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switch to hydraulic clutch? bellhousing question.

ashman

ashman

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I've got a '72 k5 that I swapped in an nv4500 into a few years back.

yesterday I noticed my clutch pedal got really soft, so after checking it out, turns out the z bar (I think thats what its called) bolt that goes into the engine block had worked its way out.

no biggie, just put it back in, but I think the z bar is bent a little and the bolt keeps trying to turn with it, so I think I need to replace it.

since I've got to mess with it anyway, I started wondering how big a deal it would be to switch to a hydro clutch. I've never liked the feel of the mechanical clutch pedal anyway.

what all am I looking at replacing? any serious mods I need to make?
 
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i know a few guys have done it in the 67-72 section here with there swap/builds.

im a 73-91 guy so i cant help much. but i do know thay have done it. might wana post this in there and search that section also.
 
thanks, found a couple threads that show most of what I need to know.
 
ashman said:
I've got a '72 k5 that I swapped in an nv4500 into a few years back.

yesterday I noticed my clutch pedal got really soft, so after checking it out, turns out the z bar (I think thats what its called) bolt that goes into the engine block had worked its way out.

no biggie, just put it back in, but I think the z bar is bent a little and the bolt keeps trying to turn with it, so I think I need to replace it.

since I've got to mess with it anyway, I started wondering how big a deal it would be to switch to a hydro clutch. I've never liked the feel of the mechanical clutch pedal anyway.

what all am I looking at replacing? any serious mods I need to make?
Click to expand...

try using the wilwood master cylinder pn# 835-2602636 in 5/8"
and the slave cylinder PN#910-25605 (push type) or PN# 910-25604
(pull type).
 
quick bellhousing question:

is there a GM bellhousing that I can use to convert to a hydraulic clutch with my nv4500? if so, what years? I'm assuming I need on that has the slave on the drivers side because of my right side front driveline.

I also found mention of a bellhousing with an internal slave, but I wouldn't know where to look for that either, or if its even an option for me.

I was looking through AA online parts, but I wasn't able to find a bellhousing for a hydraulic clutch (although I'm sure I just missed it), but I found a few threads here that made it sound less than appealing at any rate.

any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have a bellhousing from '99 K3500 that is an internal slave. I don't know how durable they are, but it seems like a neat set-up. Granted the downside is if it goes out you have to pull the tranny... but from what I understand the early external slave NV4500 bells had the slave over by the starter. I have never seen one though.
 
cool thanks. don't suppose you could get me the number off the bellhousing? :D
 
Sorry I am slow with checking on this, but I will look at it tommorrow and get back to you. It is at work and I was gone for three days.
 
ashman said:
I was looking through AA online parts, but I wasn't able to find a bellhousing for a hydraulic clutch (although I'm sure I just missed it), but I found a few threads here that made it sound less than appealing at any rate.
Click to expand...

The bellhousing is the same for mechanical and external hydraulic clutch. You simply replace the zbar mechanism with a slave cylinder on a bracket. If your current bellhousing has the fork in the drivers side, AA has a bracket that will mount a late 80's jeep slave on to the existing clutch fork. Ten you just gotta figure out the master cylinder setup.


-Brian
 
Switching to hydraulic is expensive and more unreliable. Stick with the mechanical and save some future migraines. You need to get he correct distances out of your slave/ master travel and bleed the line. Some of the newer slaves and masters for the nv4500 are plastic and the line is held into them with a pin as opposed to threaded line like brakes. they can just leak over time. You may also need a new pedal depending. And I don't recommend just trying any old setup unless someone can verify it works, because they are fairly precise and the work To put the parts in isn't worth guestimating.
 
So the numbers I found are 15998496 on the bell, 15046288 on the slave. Sent you a PM about pics of it.
 
Richcz28 said:
Switching to hydraulic is expensive and more unreliable. Stick with the mechanical and save some future migraines. You need to get he correct distances out of your slave/ master travel and bleed the line. Some of the newer slaves and masters for the nv4500 are plastic and the line is held into them with a pin as opposed to threaded line like brakes. they can just leak over time. You may also need a new pedal depending. And I don't recommend just trying any old setup unless someone can verify it works, because they are fairly precise and the work To put the parts in isn't worth guestimating.
Click to expand...

if the hydro stuff is so bad why do people always want the hydro parts and pay big money for it. ?

i my self have had mech and swaped to hydro. all i will say is hydro all the way.
 
bp71k5, I think you missed post #6. That's what the part #'s are for.
 
Sweetk30 I had a 93 k2500 with an nv4500 for 5 years and swapped the slave twice and the full setup once. It would be fine at first and then a year or two down the road it would start oozing fluid out. Not to mention bleeding with the resevoir gm has on those masters is a pain in the ass because it holds hardly any fluid. People switch parts because they assume expensive is better. Mechanical put together right won't fail. Isn't reliability what people want for trail rigs? New cars have hydraulic setups because they are smoother and easier to drive. They take the feeling out of the clutch. I personally feel like money and time could be better spent.
 
I have not used a mechanical version but I've read they are fine for street use. The only issue is when you have body flex offroad the linkage can be affected.

I've been running my 4500 with a 96+ gm master and slave with zero issues for over 4 years. The bleeding process for those isn't like it is for brakes. You just fill up the reservoir and then cycle the slave in and out to push the air back up through the master. You don't touch the master at all.


-Brian
 
My 73 had the mechanical linkage and I hated it. It would always release at a different position off road when twisting it up. If I still had the truck, it would be hydraulic all the way.
 
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