Accord clutch slave cylinder: why'd they design it this way?

Just replaced the clutch slave cylinder on my sis-in-law's 2002 Accord.

Every clutch slave I've ever replaced had the hydraulic line threaded directly into the body of the slave cylinder. But on this Accord, the line threads into a separate fitting, which in turn is press-fit into the body of the slave cylinder. The fitting seals at the bottom with a washer and is secured with a tiny roll-pin that must be driven out the side of the slave cylinder.

A Google search reveals that the design gives Honda bros fits. Either they damage the roll-pin, or they damage the fitting (which is only available as part of the hydraulic line assembly for $200 at the Honda dealer), or they don't seat the washer right and it leaks.

I got it all together right the first time, thanks to a benevolent God, who apparently took pity on me because I was doing the job for a relative for free. But it would have been easy to muck it up.

Why in the world would Honda do it this way?

Likely done for vehicle assembly reasons. Fitting comes pre threaded onto the line from the supplier. Honda assembler plugs fitting/ line assy into cylinder, and pushes in roll pin, no chance of cross threading the line.

That said, If the line threads into something (a separate fitting, in this case instead of the cylinder casting itself), why does it matter for a later service?

einy wrote: That said, If the line threads into something (a separate fitting, in this case instead of the cylinder casting itself), why does it matter for a later service?

Because the new slave cylinder does not come with the fitting, so you must remove it from the old cylinder, insert a new washer, press the fitting into place (I had to use a vise), and secure it with the pin.

Your "ease of assembly" explanation makes sense. That's probably it. Glad Mazda doesn't do it that way, though!

Could you drill and tap it for a NPT-brake flare adapter?

In reply to einy:

Yeah, I'd be more inclined to blame the aftermarket for not including the fitting with the slave (or outright designing it out for the replacement part). If enough people bitch to Dorman about it they'll probably start making the adapter fitting.

bluebarchetta wrote: Your "ease of assembly" explanation makes sense. That's probably it. Glad Mazda doesn't do it that way, though!

With the frequency that Mazdas eat slave cylinders and master cylinders, indeed...

Ahhhh ..., yea, if the replacement part was aftermarket, I can see it not coming with that additional part.

Not just Honda. Someone (OTC maybe?) makes a c-clamp style press just for this. Do yourself a favor. Assemble the master/slave assembly of the car, fill and bleed, then install.

Every time I've ever worked on a honda, I've had to stop, step back, shake my head and wonder aloud why they designed it that way.

AClockworkGarage wrote: Every time I've ever worked on a honda, I've had to stop, step back, shake my head and wonder aloud why they designed it that way.

and yet they still last the test of time. We've had to replace a few during chumpcar races on our 94 Accord with zero issues, it's more so the crappy remans failing than the design.

Oil filter location on an RX-8. WTF doesn't even egin to describe my feelings towards that.

And seriously this is nothing compared to having to drop a tranny to replace a slave cylinder. 4th gen f-body, 350z, 370z, etc. No fun there.

GM used a similar thing in the slave cylinder of the T56s behind LT1s, I don't know if they kept it with the LS1 or not. With those, the line didn't even have a threaded connection, the fitting on the line just had a tight slip fit into the slave cylinder and secured with a roll pin.