while searching for my brake booster upgrade I am also looking at the options for a clutch upgrade. Car already has either a home fab or an aftermarket firewall mounted pedal setup. The 3.03 toploader has a hydraulic master/slave of unknown origin. The pedal is brick-stiff so I was enticed by the Modern Driveline lightweight options. I would think a slave would be the easiest swap first. I see speedway offers a few as well at an affordable price. Anyone have any experience with anything they would like to share?

 

Wow ! Small world...you bought that truck from my freind Jim.

We went through school together from first grade right up until senior year !

After that Jim went to Lehigh I went to work...we hooked up about again 5 years ago on FB.

I saw that truck once when I went to visit him about a year ago...I couldn’t get a ride though it was decorated for Christmas on his front lawn.

Enjoy it !

Bob T

 

Hey Bob! Yes I did purchase it from Jim. As a matter of fact, we bonded over being Lehigh alumni (myself and my wife included). I was in the area on our anniversary and bought it that night! Very unique truck and very glad to have met Jim. Seems like this forum just keeps popping up with pleasant surprises.

 

So more updates on the truck, guess this is becoming a bit of a build thread.
Got the Belden wires on from NAPA. The quality is nice, but the mix and match of 5x straight and 3x 90 Deg boots had me really confused. I really don't like how any of the wires fit over the valve covers. I reused some of the wire separators but I also added a David Freiburger style ziptie setup. I kind of wish it laid out like the later 5.0 in front of the heads, but I guess a custom cut and crimp is the only way to achieve that.
Anyway, new coil relocated to the passenger side, moved the botched coil wiring there also, new bracket, cap and she fired up first try.


This lead me to a new issue. Since owning the truck, the clutch has been my least favorite thing about it. It requires HUGE pedal effort and doesn't really feel like anymore more than an on/off switch. Well, the home made clutch pedal backed out of the plunger on the "was a brake master cylinder now a clutch master cylinder" and the slave cylinder looks like it's also given up on life. I wanted to call Modern Driveline as well as CCP yesterday but both are closed. Guess i will wait until monday, but here is a question for all you keen eyes. This slave cylinder is a push style, and based on some savvy online sleuthing it looks like a GM style. The bolt pattern was the only one I could find like this. I wanted to give all these specifics to MDL. I think I also need a new pedal arrangement because the firewall flexes a TON when you press it. It needs some sort of flitch plate on both sides for sure. Anyone recognize this part and more importantly does anyone have a firewall mounted pedal they would recommend?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...=4698612&jsn=3

 

Hey there, how's it going with your truck these days?

 

Long overdue update. Lots of life changes, work changes etc. I have been building a 306 roller motor to replace the 289, but its been stuck in machine shop purgatory. I went to install a new bench seat and I am really unhappy with the condition of the floors. With all the supply chain issues and the prices out of control I've not had as much time or extra income to spend on the truck. I need to enlist a friend with a welder who can help me install them and get it back together. I've fallen victim to the "while I'm in there" and blew everything apart quickly, but never put anything back together. I haven't been as active on the board as I would like. My daily was totaled a while back, and it took me months to get things back together since I wasn't going to purchase a replacement vehicle given the used car market these days. Sorry - that was a massive brain dump!

 

Car show tonight at crystal point. You going?