> Price difference between a "regular" and an "after market" clutch
> slave cyl. for a 1275 midget is about $50. Is it worth it?
I am going to have to take a guess that the MGB aftermarket slave cyl is
produced by County (as most of the 'aftermarket' parts are). From the
County hydraulic components I have seen and used, there is no indication
that they are to be avoided.
I deal more with TR6 parts, so these examples will specifically relate to
the County TR6 hydaulic parts I have used and sold:
TR6 Slave Cylinders. The County units have more machining marks on the
exterior and a rougher finish fasting. The Lockheed and Girling units have
a much more refined and smoother external finish and the casting has
slightly less material, but there is more detail in the casting.
Dimensionally they were all the same, internally they were the same... both
were Cad plated on the outside, the County plating had a brigther luster to
it.
TR6 Clutch Master Cylinders. Dimensionally exactly the same, exterior
finishes exactly the same, caps are exactly the same, internally they were
the exact same. The County M/C simply did not have certain casting
designation numbers on the body of the unit that Girling unit had. For
concours cars, this probably matters... but otherwise, the County unit was a
dead ringer for the Girling unit.
TR6 Rear Wheel Cylinders. Completely the same internally and externally in
regards to dimensions. The casting exterior finish of the County units
again was slightly more rough than a Lockheed or Girling unit.
My TR6 currently sports a County slave cylinder and County rear wheel
cylinders. No one sees them, and the price difference is fairly substantial
for these TR6 parts. I have not replaced my M/C yet, but if I do, I will
use a County part...
So I like County hydraulic parts, unless you are really concerned about
taking your car on the show circuit. I still can not bring myself to use
County engine parts, unless there is no other alternative.
County simply cuts corners a bit on how they do things, and this is why the
TR6 slave cylinders have defined machining marks on the exterior. Rather
than producing a more exact and more expensive casting, it is cheaper for
County to machine the flange flat and machine the outside diameter for a
portion of the cylinder, as a separate process. For the parts you normally
see, County seems to take this into consideration and produces a better
quality casting with very little variance from original.
Kai
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Kai M. Radicke
Wishbone Classics
www.wbclassics.com
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