[Guest]

Joe Heck Racing Clutch Line Install

JHR HIGH VOLUME CLUTCH LINE AND FITTING KIT - JOE HECK RACING INC

This thread is to introduce the upgraded stainless steel braided clutch line for the 2011+ Ford Mustang
with the 6-Speed MT82 manual transmission. Included are a list of necessary tools and precautions,
installation instructions, and personal impressions of the function of the new component.

This thread is not intended to diagnose any malfunction you the reader may be experiencing. The install was
performed on a daily driven, 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 with approximately 5,700 miles. The vehicle up to
and since the install was not experiencing any problems with the operation of the clutch, or transmisison.

Precautions:
The vehicle's clutch is operated by hydraulics and shares fluid with the brake system. If you are unsure
of your technical abilities seek professional assistance to help prevent possibly dangerous mistakes. Brake
fluid can be dangerous to your health, enviornment, and your vehicle's paint. Ensure you have rags to absorb
spilled fluid and clean painted areas with mild soap and water. Safety glasses are required to protect your
eyes from possible injury.

Tools:

No special tools are required for this installation.
-Flashlight or shoplight
-10mm socket and ratchet, or wrench
-Metal pick, preferably 45 degree offset
-Long angled needle nose pliers or hose pliers(optional)

Install:
Begin by raising the front of the vehicle either by using ramps or jackstands. Secure the vehicle by using the
parking brake and chock the rear wheels. Let vehicle cool as part of the working area will be next to the
catalytic converter which gets very hot.

Step One:

Remove the sound tube from the firewall next to the brake booster. Remove the 10mm bolt and pull the end of the
sound tube out if it's grommet.

Step Two:

Identify the clutch line at the firewall as the lower of the two lines. Using the metal pick loosen and remove
the small metal retaining clip (Be very careful not to drop this clip as it is easy to lose). Place a rag under
the line and pull it out of the fitting. Approximately 5 tbs of brake fluid will run out of the fitting.

Step Three:

Underneath the vehicle identify the end of the clutch line going into a black 90 degree plastic elbow fitting at
the upper left side of the transmission bellhousing. Use the pick to again loosen the metal retaining clip, however
leave it inside the fitting to make the installation of the new line easier. The clip is designed to stay in the
fitting while allowing the line to be removed.
CAUTION: When removing the line do not place your head directly underneath as brake fluid will drain out of the
line and can get into your eyes.

Step Four:

Remove the stock clutch line from the vehicle. This can be done from the top or bottom.

Step Five:

From the engine compartment insert the new steel braided line into the fitting at the firewall and snake the end
down the firewall to the transmission. Reinsert the small retaining clip at the firewall fitting. Use a wiretie/
ziptie to secure the new line to the wiring harness running at the back of the driver's side cylinder head. This will
keep the new line from contacting the exhaust system.

Step Six:

Insert the end of the clutch line into the 90 degree fitting on the transmission. For those with the factory catalytic
converters this area is very tight and it may not be possible to fit your hand all the way up to the fitting.
For this you can use long angled needle nose pliers or hose pliers to bend the line down verticaly. Reinsert the metal
retaining clip to complete the installation.

Bleed The Clutch System:
After installation the clutch release system will need to be bleed. This is accomplished by simply pumping the pedal
100 times. Note, at first the pedal may go to the floor and you will need to pump the pedal by hand. When the clutch
is fully bleed check the brake fluid reservoir and correct as needed.

Ensure proper clutch operation:
Check the operation of the clutch by raising the rear wheels off the ground and run the shifter through all gears.
Secure the front wheels and start the engine. Fully depress the clutch and shift into first gear while watching
the rear wheels. If they move or if you feel resistance in the shifter, you may need to continue bleeding the clutch
system. If the rear wheels remain still slowly release the clutch and note the engagement point. If you feel comfortable
with the proper clutch disengagement perform a road test.

Enjoy your new Joe Heck Racing steel braided clutch line!

Before the installation of the new clutch line on my car I had no issues with the operation of
my clutch or transmission. Shifting was smooth and fast in all weather and temperature. After the
installation I could feel a slight improvement in the reaction of the clutch when slipping into gear
in traffic.

I will not speculate on issues some people are having and will not contribute to the spreading of
misinformation and ignorance that has plagued some threads on this forum. This thread is only a how-to
and report on the operation of this upgrade. I encourage members who decide to use this upgrade to
post your own impressions and share any possible improvements and/or detriments.

Questions for the design aspect of this product can be directed to Adam Louramore from JHR.

 

[Nuclearranger]

Thank you for the install guide. Someone with a notchy transmission with occasional grinding (like mine) should try this!
I remain optimistic.

Thank you again for this! (Seems easy enough!)

 

[fake]

Thank you for the install guide. Someone with a notchy transmission with occasional grinding (like mine) should try this!
I remain optimistic.

Thank you again for this! (Seems easy enough!)

+1. Once somebody that has issues installs this and reports that this kit did help; I will then order this product.

Good job on the write up!

 

[Mountain]

If someone who has slight issues in shifting, like occasionally hard getting into 1st or 2nd, does not post up something within the next two weeks, I will buy this line and post up. I may get the line any how. I occasinally have some difficulty getting into 1st. That's my only issue.

 

[Guest]

If someone who has slight issues in shifting, like occasionally hard getting into 1st or 2nd, does not post up something within the next two weeks, I will buy this line and post up. I may get the line any how. I occasinally have some difficulty getting into 1st. That's my only issue.

If you would like a diagnostic test for your car, when you first get in the car row the gears before starting the engine. Then fire it up and pump the clutch pedal 20 times. On the last time hold it to the floor and try moving into 1st immediately.

If it slides in with no problem, it sounds like a hydraulic issue with your clutch release system. If it is still difficult to move into 1st, there may be other issues that would need an actual inspection to find.

 

[Cpowell5.0]

Ordered mine :bigthumbsup Great write up!

 

[Guest]

Now that I am reading the thread on my work computer I can see all of the formatting errors and typos and it's killing me!!

Is there any way to edit a thread that has been up for more than 30 minutes?

 

[YerBuddysPony]

Great write-up. I'll be following this one for sure.

 

[bcolenj]

If you would like a diagnostic test for your car, when you first get in the car row the gears before starting the engine. Then fire it up and pump the clutch pedal 20 times. On the last time hold it to the floor and try moving into 1st immediately.

If it slides in with no problem, it sounds like a hydraulic issue with your clutch release system. If it is still difficult to move into 1st, there may be other issues that would need an actual inspection to find.

Please explain the basis of this test. It would seem to me that if you have hydraulic issues, specifically not releasing fully/properly, it doesnt matter how many times you pump the clutch, if the clutch is still slightly dragging then your synchros are having to do a lot more work and you will get a notchy/grindy shift.

 

[Guest]

Great write-up. I'll be following this one for sure.

Thank you very much.

Please explain the basis of this test. It would seem to me that if you have hydraulic issues, specifically not releasing fully/properly, it doesnt matter how many times you pump the clutch, if the clutch is still slightly dragging then your synchros are having to do a lot more work and you will get a notchy/grindy shift.

The idea behind the replacement clutch line is to reduce restrictions in the flow of fluid to the slave cylinder. If your car is suffering from a lack of fluid movement pressing down on the pressure plate, then pumping the pedal will allow more fluid to be drawn from the reservoir to make up for the additional travel.

If the system were perfect, pumping the pedal will cause the same amount of fluid to move between the master and slave cylinders. My test can possible identify an imperfection in the system for diagnostic purposes.

I am a technician and not an engineer. My goal is to gain as much information from my own testing as well as from other members and share it. I am hoping to get a better idea of what is going on in people's cars that are having issues since my own car is not.

 

[icckart]

Gotta get me one o' them thar rectal probe pincher thingees (uhm, what did you call it - hose pliers?). Well, just have to make a trip to Harbor Freight to buy more "stuff"...

Nice writeup - guess you've (like me) gotten brake fluid in your eyes before too! Shame on you though as a prof. tech - gotta keep those tools CLEAN:winks...

 

[Guest]

Gotta get me one o' them thar rectal probe pincher thingees (uhm, what did you call it - hose pliers?). Well, just have to make a trip to Harbor Freight to buy more "stuff"...

Nice writeup - guess you've (like me) gotten brake fluid in your eyes before too! Shame on you though as a prof. tech - gotta keep those tools CLEAN:winks...

Professional techs who are doing their jobs will have dirty tools, thank you very much!:bigthumbsup

If you have a friend with small hands you shouldn't need the hose pliers.

 

[Mountain]

If you would like a diagnostic test for your car, when you first get in the car row the gears before starting the engine. Then fire it up and pump the clutch pedal 20 times. On the last time hold it to the floor and try moving into 1st immediately.

If it slides in with no problem, it sounds like a hydraulic issue with your clutch release system. If it is still difficult to move into 1st, there may be other issues that would need an actual inspection to find.

I am sort of a technician also.

I will tell you that my hard shifting into 1st is very intermittent. Most of the time it is fine.

Also, I have found that pumping the pedal most of the time does not alleviate the concern. Every once in a while it does.

According to your test, if one were to push the pedal down very slowly, the same should occur as to what you're thinking with pumping a bunch of times fast.

I will, however, for testing purposes, test exactly as you outlined and post back later today.

 

[glastroncvx16]

This question has been rattling around in my head.

Has the replacement of this line affected the braking system?

I ask this because the brakes and clutch are using the same fluid and the flow rates wil have changed between the 2 systems.

Because Adam 's test mule (a bad name for a Mustang, good term for Camaros and Challengers :winks) has been track tested, I would assume there is not a braking issue.

Just curious.

 

[Guest]

This question has been rattling around in my head.

Has the replacement of this line affected the braking system?

I ask this because the brakes and clutch are using the same fluid and the flow rates wil have changed between the 2 systems.

Because Adam 's test mule (a bad name for a Mustang, good term for Camaros and Challengers :winks) has been track tested, I would assume there is not a braking issue.

Just curious.

They both share a fluid reservoir however everything that is pressurized is separate. The fluid that is in the lines for the brakes and clutch cylinders is completely separate and one does not affect the other.

Think of the excavators on the construction site that have multiple hydraulic rams running at the same time in different directions. They also draw fluid from a common reservoir but are free to act independently.

 

[glastroncvx16]

Thanks Grimace427.

Because of these forums, I am learning too much about my Mustang. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

My issues are with cold weather 1st and 2nd gear engagement. No whinning or clashing, yet.

This summer weather is not good for my fuel economy. I am having way too much fun getting into the throttle.

If I have the same or more issues this coming winter, I may take a little trip/vacation down to Boca Raton. Stop at JHR to evaluate issues with this car and have them install the appropriate products to make this V6 enjoyable.

 

[icckart]

They both share a fluid reservoir however everything that is pressurized is separate. The fluid that is in the lines for the brakes and clutch cylinders is completely separate and one does not affect the other.

Yeah, except for ONE little detail - if I'm understanding this correctly:
If you had a LEAK in the clutch line, it would drain fluid from the shared reservoir (a little fluid lost on each clutch pedal depression). Eventually, when you ran out of fluid, you'd get AIR in BOTH the clutch and BRAKE lines - YIKES!!!

I guess the "fail safe" here is: If you loose your clutch, you can't (or at least shouldn't) drive => you don't need your brakes. Likewise, if you loose your brakes (leak in that circuit), you don't need your clutch...

Still, seems like this could be a safety issue (ok, unlikely - but seems like a cheap A$$ silly design)?!?

 

[Guest]

Yeah, except for ONE little detail - if I'm understanding this correctly:
If you had a LEAK in the clutch line, it would drain fluid from the shared reservoir (a little fluid lost on each clutch pedal depression). Eventually, when you ran out of fluid, you'd get AIR in BOTH the clutch and BRAKE lines - YIKES!!!

I guess the "fail safe" here is: If you loose your clutch, you can't (or at least shouldn't) drive => you don't need your brakes. Likewise, if you loose your brakes (leak in that circuit), you don't need your clutch...

Still, seems like this could be a safety issue (ok, unlikely - but seems like a cheap A$$ silly design)?!?

Actually thank you for bringing this up as I wasn't thinking about it much before.

In my experience if the brake fluid reservoir drained completely there should still be enough fluid in the brake lines to stop the car safely. I don't believe a failure of the clutch line can introduce air into the brake lines because they don't share pressure connections.

The reservoir is above the master cylinder of both the brakes and clutch. Loss of fluid in the reservoir will stop once it reaches the cylinder as pressure in the system should be enough to keep air out.

Now that I have thought about this subject I can put your mind at ease. Even when you disconnect the clutch line, the fluid reservoir does not drain completely. The fluid that is in the master cylinder will drain(a small amount) then stop. A small leak in the clutch line will introduce air into the clutch system and can be felt quickly, giving the driver enough time to pull over safely.

 

[Cbaty08]

Think ford will void our warranty for this?? I am excited and want to pull the trigger and have this put on my new tranny... but I don't want o eff up my warr.....???!!

 

[Guest]

Thanks Grimace427.

Because of these forums, I am learning too much about my Mustang. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

My issues are with cold weather 1st and 2nd gear engagement. No whinning or clashing, yet.

This summer weather is not good for my fuel economy. I am having way too much fun getting into the throttle.

If I have the same or more issues this coming winter, I may take a little trip/vacation down to Boca Raton. Stop at JHR to evaluate issues with this car and have them install the appropriate products to make this V6 enjoyable.

You are welcome, glastroncvx16.

It's gonna be tough trying to diagnose cold shifting issues right now with all the 90 degree days we are getting here. I can tell you there are some fluids out on the market that others have used with great results. Some I have heard are Redline MTL, Royal Purple Synchromax, and BG Synchromax II(this is what I am using). I am not an expert on fluids so you will need to do some research on this subject.

Good luck and enjoy the summer!

Think ford will void our warranty for this?? I am excited and want to pull the trigger and have this put on my new tranny... but I don't want o eff up my warr.....???!!

If your car is being repaired at the dealership right now I think you should talk to the service adviser and tech about this new part and see what they think.

Where they may find an issue with this product is not the part itself but rather the installation by the vehicle's owner. I bet if they installed it during the repair process you should not have any problems with your warranty.