Pedals

[MGs]

Having some issues with the clutch and brake pedals, not depressing and releasing properly.
I have unbolted the plate (over the brake cylinder) after hoovering out loads of dirt, it appears
that the brake pedal spring is not connected at the front end. Therefore the brake pedal is not
working in a straight line and catching on the clutch pedal. How can you get at the front
end of the brake pedal spring to re-connect it? I'm hoping having done this and greased the
spindle between the two pedals things should be a bit smoother.

Cheers

[bmcecosse]

You may find there is nothing to connect the spring to... There should be an 'eye' on the floor of the chassis leg to which the spring is hooked. If it's missing - you will need to make up a bracket and fix it with a bolt down through the leg and nutted below. Either way - you need to hook the spring on (long nose pliers?) and then pull it back perhaps with a loop of flex until you can hook it to the pedal. Sounds like your pedals have at least partially seized on the shaft - and if catching each other there may some wear too. Apply plenty of oil......

[MGs]

OK, I can make a bracket. Is there access to the chassis leg from the engine well or under the car?
Or do you have to unbolt the panel that covers the pedals and gearbox? The pedals are lose on the
shaft, but there is a reasonable amount of wear, hence the movement and catching.
I will certainly use plenty of lubrication

[MarkyB]

If you take the gearbox cover off you will be able to see much of the chassis leg, I think you should be able to get you hand in enough to do useful stuff.

Being a terrible bodger, I'd put a small bolt up into the leg then use a cable tie to drag some tension into the spring.
For a classy job make a washer/tab with a good enough size hole to wrangle the spring into.

While you are there squirt some rustproofing stuff into the chassis legs.

[MGs]

Thanks. I have some steel L shaped brackets about 1 inch in each direction single hole in each face which will do the trick.
I had already planned to anti rust the chassis leg. I usually hammerite over that once it is dry. I'll have a look tomorrow, Not looking forward to undoing all of the bolts/screws (at least it isn't welded in)!

[MarkyB]

If you can get a nice big screwdriver that fits the heads nicely and clean the slots out thoroughly they aren't too bad.

It's worth squirting some plus gas from underneath on the outer edge ones as they don't benefit from the under body lubrication system

[MGs]

Floor now out. Not too bad, some of the bolts had been replaced with allen key ones. I cleaned the others out with a watchmakers screwdriver.
As suspected, the mounting for the brake pedal spring is missing. There is plenty of rust in the chassis leg, so treatment under way. When it is dried, I'll bolt in a new bracket.
It looks as if the clutch pedal is catching on the chassis arm as well as the brake pedal mechanism. I'll give it plenty of lube and see how it goes.

[MGs]

Two steps forward one step back...as usual.

Fixing for the spring now bolted into chassis leg. Pushed the spring on.....ping. New spring required,
just as rotten as the fixing.
However, with some lube applied the clutch pedal is working fine.

Time to make a new cover plate for the brake cylinder while I wait for another spring

[MGs]

Now sorted, new spring 0.50p from a local classic specialist
Both pedals working fine.

[rayofleamington]

The clutch pedal is part of the shaft - the brake pedal sits on the shaft - so when the grease dissapears over time and the bearings in the brake pedal wear, the brake pedal binds to the shaft and you get the interaction between brake and clutch pedal.
Lubrication will help but ideally the inside of the brake pedal / shaft should be packed with grease.

[MGs]

Thanks, will do. I still have the floor out, so will grease it before I bolt it back down.