Corey and Elise's 1983 V8 Ranger build - aka - Project Interceptor

[prymetime1]

Yeah man I feel u on slow progress, mine runs and drives well but its always something to tinker with. Recently I had a brake like blow so its been sitting. I ordered up and entire set up stainless steel lines to replace the 20 year old junk in it. New autometer gauges and a bunch of other goodies, I just don't have time to work on it, plus our weather hasn't been all that helpful in getting things done. Keep at it, slow is better than none.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[CoreyTilton]

i know this isnt the questions forum, but i figured i'd ask here first and see if anyone stumbling on this had the info i am looking for, before going to the help/questions section.


so, now that i have a brand new t5 in the truck, i'm realizing what i Thought was some worn synchos, is actually more likely the clutch not FULLY disengaging. like, it has a SLIGHT super light drag when the pedal is ALL the way in, and its still a little hard to get into gear.
now, normally, the solution might be, adjust the slave cylinder so there is a little more pre-load on there.
well, when i was putting the new tranny in, the guy who i had helping me, due to my arm still not being 100%, who owns a autoshop says "hey, i noticed you have allot of preload on that fork/throwout bearing. im surprised its not slipping at all under load"
to which i say, no no its fine.
but i think - aside from a few first or second gear spins, i've never actually Romped on this thing, because ive been doing the whole... nice 500 mile break in take it easy... thing.
so here i am, now with the engine broken in, and cruising down the street, in 4th gear, if i jump on the gas, i think im getting some clutch slip.

so i think im both not engaging eough, AND not disengaging enough.

i literally have, AS much clutch pedal travel as humanly possible. the pedal sits higher than the break, and iv'e actually bang in the firewall a little bit where the pedal swings down into it to let the pedal travel down a half inch or so more.

so, as much as i like the feel of the pedal right now. its heavy. its a Long throw. but its manageable, i think i need to go to a Larger aftermarket Master cylinder.


so here is my question for the ranger community.

what size bore and throw of the Stock ranger master cylinder?


i'm currently running a 93 or 94 i think Ranger master cylinder, to a 91 chevy camaro external slave cylinder.
i replaced both last season after the slave started leaking and the ranger master cracked at the seems on me, but this is what the chevy slave looked like, its a push style. so it sits on a bracket at the front of the tranny, and pushes the clutch fork towards the back of the truck.

the ranger master cylinders have a wonky angle to them because of the firewall/pedal geometry, so if i go with a standard aftermarket Wilwood, or Tilton, or Mcleod, or something, im going to have to buy an adapter bracket like this,

https://americanpowertrain.com/i-11790426-hydramax-hydraulic-clutch-firewall-bracket-and-clutch-rod-kit.html

that bolts up like this

so if anyone knows what the stock master bore size is, that'd be awesome. i need to figure out that so i can go up a size or two, and hopefully a slightly larger bore master, will allow me to back off the preload on the slave side so im not slipping at all, AND get more travel out of the slave side to get me FULL disengagement.

i'll give this a week or so before posting it up in the tech questions stuff.

 

[prymetime1]

Hey bud. Idk if @atx is still around but he did the t5 swap into his ride and I think he had some pointers in his thread. Do a search or PM him as hes got a lot of good info from his build.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[bobbywalter]

did you look at s truck slaves?


ranger should be 5/8 bore iirc.

 

[CoreyTilton]

did you look at s truck slaves?


ranger should be 5/8 bore iirc.

you mean the ranger truck master should be a 5/8 bore?

many thanks

 

[bobbywalter]

i tried to find the data ihave on it...i remember them being 5/8, it was difficult to get the eagle slave to play nice.

i have used amc eagle parts in the past too..camaro stuff...s10 ect. on some i do think we wound up using the matched setup adapted...its not like its hard to make brackets....and trimmed and shimmed the stroke

there was an adapter to the flarestyle on the eagle but i dont remember what to look it up under anymore. it was a 7/16 style...dont know why i remember that. these work ok for 4x4 applications.

the chevy s10 style adapted to run behind the ford can be a pia...this sometimes gets done for 4x4 applications like the jeeps....or old hotrods because theres allot of them...well there was.


i assume your fork and tob are correct and not damaged. from there manually checking stroke engagement/disengagement is key. block plate can factor as well.

 

[CoreyTilton]

yeah. its less the adapter plate im worried about, and more that i want to figure out the ranger Master bore size,
so i can order a size up to replace it.

base on current leg strength to work the pedal, i don't want to buy say, a 1" bore wilwood, and come to find out the ranger master is a 5/8', and have it be Super hard to push, with only a little bit of travel for disengagement.

inversely, i don't want to buy a 3/4", and find out... the stock ranger master was a 3/4" and i just wasted time and money to have the exact same result.

or worse, buy a 3/4" and find out the ranger is a 7/8"and get even LESS travel.

i've been searching everywhere online and can't seem to find the stock bore size anywhere.

i tried to find the data ihave on it...i remember them being 5/8, it was difficult to get the eagle slave to play nice.

i have used amc eagle parts in the past too..camaro stuff...s10 ect. on some i do think we wound up using the matched setup adapted...its not like its hard to make brackets....and trimmed and shimmed the stroke

there was an adapter to the flarestyle on the eagle but i dont remember what to look it up under anymore. it was a 7/16 style...dont know why i remember that. these work ok for 4x4 applications.

the chevy s10 style adapted to run behind the ford can be a pia...this sometimes gets done for 4x4 applications like the jeeps....or old hotrods because theres allot of them...well there was.


i assume your fork and tob are correct and not damaged. from there manually checking stroke engagement/disengagement is key. block plate can factor as well.

 

[CoreyTilton]

if everyone seems to be thinking 5/8 i'll probably step up to 7/8.
according to the internet, the camaro style slave is a 1" bore.

so the 5/8 to 7/8 jump should give me a good gain in travel.
hopefully enough of a gain to back the slave off a bit so the clutch is fully engaging.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

It's been awhile since I worked on the brakes. IIRC, One of the ways to bleed a master is from under the dash where you disconnect the rod from the clutch pedal and gently move the rod back until the cup barely comes out of the bore. Perhaps you can get a micrometer up there and measure the bore?

 

[CoreyTilton]

It's been awhile since I worked on the brakes. IIRC, One of the ways to bleed a master is from under the dash where you disconnect the rod from the clutch pedal and gently move the rod back until the cup barely comes out of the bore. Perhaps you can get a micrometer up there and measure the bore?

might have to do that. i know i can get to the master.
but i know the rod doesnt come out of the ranger masters without breaking it. i've tried.

many thanks guys

 

[bobbywalter]

the spec on my box is 19.5 mm... thats more like 3/4 not 5/8... my calculater makes it .767 i dont know wtf i keep thinking 5/8


so its not 5/8. the metal brute power says its .880 according to car quest.


the one in the my b2 is the old style 89 master with the later line.

 

[CoreyTilton]

the spec on my box is 19.5 mm... thats more like 3/4 not 5/8... my calculater makes it .767 i dont know wtf i keep thinking 5/8


so its not 5/8. the metal brute power says its .880 according to car quest.


the one in the my b2 is the old style 89 master with the later line.

many many thanks!

that makes sense.
i got linked an article yesterday that some people were saying 3/4" and some people were saying 7/8"
i wonder if they made different sizes for different years?

or if different companies are just measuring wrong/in the wrong place?

half these companies are measuring what they think is the opening of the cylinder bore, but is actually a larger outer section maybe?

 

[bobbywalter]

i know there are minor variations.


i am about to buy one and take it apart.


i suspect .767 and .880 and just 3/4 are all accurate.. as in .767 = 3/4 and .880 = 7/8


the later line i used was due to the later m50d had different fittings at the slave.

 

[CoreyTilton]

i know there are minor variations.


i am about to buy one and take it apart.


i suspect .767 and .880 and just 3/4 are all accurate.. as in .767 = 3/4 and .880 = 7/8


the later line i used was due to the later m50d had different fittings at the slave.

Interested to see what you come up with.

If I'm currently running a 3/4" ranger master, and a 1" Chevy, that would explain my problem. And I think if I could find a 7/8" ranger master, that might be enough of a size step up to get enough extra throw out of that slave,. Without spending $300+ on an aftermarket master and adapter bracket.

 

[CoreyTilton]

so i managed to find from Dorman, what they claim is a 7/8" bore ranger master, and an 83-84 external slave, that is also a 7/8" bore.
if this works, i won't actually have to go to an aftermarket brand master and aftermarket adapter bracket for the master angle.
seems the ranger master i was running may have been a 3/4", and the slave i was running was a 1" chevy.
which would explain why i wasnt getting enough travel out of the slave.

however, something that i do think is odd,
both of these Dormans, the master and the slave, are metal.
i've only ever seen plastic masters and slaves before.

my original ranger master literally cracked in half after i put in the new heavier clutch/pressure plate, and the new one i bought had additional webbing where the original cracked. i had no idea they started making these as metal.

curious if anyone has had any luck with these?
seems to be aluminum.
big C clips holding in the internals too. kind of stoked on how robust these look and feel.

going to hook them up in the shop tonight and bench bleed everything till the cows come home. hopefully install tomorrow if the weather holds out.