Saturday, September 20, 2014

September 2014 Utah Pantera Meet at Station Park Cruise-in

We had four Panteras at the Cruise-in Night, September 11, 2014.   Panteras pictured below, from left to right belong to Rex Marshall, Doug Reynolds, Rich Papworth, and Ron Mitchell.







Rebuilding Clutch Slave/Master Cylinders

I've been working on rebuilding the clutch and slave cylinder.  Most people don't bother rebuilding for a number of reasons:
1.  Rebuild kit availability isn't great.  There used to be a greater supply of seals but not lately.
2.  Pitting in the bores from corrosion is a major cause of seal destruction.  The cylinders are cast iron and rust easily when brake fluid is left for a long time and moisture is present.  It doesn't help that the master cylinder is vented to the atmosphere, allowing moisture to get into the fluid.
3.  There are cheap replica master cylinders and slave cylinders on the market.  I wouldn't call the master cylinders reproduction since the "Benditalia" raised lettering is replaced with "DeTomaso" and the pistons differ significantly.  Unfortunately, these units are notorious for failing prematurely.
4.  Actual replacement master cylinders are available from Italy, at a price that isn't too bad.
5.  Stainless steel versions of the slave cylinder are available but are expensive.