Clutch line quick disconnect ...

[montanaman]

'91 xj 4.0HO, AX15, Nylon clutch line.

Ok ... I'm trying to separate the clutch line ... it has the "Quick disconnect." Well ... it's not disconnecting. You are supposed to be able to push the built-in black disk inward (toward the slave) and the connection will unlock and the line will separate. There's no way to get a separator tool in there because the black disk is blocking it ... the black disk is the tool.

If this sounds foreign to you, the quick disconnect is only on a couple of years.

Has anybody else messed with this? Total PITA. Why can't they just make a threaded connector like on a brake caliper or wheel cylinder.

 

[montanaman]

Here's an image showing what I'm talking about:

That round disk on the right side of the disconnector is supposed to just slide into the barrel and unlock it. Well ... It slides in there just fine, but doesn't unlock it at all. If I could somehow get that disk out of there and get a 1/2 inch disconnect tool in there, it would come apart, but of course the disk is in there and not coming out.

I guess I'll just unscrew that snap coupler from the slave line and figure out how to convert to a solid line with a threaded coupler when I put things back together. Nothing on a jeep should snap together. In fact the words "Jeep" and "snap together" don't even belong on the same page.

Freekin' POS.

BTW: the reason I'm disconnecting the lines is I'm pulling the tranny.

 

[montanaman]

For all the future searchers ... I found a video that explains how this disco works, and shows some examples of screwed up real-world problems dealing with it. This disco has been a source of trouble for many others, and jeep stopped using it after a few years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVjEMoroZQM&feature=player_embedded

 

[Alaskan89XJ]

Montanaman.., curious.., have you discovered as to which year model XJ's have this so-called dis-connect? Mine is RENIX. (Am on dial-up, (dead-zone), and can't watch the video link you provided). If you know, great.., lol, so I won't have to crawl around anytime soon to find out 'fer myself.

Meanwhile, is it possible that the hose from the master brake cylinder will 'follow-down' with the lowering of the tranny enough to get a better grip on the pos?

 

[montanaman]

I don't think the Renix systems have it ... I think it's just the '91 and '92. They got rid of it pretty fast.

I've decided to get a '90 clutch line and MC. The brake line is threaded on both ends, and is built like a front brake hose ... hydraulic hose with metal tube coming out of it. The Nylon line on the 91+ models is really cheap. What the hell kind of jeep has a plastic hydraulic line? And the clutch MC in '91+ models doesn't even have a threaded connection to the clutch line ... just a little fitting that pushes into the port and is held in place with a roll pin. I just prefer a real hydraulic line with a real threaded connection.

If you look at the pic above, you can see that the quick disconnect unscrews from the slave line ... leaving a regular brake fitting on the end of the slave line (the slave line is metal).

The only thing I have to do is find a female/female brake union to join the MC line to the slave line. They are in parts stores everywhere. When the new parts arrive, I'll take them into the store and find the right union coupler.

If you have a Renix system, I think you're fine ... normal clutch line, and normal union with the slave line.

 

[Alaskan89XJ]

Thanks Montanaman for the heads up. I feel your angst regards design situations. I used to curse AMC engineers for the stupid things they did to my new 1974 Cherokee model 17.., and it had more space to get my hands into than these XJ's. I curse less now-a-days.., lol, but I bleed as much getting around the same sort of b.s. Talked with a guy with a 1998 XJ last night, and he has his share of issues.., the most recent a cracked alternator mount. Hmmm...:rattle:

 

[montanaman]

Alaska ... you are very welcome ... hope it helped.

Also ... I just figured out something. If your clutch doesn't have a threaded outlet, and uses those push-in style connectors on plastic hydraulic lines, you can easily convert a clutch MC and slave to a threaded outlet ports. This will allow you to use metal lines with threaded connections.

I wrote up some instructions and posted them in the modified tech section:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?p=245411748#post245411748

Hope this helps.