[DeTomaso] Clutch Master Cylinder

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/4/07 6:55:56 AM, edlebby at yahoo.com writes:
snip.....
> As a follow on...I have had mixed advice offline as to what to do with the 
> MC...repair or replace [assume, for purposes of discussion, that the MC is 
> repairable with a gasket, seals, etc., repair kit] - thoughts of the broader 
> forum?
> 
Whether the thing is repairable or not is entirely up to whatever caused the 
leak or bypass. If it was pitting, likely you won't be able to sufficiently 
hone out the pits without enlarging or tapering the bore   to where the FIAT 
repair kit will no longer hold pressure. If it was just shrinkage or cracking of 
the old seal that cause your problem, then maybe a repair will work.... 
Remember that things wear out as systems so if the MS is fixed, often a stock slave 
promptly fails due to the higher pressure and longer travel it suddenly 
experiences. I recommend biting the bullet and replacing, not repairing, both parts 
to save digging into the system in 2 weeks to fix another leak. 
Clutch MS replacement is complicated by the very small bolt pattern in the 
stock flange that doesn't really match anything OEM on this side of the pond... 
and few in Europe, so you're pretty much forced to go to your favorite vendor. 
When my MS went south, I used a hard-anodized alloy Girling MS left over from 
my drag-race days, and had to enlarge the holes in the Girling flange to move 
the pattern toward the center, plus replace the stock bolts in the pedal 
plate with custom-made offset studs, then brew up a connecting line... This has 
worked well for 10 yrs but its not quite a drop-in! 
If you run an oversized vacuum brake booster, the space available for an 
aftermarket clutch MS is really tight! This includes the popular replacement GM 
booster & MS from the Byars Bros. My Girling reservoir needed a touch from a die 
grinder to fit te GM booster. I believe some 9000-series Pantera use a larger 
dia factory booster than the stock 71-74s; measure your booster OD and check 
with your vendor. 
For the slave, I suggest a long-travel assembly in SS to remove yet another 
weak spot in the system (corrosion sensitivity) and also to give the clutch a 
bit more travel, thus saving the expensive ZF synchros from wear. As usual, 
everything affects everything else! Good luck, Peter- J DeRyke



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