Many things are going by the wayside these days, like roadside diners, real service stations, writing letters, single-disc clutches, and mechanical clutch linkages. I'm not too happy about the first three of these things myself, but the last two? Good riddance. But why, you ask? In today's world of stuffing all kinds of motor and tranny combos in vehicles never meant to host them, the "hydraulic clutch" or hydraulic throwout bearing is making this happen much more easily because of its simple, almost universal design. McLeod Industries has been blazing a trail with this technology for quite some time, and as long as you can mount a clutch master cylinder in your truck, McLeod can set you up with a hydraulic throwout bearing to fit just about any manual transmission.
I knew I was going to ditch the intricate mechanical clutch linkage in my '68 F-100 in favor of McLeod's unit since I yanked the stock drivetrain out long ago. With all the chassis and suspension modifications I've done to the truck mixed with the fact that I'm installing a '05-07 Mustang GT 4.6L SOHC V-8 from Ford Racing Performance Parts along with its matching Tremec TR-3650 five-speed tranny, I knew the stock clutch linkage wasn't gonna cut it, and McLeod's setup was the answer. What I didn't know was that they were just about to go into production with their brand-new and somewhat revolutionary RST Street Twin dual-disc clutch for the late-model Mustang family with which my powerplant shares its roots, and yes, there are many more applications on the way.
For the most part, dual-disc clutches have been relegated to the racetrack and do not behave on the street since they usually act as more of an on/off switch for the clutch without the finesse most people want/need on the street. Well, McLeod came up with some new clutch facing material that'll hold much more horsepower than previous designs and only requires light effort to engage the pedal-it's like the best of both worlds!
 Here is the basis for most...  Here is the basis for most of McLeod's hydraulic clutch release or throwout bearings: the throwout bearing/hydraulic assembly, and Wilwood's 3/4-inch master cylinder kit. McLeod has had years of success with their bearing, and they have it to fit almost any application old and new. If your vehicle already has a clutch master cylinder, you'll be that much further ahead. |  First off, we need a place...  First off, we need a place to mount the clutch master cylinder, and next to the brake master cylinder on the firewall seemed like a perfect spot since the '68 F-100 uses swing-type pedals. In the area where I wanted to mount the clutch master on the firewall, there was a metal plug from the factory that I popped out, uncovering this oval hole. Keep in mind that you don't want to mount the master so its pushrod is more than 3 inches from the pedal's pivot point due to leverage issues. |  Using a circle template, I...  Using a circle template, I scribed a 1 5/8-inch circle on the firewall around the oval cutout that would clear the boot on the master's backside. I used a carbide bit to open the hole up on the firewall to my marks. With the hole deburred, I checked that the master fit OK. |