Group Buy: MPL Clutch Slave Cylinder

[scaramanga]

ORIGINAL: D Ward
I been wondering, is it really 35-40% lighter just because its brand new and people only have their old worn original porsche slave cylinder they replaced it with for comparison? Much like my car runs better after a service, cos I replaced old bits with new bits, ie it only runs better cos they are new, not because they are better.
Or is this replacement slave cylinder x% lighter cos it uses a smaller piston, so you would then end up with more clutch pedal travel, which is not something I would really want

I only had the slave replaced and I'm sure new fluid, service, etc helped. But a couple of weeks on and it still feels lighter than before. Maybe 30-35% is the impact of the clutch slave itself.

Either way, highly recommended. Not affiliated with MPL in any way.

 

[nfearn]

I've finally fitted my MPL clutch slave cylinder and can confirm what Scaramanga says - it's a far smoother and lighter action than the original. Some observations:

i) The MPL unit has a larger diameter bore than the original unit, which accounts for the bulk of the reduction in pedal pressure. There are also nice Teflon rings around the piston which help to keep the piston parallel with the cylinder and also reduce friction. It's a well-made unit.

ii) I would be very interested to do a back to back comparison with a new OEM unit - obviously replacing a tired unit (and old hydraulic fluid) with new items has a beneficial effect anyway.

iii) Fitting it is a five-star pig of a job. Having done it now I would probably be able to do another one in about a quarter of the time, but it took me around five hours, not least because I managed to fail to locate the piston rod correctly into the clutch lever on the first attempt. This is not helped by the fact that you can't see either when locating the unit - that part is all done by feel. Luckily I heard the rod push past the clutch lever and stopped bleeding it, otherwise the rod could have fallen into the bellhousing, requiring a gearbox and engine separation.

iv) Don't try this unless you have a second pair of eyes available to help with locating the socket on the 13mm M8 nuts that hold the unit in place, and for getting the unit correctly located on the studs in the first place.

v) Pedal travel is increased (as a result of the larger-diameter piston) but this is not excessive.

Overall I am pleased with the outcome.

regards
Nick