hydraulic clutch - good or bad idea

I have ordered the pedal assembly below complete with the slave kit. It will take a bit of work to fit but i think it could be worth the trouble.

What do you guys think, have i wasted my money or not. The price is about US$400 all in.

I am told it will also help to reduce shudering.

The appearance also helps, My pedal assemble is quite tatty and needs a makeover!

All Vintage Spyders come with a similar unit, and I wouldn't trade it. On a Spyder you need to reverse the pull of the cable so it just makes sense. I don't think there is much of a change in effort, but my clutch feels exactly like the one in my Subaru, nothing beats hydraulic, unless the master or slave starts leaking!

I have installed several Neil and CNC pedal assemblies on my cars and on customers cars. Use braided SS teflon -3 or -4 hose between the clutch master cylinder and the slave, saves a lot of time trying to bend hard tube. When you order the pedal assembly, make sure you order a 5/8" clutch master cylinder and a 3/4" brake master cylinder

If you order a 3/4" clutch master cylinder, it makes pushing the clutch a real chore.

Greg,
I am VERY interested in how this goes for you. Please keep us updated on the install and post pics when you're done. I'm condidering this for my car and it would be a world of help hearing about the +/-'s of the switch out. Thanks.

I forgot to mention. If you purchase the unit as described in your photo. It's going to be difficult to check or change the brake fluid.

You can purchase threaded barb fittings from Home Depot, drill the caps on the master cylinders then thread them for the barb. Once done, mix up some JB Weld and seal the barb to the original caps.

Purchase 2 remote reservoirs, mount them in your trunk then run hose between the reservoirs and the master cylinder caps with the barb fittings. Makes it a lot easier to service the pedal oil supply plus, it increases your supply of brake fluid.

If you haven't purchased the pedal assembly then you can but the whole arrangeent (pedals and remote reservoirs) from your vendor.

You might want to check out the German Auto/Saco 32-1001 hydraulic clutch kit ($250)at http://www.sacoperformance.com/products.php?cat=45 . You don't have to cut a hole in the 1/2" steel arch and the m/c reservoir mounts in the luggage compartment. The m/c mounts inside the tunnel with the hose to the slave cylinder going out the aft end of the tunnel like the cable. You will have to cut a hole in the tunnel to mount the m/c. This was not a quick install (for me), but I did not want to chop a hole in that steel arch on the CMC frame.

Thanks Larry

I am going to check tomorrow to make sure that the 5/8 clutch and 3/4 brake is ordered. I will certainly consider the tip to use remote resevoirs.

This is very interesting. One moe tip find a high and dry place for the reservoir.. with easy access..

If your plan is to add remote reservoirs as I suggested then there is one more thing to do.. Once you open the existing reservoir cap, there is a cone shaped piece of black rubber inside the reservoir. This serves 2 purposes. One is that it acts as a sealing washer between the reservoir and the cap and the second is to keep the brake fluid from doing a volcano. (step on the brake pedal with the rubber piece removed and it will spit out brake fluid, like a volcano erupting)

Anyway with a pair of scissors, cut away most of the black rubber cone leaving the area that will seal the cap to the reservoir. If you don't cut this away, then fluid won't be able to travel down from the new remote reservoir to the existing reservoir.

That unit looks like a single brake circuit and not a dual circuit, a typical safety requirement since the 60's?

Anything can be made to fit, but you will be cutting metal in the toe box area of a normal VW pan to get that installed and for what benefit?

Dual circuit brakes on a beetle, i wish!

Why would i change to a hydraulic clutch? reliability is the main reason, and then I guess because i can, I have a feeling a lot of the mods on our cars are done to have bragging rites, (am I the first to acknowledge this fact?.

I have been planning to pull the pedal assembly and give it an overhaul and face lift, so i will be killing two birds with one stone by installing a shiny new pedal set.

Larry, thanks for the advice on which size master cylinders to go for, I was in time for the size to be changed on the order.


On another subject I had a look at the hydraulic hand brake on a modified scooby over the weekend and I will definatly have a look at implenting it on my car. My handbrake is capable of holding the car stationary but as an emergency brake it fails terribly.

Greg, dual brake circuits on a VW are common place.

VW Super Beetle (1971-79) Master Cylinder (VW part # 113611015BH is a dual circuit master cylinder

My '67 has dual circuit....

Hi Greg, Bugs in the USA switched to dual ckts by 70 or so, and we had disc brake options. Two upgrades most speedies wikk have today.

Also, since I see you'll be running with Suby power, the best reason to use a hydraulic clutch would be the freedom of routing the line anywhere, but not sure about the relibility thing. Do a search.

good luck