Help with hydraulic TOB

[Jim Harding]

I don’t know what’s going on with my email mail lately. I’ve heard from several of my friends that I correspond with that my emails are ending up being blocked by their ISP’s spam filter or winding up in their junk mail folder. I don’t send a lot of email, but it seems that a large percentage of them are going off to “never-never land”. Don’t know if it’s my email address or what I put in the subject like or body of the message. But that’s not the reason I’m posting here. I just need help with…..

Does anyone have a recent turn key car from Unique with a hydraulic throw out bearing? The one in the LCS car is leaking like a sieve. If you’ve ever had yours apart, I need the make and model numbers so I can either replace it or rebuild it. (I guess my emails to the Weavers are out there in space somewhere ). The build book that came with this car indicated that Southern Automotive supplied the FE engine, Lakewood bell housing, McLeod flywheel, McLeod clutch, and a hydraulic throw out bearing. (also the TKO transmission). But a reply from Susan from an email I sent last week stated that Unique supplied the TOB. The thing is still in the car. Need a weekend of above freezing weather before I can pull things apart.

Also, anyone know of a reliable source for Jag center sections? Need one for the older car.

Geeze… two cars and neither one can leave the garage under its own power!!

[Master]

Jim,

Your HTOB can be rebuilt or you can get a new one. The measurements on them are extremely critical if ordering a new one. if I remember correctly you can take a depth mic and measure from your bell housing face to the flywheel surface or you can use a external slave cylinder. I prefer the slave cylinder myself I have had no problems with them.
I would call Butch Capps for all your Jag rear end questions, he is an expert and does alot of work for Unique. Good Luck!!!!!!

[pgermond]

Sorry, can't help with your HTOB issue. As for Jag rears...... Butch Capps or this outfit for heavy duty stuff http://www.cwiinc.com/

[Stan]

Jim:

Back in November of 2004, Allan supplied my Deluxe Pallet Kit with a McLeod hydraulic TOB 1400 series. If the TOB is not adjusted correctly it will blow out the seals within a few thousand miles. The seals are easy to replace once you drop the transmission to get the TOB out.

I think hydraulic TOB's are a lot like Ford and Chevy, everybody has a preference.

You might want to go to the McLeod web site and see if the 1400 series looks like yours.

http://www.mcleodind.com/application...OB_SlipOn.html

Stan

[Jim Harding]

Stan, thanks, that's what I needed to know. I'd like to have everything I need ready to go so I can pull the tranny, do the work needed (replace/rebuild) and put everything back in the same afternoon. That scenario is based on having to get the car to a garage with a lift, and gather together a friend or two to help with the work.

Phil and Scott, I've talked to Butch and he's equipped to rebuild the rear, but does not have center sections or complete rears ready to go. He can make the determination if my rear end case is OK to rebuild, but he has to see it, i.e. I have to ship it there. If it's bad, I need to have it shipped back to me so I can use it as a core to get a rear from another vendor (like CWI). I'd like to avoid waisting the money shipping "junk" two ways Have had a few costly home repairs and other priorities lately that have drained my play money jug, so I'm tying to keep the cost of this project as low as I can.

Thanks for the info guys

[weaver]

I don't remember if we supplied the throw out bearing but I do know we installed it, wew have had nothing but problems latley with McLeod bearings, we have replaced some with external slave cylinders. We have talked to McLeod numerous times, sent them back for repairs and still can't seem to get them to stop leaking. The last one we sent back was the 4th different bearing in the car, one was missing screws from the factory, one had a penched o ring from the factory, the 3rd one had a tear in a o ring and we never got the 4th one back. The last 4 or 5 cars to leave here had slave cylinders and the 3 I'm working on now will have slaves. I talked to the guys at Standard Transmission in Tx and they have been having the same problem, he said they has a 55 gal drum full of bad McLeod bearings and they were using hyd slave cylinders now. This problem started about the time McLeod sold out and we can't seem to get any help. I wish I knew what to tell you but there doesn't seem to be an answer at this time.

By the way, I haven't gotten your emails either.

Alan

[scott h]

Alan, i hear positve comments about Tilton, is that interchangeable with the McLeod HTOB? What does it take to convert to external slave?

[Naumoff]

Jim,

If you need a hand I can provide one. I have a McLeod HTOB in my car on a toploader.

I had my car apart and back together enough times that I can give you a hand with no problem. The car doesn't even have to leave your garage. I don't need a lift.

If you want to swap the stuff out for a slave set up I can help you with that.
I also have an open trailer if you want to take it to someones garage that has a lift.

My HTOB is working great. But it is 2 years old.


Call me anytime.

Cell 410-474-2701
home 301-855-9068

[weaver]

We haven't tried Tilton, I guess we are gun shy at this point. When we build a car for someone and they usually live hundreds of miles away, it is hard to warranty mech parts, we don't supply engine and trans but when we build a turnkey we have to supply some type of hyd clutch set up. We tried Rams new throw out bearing and it lasted less than 200 miles. I have a McLeod in our new demo and I check under the car every time I park it. I think we will stay with slaves untill they work out the bugs.

Alan

[Naumoff]

It is ashame really.
My brother, who is a mechanic, says most of the car companies have gone to HTOB.
Why can't any of them get it right?

[ralphscott]

It is a pity as I have had mine since 2000-2001 and it works great. I am not looking forward to having problems with it if McLeod is not putting out a quality product anymore.

Ralph

[Ric S.]

Jim,

I just finished going through the nightmare of tranny remove because of quality control issues with Tremec and Mcleod. The tranny has been out two times with the car just on jack stands. Most fun I have ever had while not sitting in the dentist chair. The first time the Tremec was locked in gear (even though the car had never been driven). The second was because the HTOB popped a braided flex line. !!!!????? A 10 inch braided hose fails? They were very good about completely rebuilding the HTOB at no charge. It is in now and working fine but................. I still have a dripping of fluid from the bellhousing. The fluid level in the master cylinder has not dropped so I can only hope this is still fluid that was shot out when the hose failed.

There were some mechanical skills I did not particularly want to learn in the build such as dropping trannys will little ground clearance. But I do feel better about the car and operating it as my forced and unforced knowledge level increases.

Good luck,

Ric

[Naumoff]

Jim,
That is another thing someone else had an issue with and it was the braided line fitting was loose ate the adapter on the HTOB. They used a crows foot and were able to tighten it up without removing the trans.
It is worth a look at.


Ric S. Sorry for your troubles.
Looking at donor parts that have been tested and proven starts looking good in this area.

The biggest problem with the HTOB is if there is a problem with it you have to pull the trans.
When they work they work great.
A pedal stop is needed for sure. So as to not over pressurize the piston and blow the seals.

[Jim Harding]

Tony,
Thanks, I just might take you up on your offer. But like I said in the other post, I want to gather up what parts I'll need so I (we) can do it all in one day.
I have an enclosed trailer, but the kids Camaro is stored in it I can still drive the car if I top off the master cylinder and take it easy on the shifts.... that's how I drove home from my last trip in her. A one hundred mile trip just barely lowered the level, but letting it sit for a week caused gravity to empty the master.
I'm also thinking of going the external slave route too. The one in my other car has been working for over 8 years without a problem, and it's one of the Wilwood pull type that I've heard bad things about too.
I'll let you know (with plenty of lead time) when I'm ready to tackle this. In the mean time, I think I use my Sears Gift card and pick up a couple crow foot wrenches and see if that could be my problem. With my luck lately.... fat chance
I'll give you a call.
- Jim -

[Jim Harding]

Alan,

Thanks for your candid reply, and sorry to hear that this failing McLeod TOB is becoming epidemic.
Going with an external slave is an option I'm considering. Without having to "reinvent the wheel", could you pass along to me (and others I'm sure) the parts you used to fabricate it. Just off the top of my head, I'm assuming I'm going to need a clutch fork (and pivot ball) from an early FE Ford. I think these will be an exact fit in a Lakewood bell housing. I haven't checked to see if any re-pro forks exist, but if you have a source that is not secret () pass that along too. And what throw out bearing did you use with a Tremec. (top loader and tremec have the same input shaft OD?)

- Jim -

[Naumoff]

Jim,
Alan does use a nice little pusher slave. The other issue is what type of HTOB you have. A bolt on one or the slip on one. You need to get the input shaft bearing retainer with seal and gasket for the tremmec trans if you have the bolt on one.
Between Southern And Unique you should be able to get all the pieces you need.

Call me when you are ready.

[weaver]

We make a mounting bracket that works with a ford slave cylinder, the entire change over kit will run around $275.00.

Alan

[Naumoff]

Alan, Does Jim need a new bearing retainer?

[weaver]

No, what he has will work with our slave kit.

Alan

[Jim Harding]

We make a mounting bracket that works with a ford slave cylinder, the entire change over kit will run around $275.00.

Alan

Thanks Alan, after I have a closer look at what's wrong with mine, and if it's more than a loose fitting , I will place my order for the kit. External slaves are a hell of a lot easier to service

- Jim -