Tilton Throwout Bearing mated to McCleod Clutch

Rosco · #1 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008, 06:32 PM

Well, finally determined my McCleod Throw-Out Bearing is junk (leaks).

I am trying to replace with a Tilton Bearing however the measurement is not quite right in terms of mating to the Clutch Fingers. I currently have a McCleod Clutch set-up...

Anyone ever try doing this? Using Shims? Any help or direction is greatly appreciated.... Pictures if possible..

Trying to avoid going the slave cylinder route...

Thanks,

mpanten · #2 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008, 08:55 PM

I cant help with specifics but I have a tilton throw out with a mcleod clutch. Sorry I cant offer more specifics but it should work.

ratsnst1 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008, 08:55 PM

Hey Rosco, I have 3000, miles on my hyd throw out bearing, its a mcleod, how many miles did you get out of yours, Mine so far knock on wood is fine. Robert

Rosco · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2008, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratsnst1

Hey Rosco, I have 3000, miles on my hyd throw out bearing, its a mcleod, how many miles did you get out of yours, Mine so far knock on wood is fine. Robert

Actually, shortly after receiving car - leak. I intially thought the transmission however it was the bearing all along...

I have 1500 miles on my car! Hard to believe I have to go through this $hit...

It is certainly frustrating

Maybe us McCleod Bearing owners can get a Gov't bail out package as well..

Bobcat · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2008, 07:40 AM

For what it`s worth , Tilton told me they use a Quad seal on their Hydraulic throwout bearings and from what I could find out , McLeod uses an "O" ring . From my 30 years in the hydraulics industry ( 15 years in the hydraulic cylinder end ) , "O" rings make great static seals , but very poor dynamic seals . "0" rings tend to stick in the bore and then roll slightly when they break free and get pinched between the bore and the piston . I bet if you look at the "O" ring closely , you will see a few "nibbles" out of it . Quad seals are made to seal under movement . " O" rings are cheaper than Quad seals .... but having said that , a lot of people still use them . We never would as the field problems were just too many .

mikeforte · #6 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 10:46 AM

Hi,
I have sold many McLeod & tilton hyd throw out bearings. The McLeod had a bad failure rate and that was my inspiration to build an external billet slave and fork to eliminate the internal hyd t/o bearing problems.
Below is a link of my external kit on a Quick Time bellhousing.

http://clubhotrod.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1230323556

Mike Forte

john chesnut · #7 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 12:14 PM

I had lots of trouble with the McCleod throwout and fabricated my own external slave and fork arm for a car that I had the McCleod clutch in.
I have purchased quite a few parts from Mike Forte all with good results. I am using his shifter relocation set up for a T56 trans in my Cobra. It shifts flawlessly.
Hey Mike, can you build me the same set up for the T56 but in a different length. I am building a new car and I was going to get in touch soon to discuss. John

wrench87 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 01:15 PM

john wha t did you use for a throw out bearing?, i noticed that the internal throw out bearings for the race clutches uses a rounded edge bearing and a chevy bearing is flat?.

Rosco · #9 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 03:45 PM

All,

Ended up going with an external slave set-up....

Hopefully an end to the hydraulic mess!

Thanks,

R

Rick Parker · #10 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 04:03 PM

Yes Roscoe, an external is the easiest to maintain, if a failure occurs the cup and seal kit is about $7.00 and easy to get to. Because of the induced leverage an external slave only sees about 30% of the effort exerted at the bearing thus carrying much less load.

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Roscoe · #11 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 04:42 PM

This Roscoe has over 25k miles on his Tilton TOB using a Centerforce dual friction clutch.

Roscoe

Cobra 29 · #12 (**permalink**) 12-27-2008, 09:31 PM

Hey Mike, isa there a picture of this new slave cylinder on your Forte website?

john chesnut · #13 (**permalink**) 12-28-2008, 06:35 AM

I believe that you will be alot happier with the external slave set up.

Wrench 87, I was so fustrated witht the McCleod internal slave and I wasn't able to find an off the shelf replacement for it. So, I fabricated my own. This was in 2001, and on a Chevy small block. I used a stock Chevy HD throw out bearing and ordered a HD clutch arm. I had a Lakewood bellhousing, aluminum flywheel and the McCleod twin disc street clutch. I used a Wilwood pull slave. I used this one, because if I remember rght, it had a longer throw. i had to redo the pivot point on the bellhousing because in the stock location the throw required to engage the clutch was too long which resulted in a bad angle. I drilled a hole through the ball pivot point on the clutch arm to run the slave rod through. I then fabricated a rear mounted bracket for the slave cylinder.
I cant honestly say that I remember what the bearing face on my internal throwout looked like. It may of been different and at the time I didn't know better to look. I did run my system for 8900 miles with out a problem. My solution was not that simple or elegant but it did work.
The final straw that made me replace the system was because of a near catastrophe with the other. I had a 538hp smallblock with the internal throwout in a car that I had built. I had just gone on a test drive and was stopped at an intersection. I had a shift light set to flash at 6000 rpms and hadn't seen it flash yet. So, I ran the motor up to 6k and all of a sudden the clutch fully engaged!!!!!!! I shot across the intersection before I was able to shut it down. Fortunately I missed the crossflow traffic! The seal on the bearing had suddenly and completely let go. And, yes the throw out was properly shimmed and I had a pedal stop on the clutch pedal. John

mikeforte · #14 (**permalink**) 12-28-2008, 08:03 AM

Hi Cobra 29,
Here is a picture of the hydraulic conversion on a Quick Time bellhousing. Call me with any questions.

http://clubhotrod.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1230323556

xlr8or · #15 (**permalink**) 12-28-2008, 11:21 AM

I used Mikes setup on my Cobra and it worked great. Using it again on the Daytona I'm building.

ratsnst1 · #16 (**permalink**) 12-29-2008, 07:39 PM

Hey, Roscoe, when your bearing was leaking, was alot of fluid or very little, would it drain your master cylinder fast, just so I can keep an eye on mine, thanks Robert

vector1 · #17 (**permalink**) 12-29-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrench87

john wha t did you use for a throw out bearing?, i noticed that the internal throw out bearings for the race clutches uses a rounded edge bearing and a chevy bearing is flat?.

you want to use a rounded face if you are using a small dia. press. plate because the fingers will roll across the bearing when depressed, a flat bearing is good to go on a larger dia. press. plate where the fingers will not roll onto the outside edge or the bearing movement is smaller, or something like that.

Roscoe · #18 (**permalink**) 12-30-2008, 05:45 AM

Roscoe's bearing never leaked.....Rosco's did.....

Roscoe

wrench87 · #19 (**permalink**) 12-30-2008, 05:54 AM

does anyone have the application or a part number for a rounded or radiused edge throwout bearing that will fit on a clutch fork?.

poboy427 · #20 (**permalink**) 12-30-2008, 07:15 AM

Does anyone know of a complete external slave system (fully sorted) that will plug and play for a Superformance with a Lakewoood scattershield, mated to a shelby Alum FE and a McCleod street twin clutch. Each Cobra mfg has their own tunnel clearance specs.

Scrapping my internal hyd TO bearing would certainly make my car more reliable for the open road.

Perhaps Olthoff has put together all the pieces in a kit.