[juggalo351]

ok i have heard that some t-coupes came with a hydraulic setup for the clutch. i was wondering if i could stuff one into my 93? cable managed to break my firewall, and ive wanted to do this anyway, so i thought if possible id do it while the dash is out. thanks for any help

[SM90Stanger]

I know that all the 87-88 TC's had the hydraulic setup... not too sure on the earlier models though???

You will need pretty much everything off of a TC though, including the bellhousing, and all that junk... I know there is a link out there somewhere that delves into the details, but I am way too tired to type anything into a search box.

Steve

[TOM RENZO]

Originally Posted by SM90Stanger

I know that all the 87-88 TC's had the hydraulic setup... not too sure on the earlier models though???

You will need pretty much everything off of a TC though, including the bellhousing, and all that junk... I know there is a link out there somewhere that delves into the details, but I am way too tired to type anything into a search box.

Steve

CORRECT but one other glitch all the parts are obsolete. Fork ETC. The firewall thing is a problem and should be addressed on all fox bodies. I am in the process of trying to come up with a retro kit to repair the problem. Still havent come up with a satisfactory bolt in unit. As of now the only fix is a mig and some patience and a fire extingusher. Hope this helps. TOM

[juggalo351]

oh well. ill let you know if i figure out a bolt in setup tom. and lol at the fire extenguisher. just got the dash out earlier, yea the firewall ripped the weld off the top and bent in, time to get creative lol

[b_chandler]

Oddly enough, they reinforced the T-bird firewall because of the clutch master cylinder. Go figure.

[TOM RENZO]

Hi chandler They must have got the message somewhere down the line. Yes i noticed that years ago. The firewall thing is a pain in the A$$. I have fixed many in my day and i will assume you have been there also. I repair them and i am not kidding about the extinguisher. Tom JR lit my drop top up pritty good one day doing seam rewelds. How the blower motor stopped working and the heater core leaks???? Well that stuff happens and thats why you need to be safe. Wish i could come up with a bolt in kit for the firewall. All the auto guys are smiling right about NOW. HAY all you 5 speeder guys SEE WHAT HAPPENS. : cooldude:

[juggalo351]

my only prob is the firewall being in that spot so i cant disengage the clutch. no leaks to speak of (knock on wood)

[b_chandler]

Tom the more I think about that the more it makes me wonder if juggalo here might not be going in the wrong direction.

Ponder this for a moment if you will. Bear with me, I'm about to get wordy.

All Fox chassis clutch setups were cable starting in '78 and stayed that way for 9 years when they popped up with the 87-88 TC with the hydraulic clutch (meanwhile the Mustang kept it's cables). They reinforced the firewall in 87 and 88 on the Turbo Coupe because of the clutch master cylinder but left the cable car alone. See where I'm going with this? Apparently someone at Ford thought the clutch master cylinder operation was going to be tougher on the firewall than it's cable counterpart. Obviously no one at Ford tested the cable setup for longevity beyond expected lifespan of the vehicle or they'd have bulked up the cable cars too.

All that said, juggalo's looking to put a hydraulic clutch setup in his car hoping that it will lessen the strain on the firewall. It may take him in the exact opposite direction.

Just thinking out loud.

I was also thinking about a firewall repair/reinforcement for the masses, but in my head I don't see it being effective as a bolt in deal. It'd have the same structural properties as bolt in frame connectors and you wouldn't get a real lamination between the old metal and the new.

The fire story brought back memories of a buddy of mine who set fire to the BRAND NEW interior of his Dart while welding underneath. Not funny then, but funny in retrospect was the scorched carpet around the mounted fire extinguisher. The car survived and the interior was fixed and he's since moved on to other projects. Still gets him worked up when you go {Sniff, sniff} "Hey do you smell that?"

[juggalo351]

it was a thought lol. im not sure how to reinforce it, other than a piece of steel somehow attached there

[b_chandler]

You're on the money there. You'd have to weld a plate to the firewall that extends well beyond the clutch cable hole. The idea there is to support the existing metal and help spread the load. Ideally, you'd match this with a companion plate on the inside of the firewall too. That's what I meant by laminating.

[TOM RENZO]

Thats what JR does he plates the inside all the way down to the floor pan with heavy wide flat plate. The issue of the hydrulic clutch is intresting because all TC finally had bigger clutches then the early NA 2.3 mustangs. Old 8. 3 compaired to the TC 9.3 inch clutch. Good point chandler i thing ford realized the wet clutch exerted more preasure or the the slave cylinder need a bigger hole in the wall. Bigger hole for mounting the slave weeker firewall??? Hay toss the DICE on that one. Good point though. I like the logic chandler.

[juggalo351]

looking at what i can do here lol, if i cant fix it soon im gonna be forced to sell it. sucks, got parents hounding me about fixing it or getting rid of it

[TOM RENZO]

Chandler the funny thing is that the 5.0 clutch is easier to release preasure wise than the 2.3 I just checked the diaphram release tables for the two clutch covers. Talk about a confusing situation. I will have to think about this some more. But the fact is they do break the firewall that is a fact. I wonder if a support from the cable mount to the inner fender well would work. I took a quick look today and that makes the best sense. This way the cable outside sheathing will transfer the load to the inner fender well on an angle and supply some needed support. I will have to give it a good look at in the AM. Has to be a way that is a simple fix. All that is necessary is support of the outside sheathing.

[b_chandler]

Okay so in a quick fix situation such as the one he's faced with, Do you think that for now (and maybe mid-term) he could take a piece of 16 or 18 gauge steel, cut a panel that runs 3-4" from the O.D. of the clutch cable hole. Cut a hole in the center for said clutch cable and either sheet metal screw or rivet that panel in place. It may not be the strongest most permanent approach, but it may give him a fairly sturdy place to hang the clutch pedal and get him back on the road.

I know it goes against all the "right way" stuff we've been talking about here, but this may be one of those rare instances where doing it twice might be the more feasible solution than doing it right the first time. Later on he can go back in when he has the time and money(or it breaks again) and make a sheet metal sandwich where the firewall failed.

I remember working on my broke down crap in the driveway and having to slap something together to get it out of the driveway for awhile and bide my time until my parent's aggravation wore off before tearing it down to do it again the way it needed to be done. It was a pain in the a$$, but it kept the peace.

[b_chandler]

Tom the 5.0 has better geometry than the 2.3. That ridiculous bell crank setup adds to pedal effort where the 5.0 is a straight pull, no changes in direction and fewer moving parts.

I swear, the engineers are still laughing at that one.