bellhousing, clutch fork, etc... and an adapter plate from Buffalo. This way, everything will bolt up as it should, and you will be able to use the later tranny. Modification to the crossmember and emergency brake setup will still be required if that hasn't already been done. What you do for a pressure plate is up to you, but the disc will need to be changed to match the tranny input shaft.

Mike G,
just for clarification, when I said "later" bellhousing, I meant the 55-62 car.

usmile4
http://www.inliners.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000680

Does buffalo have web site other than the advertisers page on this site? I would like to check out there stuff.

He does things the old fashioned way. You'll have to give him a call.

Yes I understood that but wasn't sure if everyone did or not. With the number of changes over the years I guess the terms early and late need updating.

Earliest, early, earlier, late, later, later late, latest, last? Good grief! I think I'll just head out to the garage a bit earlier so I won't be working too late on my latest project.
Sounds like something Yogi Berra would say.