No more black/gunky hydraulic fluid
#1
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No more black/gunky hydraulic fluid
Lately, I've read a few threads of guys complaining that their hydraulic fluid is black and has gunk in it. I took the liberty of taking a few pics of the line running from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder and doing a quick write-up for you guys.
I went to the local hardware store and bought a foot of 3/8" ID heater hose. I then took out a sharp blade and cut the hose along the length of the hose. I pictured it this way to show how it's cut. (See pic #1)
Next, I drove the car up on rhino ramps, moved the existing hose on the line up towards the master cylinder, and wrapped the cut heater hose around the braided line. I used a few zip-ties to keep the heater hose from falling off the line and they haven't melted off or anything. There is a heat shield which sandwiches the line between it and the floorboard, it will probably have to be unbolted to move the existing hose towards the MC, then just bolt it back on once you're done. Also, be sure to route the hose as far from the exhaust as possible. This will help keep the fluid from being cooked by the exhaust heat on those nice summer days. I also used a zip-tie to attach it to where a heat shield mounted on. (See pic #3) I did this about 1 year ago and my fluid is still very clean and is the same color as it was when I first filled it up. No clutch pedal sticking to the floor either. Nothing needs to be removed to do insulate the line, you don't even have to disconnect the line from the slave cylinder. Hope this helps some of you guys.
I went to the local hardware store and bought a foot of 3/8" ID heater hose. I then took out a sharp blade and cut the hose along the length of the hose. I pictured it this way to show how it's cut. (See pic #1)
Next, I drove the car up on rhino ramps, moved the existing hose on the line up towards the master cylinder, and wrapped the cut heater hose around the braided line. I used a few zip-ties to keep the heater hose from falling off the line and they haven't melted off or anything. There is a heat shield which sandwiches the line between it and the floorboard, it will probably have to be unbolted to move the existing hose towards the MC, then just bolt it back on once you're done. Also, be sure to route the hose as far from the exhaust as possible. This will help keep the fluid from being cooked by the exhaust heat on those nice summer days. I also used a zip-tie to attach it to where a heat shield mounted on. (See pic #3) I did this about 1 year ago and my fluid is still very clean and is the same color as it was when I first filled it up. No clutch pedal sticking to the floor either. Nothing needs to be removed to do insulate the line, you don't even have to disconnect the line from the slave cylinder. Hope this helps some of you guys.
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I did the same thing, but took it a few steps further. After wrapping it in 3/8" fuel line, I then wrapped that with aluminum tape. After all that was done, it wouldn't fit under the old heat shield. So I took the old one out and made a really large one that basically protects the whole line from the top of the headers all the way down to where the line enters the transmission.
My slave is already toast and I've ordered new parts, so I never bothered bleeding the old fluid out to put new stuff in, but hopefully this prevents this problem from happening again. I'll try to get a few pictures of it up either today or tomorrow.
James
My slave is already toast and I've ordered new parts, so I never bothered bleeding the old fluid out to put new stuff in, but hopefully this prevents this problem from happening again. I'll try to get a few pictures of it up either today or tomorrow.
James