Ok, I have some custom one off headers that were on a 3800sc 4t65eHD car that I bought with a cradle with custom mounts. I ran the whole set up in my car for awhile, then as the transmission started to die, and I bought a 5 speed swap, I now have a 3800 with 5 speed on my original cradle and I put these headers on and came up with a problem and need some help from people who know more than me.

Oh and sorry for the image quality the garage is alittle dim when it is dark outside and I just used my phone for the pictures.

Pictures of my headers incase you are curious:



Now for the problem:



The pictures show that the slave cylinder is way to close for my liking to the exhaust, and the fact that my headers melt plug wires I don't think the book will hold up, or the slave itself will like it. I am planning on getting my exhaust ceramic coated and good plug wires to fix that problem, but with the slave so close I am not sure how what approach to take to fix it.

So I got on this wonderful forum and within maybe 5 different 3800 swap threads I found this:


dezldave961 spaced the slave out and modified his fork swing arm to add to his clearance, well I don't feel that the arm is in the way on my car, and I don't have the means on my own to reweld the arm.

So what I am thinking, since the slave just uses a pushrod sitting on the end of the piston and it pushes that which pushes the arm, and so on, now if I space my slave cylinder, say, 2" farther out using different bolts, and put a custom push rod on the bracket do you think that there will be too much torque on the arm from the added length?

My thinking is, it will use the exact same throw, and not require modifying anything, and get me away from that exhaust.

Just want to hear some other peoples opinions.

Thanks, Chris

I would not think it would make any difference at all. As long as the push rod is stiff enough it does not bend or flex.

As long as the slave is maintained in the same plane as the original it should work. Just make sure all mountings are rigid.

Some V8 valve pushrods might be close to the length you need. Just be sure the rod you use is long enough to get the slave piston in far enough it does not hit the snap ring at the outer end of it's travel.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 10-11-2009).]

Awesome thanks! I will don't have a specific distance that I need to move the slave back, so I can find a push rod first and then make the slave farther back equal to the longer distance of the push rod.

I was very sad when I put it all together and that was my problem, the cross over can't be modified easily, and the y pipe gets in the way of moving the slave very many other places, so if that works I will be very very happy

Chris