I remember reading that someone makes a clutch tube repair kit but cant for the life of me remember who. The clutch tube is pulled in on this car and I want to do it now before I get things going too far. Where can I get one? Anybody know?

Ok, so nobody remembers it either, ok, what is the best way to repair a broken clutch tube? Any suggestions or ideas on what the best way to do it?

Skliney, I had to do one at the shop. Weld'er up pretty much, and make sure the fuel lines are not nearby. Get some tube stock about the same size and we might be able to fab up a connection as well. The only non-welding trick I've seen was the one guy who used stainless wire and wrapped it through the tunnel, but that was a temporary measure.

is it the tube itself or the standard, broken from the firewall,broken from the tunnel, situation??

They say "a picture is worth a thousand words" so here ya go.

On a repair like that one, I like using a 1/2" Fender washer with one side cut off to make a sort of D shape.

The flat would mount in the down position (where it would meet the floor seam)

You may have to grind some other spots to clear everything, but it works well. I full weld the washer to the car and then tack the tube to the washer until it is a continuous weld. Inserting something into the end of the clutch tube helps prevent the weld from penetrating the tube and causing problems.


In my BLOG, I show a plate with a 1/2"diameter hole drilled in it welded onto mine.

Good luck.

Well, thanks for the ideas, I will work on it today and expand a little with my own imagination. Brandon is on his way over to help with things so I will have his input as well.

Today I will pull the factory fuel lines out and get the tunnel all cleaned up and the clutch tube welded back in place and reinforce it properly and to my satisfaction.

Progress pics coming later.

As said above, get a large washer from the hardware store, cut it down to a D shape so it fits, and weld it up.

You also need to re-weld the tube in the tunnel, too, as those have undoubtely broken loose. They need to be fixed in place or the clutch won't work right.

Suggestion.... Hydraulic clutch kit.

contact Rich Johnson, he sells one that will work great.



Or you can weld it back up. I would put a big reinforcement on the tube inside the tunnel. and weld that sucker back up in a few places inside the tunnel.

(BTW... Betty's car has had a U clamp on the front of the clutch tube for more than 10 years now. It works fine, so I don't mess with it.)

i told ya about the washer thing... but you can also do a bigger scab plate if need be....

you can do it.

tell brandon to drop my head tool off at mi casa

if your gonna weld it, slip a copper tube inside the clutch tube to prevent the weld from blocking the tube. just tack stitch it at the washer to keep from melting the copper into a puddle.

He said he cant get to it until Monday since he is locked out of the shop.

This is actually sounding like a great idea, I will look into it today.

Thanks Clay

In this picture, I used a larger piece of sheet metal (12 ga I think) as the area had been torn much like yours. I wanted a larger area to support the pressure on the clutch cable tube. The welds aren't much to look at, but they are strong.

Thanks John, that is perfect, I am going to go with a hydraulic setup but I still want it to be repaired so I will do it just like you did with the heavy steel.

This forum is great!

Scotty ya need some 12 gauge steel ?? give me a size and off it goes Cya

Thanks Paul, I have a bunch here already I can cut up. What I really need is one of those louvered front trunk pieces

Alternative fix. I had a similar problem with mine many, many years ago. I didn't have access to a welder in my garage, so as a "temporary fix" -

I removed the clutch tube ( it was loose at both the front and rear), and took it to the lab where I work, and had a piece of 3/16 inch steel (about 1.5 x 3inches) welded to the tube, similar to that shown in the photo above. I then drilled two 1/4 inch holes through the plate and through the firewall. Then I just bolted the tube back into place. Other than the two bolts, the nuts which are accessed through the removable plate inside the car on the tunnel, it looks similar to the photo. (added some sealant around the outside). At the front of the tunnel, I used a pair of conduit clamps that wrapped around the tube and bolted through the floorboard. I know this is not pretty, but it lasted over 100,000 miles after I did this, longer than the original tube attachment. I just recently replaced the floorpan due to rust elsewhere, and took advantage of having good access to put the clutch tube back to original. Joe

Are you just using the 901?

If so, why a hyd clutch?

Here's how I handled the same situation. Classic Thread on Clutch Tube Repair

Nice classic thread. It shows the washer trick that I have used and described above.

The plate fix that I showed just above was done because the firewall was more torn and I wanted a larger surface area for support.


One word of caution. Remove all traces of the brazing (yellow-gold colored metal. It doesn't weld nicely.

Because I will never have to replace my clutch cable again for one, plus for the money, I think it will be a good investment. I know a few guys running them and they have no complaints.

Yes, 901 box with mods

How do you contact Rich Johnson regarding his hydralic clutch kit? I did a serach.

You won't have to replace the clutch cable , but you have other parts that will need replacing (slave cylinder, etc.) Not sure how it is a good investment (it'll take a long time to recover the costs in savings from not having to replace clutch cables).

I'm sure people are running them without complaint, but people have run the easy, simple clutch cable without complaints, too.

Not trying to talk you out of it, just trying to understand the reason for grafting on a more complex system when the KISS system works so well on the stock transmission.

Dont ever come over and start talking to my other half about things like this, it's the cool factor I think and women just do not understand.

To me, KISS = cool, but ok.

Will be interesting to see how it's done, though.

Let me know if you need any help during your project and I'll try to come by and give you a hand. I've done quite a bit of work on my V8 since you last saw it.

FYI

Be VERY carfull if you start welding down there! My fuel lines were just a little


close when I began welding

Make sure you disconect and drain any fuel before you start!

PS: I was only 19 when I did this, I have learned alot since then!