I'm thinking the next project on my '65 Coronet will be to replace the mechanical clutch linkage with a hyd setup. American Powertrain has a complete kit which looks promising. Anybody have any experience with this kit? https://americanpowertrain.com/shop...ith-ford-tko-or-18-spline-a-833-4-speed/

I'm running a Doug Nash transmission with a scattershield and I have the larger 18 spline setup. As far as I can tell this is the correct kit for my application but I'm not clear on how the cylinder mounts to the firewall. They say it is adjustable but they don't show much in the way of illustrations and I don't see any instructions on the website. I'll give them a call next week to see what they say.

I used one of their kits on my '68 Coronet. The firewall bracket is 'adjustable' in that it has half-moon shaped slots that allow it to be positioned at the same angle as the clutch rod. It's more of a pivot really.

[img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/nrgi7eggs5ua950/IMG_5369.jpg?dl=0[/img]

[img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/3bgankhc5abm0bj/IMG_5370.jpg?dl=0[/img]

They supply you with a threaded rod and coupler that attaches to the master cylinder and a rod end that goes on the pedal. The rod end is small and does not fit over the factory clutch rod pin on the pedal. They want you to cut/drill that pin out but that's a real PITA with the pedal in the car. I cut down an old clutch rod and tapped the cut end to accept the threaded rod, worked perfect. The factory rod has a slight angle in it which the supplied rod end does not have so the offset does not change. Using the cut down OE clutch rod attached to the factory pin also keeps the pedal ratio the same as well.

[img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/61tp6z0f0l88xx6/IMG_5371.jpg?dl=0[/img]

Took a little bit of trial and error to setup the shim pack for the proper cylinder distance but it wasn't too bad. It's essentially just like a disc brake piston. The throwout is in almost constant contact with the clutch fingers. When you depress the clutch pedal, the piston moves out and actuates the clutch and retracts back when you release it.

I like it a lot. No more need for an over-center spring. That little free-play hitch in the pedal travel before the clutch releases is also gone, the actuation is smooth.

Thanks. I assumed that I would need to reengineer their kit since I have to reengineer most everything else I buy!

Their bracket did not work for my 68 a body. I ended up using their clutch master but everything else was tossed.
That being said- I love the McLeod hydraulic throw out bearing it came with. I have a heavy twin disc setup and I can sit at stop lights for any length of timing holding the clutch in easily.

I've used all the parts in the kit from AP when i converted a 73 El Camino to a manual transmission (TKO600) The adjustable bracket for the clutch master was a nice feature to line up the rod from the master with the adjustable heim joint rod from the pedal. I now got 15.000 street miles on this kit without a single problem. I've been running a Mcleod RST twin disc clutch with the hydraulic release bearing from from AP.

I would also like to mention the kit from Silver Sport Transmission that I have very good experience with after using it in my 3 Mopar vehicles, also with great results both in terms installation and the lifespan of the product in a street car. I guess you probably know that SST is using a different style of hydraulic release bearing produced by FTE and this release bearing got a spring that is pushing the face of the release bearing against the clutch diaphragm. SST got a fixed machined aluminum firewall bracket that is placed between the supplied Wilwood master cylinder and the firewall to mate the angle of the two rods. The angle of the whole set up have bee perfect in my B and E body vehicles. (see picture below)

The article below describes the AP set up pretty well:

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/american-powertrains-hydraulic-throwout-bearing-conversion-kit/

[i][/i] I'm using a A833 McCleod hydraulic throw out bearing with a wilwood master cylinder in my Valiants Doug Nash. Works better than the transmission.

Here is a video with a couple of inside camera shots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr60zLwp21E&list=PL1eR6M7gTjX6mXFX-9Hqyl2PHEzmoLQCa