Master and Slave Clutch Cylinder Purchase

[lotususa1]

I have a '87 Lotus TE and need to replace the master and slave CLUTCH cylinders. Who should I contact in the USA to purchase these parts and how much should I expect to pay for these parts? While I am changing over these parts is there anythnig else I should replace? Thanks. Jim

[lotusguy]

lotususa1 said:

I have a '87 Lotus TE and need to replace the master and slave CLUTCH cylinders. Who should I contact in the USA to purchase these parts and how much should I expect to pay for these parts? While I am changing over these parts is there anythnig else I should replace? Thanks. Jim

Jim,

Consider a rebuild of the Master, replacement of the slave. The Master rebuild kit is much cheaper and easy to do. The slave can be more problematic as water is heavier than brake fluid and so will tend to migrate to the lowest point of the system (the lower portion of the Slave cylinder bore) and so is often corroded beyond the point where new seals will, seal that is. Replacement is something like $40 and is alloy, so it doesn't corrode when exposed to H²O. Talk to Jeff @ JAE, his prices are as good as anyone.

If you still have the nylon Red Hose, now is the time to replace it. Here too, Jeff can supply what you need.
Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE

[lotususa1]

Thanks.

[dr.hess]

I bought both rebuild kits at O'Reilly's Auto Parts. About ten bucks each, no shipping and instant gratification.

Dr.Hess

[PatHeald]

Don't know about the USA, but SJ Sportscars in England supplied my replacement slave cylinder.

It is a different part from the original, but they supply a nice stainless pushrod with it to compensate for the different length.

It was cheap, too.

Buy a stainless braided hose from them while you're at it.

Cheers

Pat

[Esprit2]

lotususa1 said:

I have a '87 Lotus TE and need to replace the master and slave CLUTCH cylinders. Who should I contact in the USA to purchase these parts and how much should I expect to pay for these parts? While I am changing over these parts is there anythnig else I should replace? Thanks.

Jim,
Any of the independent Lotus parts suppliers in the US can provide you with what you need... JAE, Dave Bean, rd Enterprises, Sports Car World, Tingles.

If your priority is minimal downtime and/or the least mechanical work, then just buy replacement cylinders. Then the job is just swap and bleed.

If you wish to do the task at minimal expense, then buy rebuild kits for both cylinders (order some Girling rubber grease at the same time). The kits are cheap. However, if you get it all apart and discover a cylinder is too scored or corroded to re-use, then the project is stalled while you get a replacement cylinder. That's the only real downside to rebuilding.

Rebuilding the cylinders is easy and only takes a few minutes. A Girling branded kit comes with instructions. Some of the independent suppliers provide a bag-o-parts with no instructions. In that case, the Esprit manual covers the cylinder rebuilds quite well.

Both master and slave cylinder are mounted such that the bleed screw is on top to facilitate bleeding any trapped air. So any water that may collect inside tends to pool in the bottom of the cylinder. It's not that the slave is at the low point in the system (that would be the run of hose that goes down and under the chassis). But the slave is mounted where it's exposed to road spray and it's more likely that some water will get in past the seal there than in the front boot.

If you bleed the system by pumping the pedal, the flow is intermittant, and the fluid velocity may not be fast enough to carry the water up and out. A pressure bleeder will produce a continuous flow and is much more effective at bleeding all the nooks and crannies in the system.

I recently did the master and slave on an Esprit, buying rebuild kits for both cylinders. But when I got it apart, it was the master cylinder that was scored beyond repair. It's a crap shoot, with the odds slightly in favor of the slave being the one that can't be rebuilt. But it can go either way. If you don't want any surprises, then just purchase two replacement cylinders. If the old ones turn out to be good, you have rebuildable cores for the next time... or eBay fodder.

While you're in there, at least fully bleed the system to make sure all traces of old fluid or trapped water are gone. A pressure bleeder really makes that easy. The EZ-Bleed works well and is reasonably priced. Just don't use more than 5 psi or air pressure.

This would be a great time to replace the red hose with a steel braided line like Aeroquip. It's optional and the most expensive part of the job, but it's well worthwhile.

Good luck,
Tim Engel
Lotus Owners Oftha North

[lotusguy]

A pressure bleeder really makes that easy. The EZ-Bleed works well and is reasonably priced. Just don't use more than 5 psi or air pressure.

Hi,

I am no fan of the EZBleed, even though I own one. You need to have a tire handy (the air supply hose isn't that long), run the tire's pressure down to the point where you risk separating the tire bead, it is very difficult to get a good seal (I always have to seal the threads in the supply bottle and Master cap with teflon tape prior to use), and the supply bottle doesn't hold enough fluid to get a good flush/bleed without disassembling the whole mess to add more fluid.

Instead, I use a Motive Power Bleeder. It cost about the same as the EZBleed, doesn't require a separate air supply (has a handpump built into the top) w/ gauge, seals really well (better quality cap/seal), and has a 2 ltr. capacity - more than enough for most bleeding chores without refilling. Find it at:
www.thedynoshop.net/power_bleeder.htm
Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE