[linderpat]

OK, I already asked about this on TOS, but want to sample the brain trust here too - looking for any cheats in replacing the friggin blue hose that make the job not so terrible, but also does not involve cutting a hole in the wheel well to engine bay. My blue hose is shedding its outer layer, and is soft to the squeeze.

I need to drive this car to Columbus then Frenzy and lots of PVGP stuff in between. If I can, I won't touch it until after those things are all done, but what say the folks here on the wisdom of that too?

TIA

[Crumpler]

FWIW. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I won’t say enjoyable, but not the calamity that I heard about.

I’m sure it is not best practice, but I used a power bleeder on the slave to push any air out of the line.

[worf]

Fraying covering is not indicative of fluid integrity.

There is no trick to replacing the Blue Hose. There is only pain or a saws all (and that is the Butcher’s tool that must be resisted on penalty of ostracism.)

The clutch master must come out (*.)

There is a very small probability that the old blue hose can be removed and replaced “by feel” without breaking the plastic fitting on the master with the master in place. I always have to slice the hose to get it off either end.

If *I* was doing this:
- remove master cylinder
- slice off blue hose and retain
- send master to Whitepost for a rebuild
- use old blue hose to determine proper length of new hose

Why?

Master cylinder is a wear item. And you don’t want to do it twice.
If you buy a new ATE master cylinder you must modify its guts or your dual-disc clutch will never work again. And no matter what you do the clutch feel will change and perhaps not be to your liking.
The length of blue hose specified in PET and that which is delivered when ordering the part by number is too long and if installed out of the bag will result in a clutch that will only work immediately after flushing but won’t after a few heat cycles.

(*) Master R&R sucks. I’ve done it many different ways.

The easiest way is to remove brake master and booster first.

That’s a lie. The easiest way is to remove the engine. But, barring that, the booster and brake master.

The way that has the lowest probability of causing more issues is to remove it “by feel” working around the brake stuff.

This requires patience and perseverance. Long thin fingers and arms help. As does having done it before with the brake stuff removed so that you have some idea of what you’re doing when you can’t see anything.

There are various tricks to getting the master back in. The best trick is: two people.

[linderpat]

Thanks guys