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Slave Cylinder failed, need opinions

V

vman

New CEG'er
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
7
Location
NorCal
Hey guys so The cougar from hell is almost back together, freshly rebuilt engine, new clutchnet clutch and dorman slave cylinder, finished putting in new axles and brakes yesterday proceeded to bleed the clutch right after. To my pleasant surprise the fluid just kept going and going and going till we looked underneath and found a puddle. Seems the boot has torn or something considering I can't feel any fluid around the blts from what I can reach through the hole in the top of the trans.

Anyway my question is since we no longer have access to our engine hoist we have 1 of 2 options, either have ford do it for an arm and a leg when we take it to get rekeyed (new svt ecu) or change the slave without pulling the engine. Now I've searched for a while and found a couple posts, though they were mainly from 2005 so I wanted to get some fresh input on the matter. I've read that it is possible to change the clutch simply by lowering the passenger side subframe a little and dropping the bolts from the drivers side of the subframe then sliding the trans out with a jack etc. My question is can anyone give me a bit of a preview of what we'd be in for with this?

Also since it's just the slave cylinder not the entire (brand new) clutch that we'd be replacing, would it be possible to simply detach the transmission and roll it far enough away from the engine to get a socket on a swivel and extension in there without lowering the subframe at all?

Thanks in advanced for the help guys
 
You have to drop the subframe, and the transmission has to be completely out. There's no room to just scoot the transmission to the side with enough room to take the cylinder out.
 
I am not sure what you are looking for in a "preview" of dropping the trans out. The past threads should cover it, but you remove the subframe and anything attached to the trans so that one can drop it out. Honestly its pretty straight forward.

Also I would not recommend just trying to replace the tob without completely removing the transmission. The tob needs to be sealed with anerobix sealer. So the seal surface needs to be cleaned. Also it would be to easy to cross thread a bolt, and that will most likely cause the tob to blow out at some point.
 
Basically from what I've read from posts back in 2005, some dude named Stazi along with a few other people were able to do the project fairly easily by following the method of "No need to remove the subframe!! Leave the 2 bolts in the pass. side. They should be the first to be removed and then reinstall giving them about 4-5 turns. Then completely remove the driver side nuts and let it hang down. Don't have to mess with all the stuff attached to the SF." I jut wanted to know if anyone more recently has done it this way. We have the knowledge and experience just never had the inconvenience of having to do it in such a way.
 
I pulled the trans without removing the engine. It took about the exact same amount of work/time.

And yes, the subframe is still attached. Steering column must be unhooked, and pass side bolts must be nearly removed to get the SF to deflect far enough. HUGE pain in the neck.

2334583406_59e862ef54_b.jpg


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Ive dropped the sub frame a couple times to remove the trans.
Dropped the engine and trans all at once on the sub frame out the bottom.
And recently removed the engine and trans together out the top.

My preferred method is out the top from now on.
 
i am as of today another victim of a brand new slave cylinder failing. i pulled the motor from the top w trans attached. i probably will do the same on the way out. the subframe drop is about the same but since i have this hoist its kind of easier especially on accessibility.
 
are these failing right after install or later on? I ask because a number of years ago people where getting Zetec slave cylinders in boxes for Duratec ones. There is a difference.
 
BrApple said:
Also I would not recommend just trying to replace the tob without completely removing the transmission. The tob needs to be sealed with anerobix sealer. So the seal surface needs to be cleaned. Also it would be to easy to cross thread a bolt, and that will most likely cause the tob to blow out at some point.
Click to expand...

rexxdoggy said:
This.
Click to expand...

I was unaware of this step and am paying the price. I wish I would have known earlier. While I'm not leaking any fluid (or just tiny amounts at a time), it is acting the same way is was before I did the engine swap/clutch replacement. Luckily mine still works! But a question to ask is if you can apply the sealer if it wasn't originally put on?
 
If you blew the seal in the back of the slave cylinder and it's leaking, you will have to get a new one.

Or so I was told after going through like 4 of them.
 
rexxdoggy said:
If you blew the seal in the back of the slave cylinder and it's leaking, you will have to get a new one.

Or so I was told after going through like 4 of them.
Click to expand...

DAMN! Wont know till I pull it apart.

I remember you and Japhet had the same problem right around when I was finishing the swap.
 
mine was immediately. ive done this several times before w no problem. mine was a different brand, no name brand that came w the kit this time. i never used it before, i did like a double take at it like something was weird about it. pain in the ass because i always replace them even if they dont need to be with something new for reasons like this.
 
I had a Dorman pop on me last year after 15 miles, im pretty sure they sent me a zetec part because it had the o-ring on the back side of it. Got a refund and replaced it with a ford part from Tousley Ford and its been fine ever since.
 
i didnt get past the bleeding stage. i go hard. every damn thought of air better be out of my lines! probably got the zetec cylinder also. it must be a shorter throw so it cant handle the longer throw and just pops.
 
Yeah we also got a dorman off of Rockauto, finished with brakes and all that, went to bleed it and all of a sudden the master cylinder just kept dropping in fluid. Looked under the car and there ws a puddle of fluid, perhaps we were sent the zetec one as well.
 
MidOH3LCougar said:
I had a Dorman pop on me last year after 15 miles, im pretty sure they sent me a zetec part because it had the o-ring on the back side of it. Got a refund and replaced it with a ford part from Tousley Ford and its been fine ever since.
Click to expand...

iirc the tob orginally came with an o-ring on it. I do believe the current advice is not to use it and use the anerobic sealer. Also the zetec tob has a different face that contacts the pp fingers. I haven't seen one but I do know that the duratec one is flat.

svtfixer said:
probably got the zetec cylinder also. it must be a shorter throw so it cant handle the longer throw and just pops.
Click to expand...

This is possible. The zetec mtx input shaft is longer iirc. So the tob has a different travel length.


Just another reason to compare new parts to the used parts that they are replacing ....
 
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