Hey guys, I have a problem with my clutch line. I just finished replacing the ring gear in my 86 ranger 4x4, and I needed to disconnect the clutch. My haynes manual says to unbolt the clutch housing and remove the slave/master cylinders as one part. there is no bolt. everything seems to be internal with only the bleed nipple and ribbed hose nipple showing. the clutch line is hard plastic and there is no way it's going to go back on the barbed nipple. I have a feeling it's an 88 tranny that had quick disconnect lines, so somebody managed to kill stuff and make it work. Can anybody help me out?
Is there a braided line kit I could pick up for this?
Thanks.

 

does the clutch line go in the side or the top of the bell housing?

 

well the original 86 was one of the few that used an external slave, so if it has internal concentric slave then chances are someone swapped a newer tranny in there at some point so your guess on the 88 may very well be correct. My suggestion would be to get a slave for an 88 and get a clutch line for an 88 so you have the correct quick disconencts and then use those parts and bleed everything. The clutch line connects to the master with just a roll pin. Push that pin out and the line pulls right out (there is a rubber o-ring in there so watch for it). If they dont have the 88 parts in stock you can actually use any of hte newer lines and slave cylinders, just try and be sure you use ones from the same year, like a 94 line and slave or a 99 line and slave that way they will definitly have the same disconnect. But it shouldn't be an issues as they changed the disconnect around 90 or so, the old style is blue and the new style is gold. If you dont want to get a line from the dealer just go to a junk yard and pull one, as long as they aren't melted or crushed or cut they should last forever. Just disconnect the quick disconnect at the tranny and push out the roll pin at the master and take the line itself and then get a slave to match the line that you get. The newer plastic slaves with the gold connector are actually better than the old aluminum slaves because the new ones don't get corroded and the new ones are also a lot easier to get from part stores.

 

my 86 had an internal slave that was fed thru the top of the bellhousing. thats why i asked.
it used a roll pin at the slave as well as the master.