Clutch Pedal Box

[JackIIA]

Stumped by the removal process for the clutch pedal shaft of my 88. The manual simply states "remove locating pin from shaft and withdraw shaft". (ha!). It won't budge despite heat, penatrating oil, and forceful use of both a hardened punch pin and a vice.

So first question, is the best approach indeed to put alot of force on one side of the shaft (as circled in the photos) and drive it through to the other side? I'm assuming that this shaft sits inside 2 bushes within the pedal box, and that there is nothing physically preventing one from sending it all the way through, pushing it from the side with the pin, toward the side with the oil plug.

Before I go gorrilla on this, is there a better, kinder approach? Hate to risk trashing the assembly. Shaft and bushings I'm talking about are circled in the last shot. Thanks!

[Nium]

Did you remove the locating pin (part # 24 in the diagram clutch-pedal-schematic)? The locating pin should be a small rolled pin (approx. 1/8" in diameter) that you would use a thin drift punch to drive out. The locating pin is not the pedal trunnion (circled part # 23 in diagram) nor the pedal bush (part # 20 I think that's the part # it's kinda blurry). The locating pin is on the outside of the bracket. There should be a small hole the locating pin passes thru on the outside of the bracket shown in pic clutch_pedal_2. The locating pin hole is vertical not horizontal. The locating pin passes thru the bracket and then thru the pedal shaft thus securing the pedal shaft to the bracket.

If you go gorilla on the pedal shaft and try to drive it out before you remove the locating pin you'll probably need a whole new assembly.

Hope that helps,
Cheers

[JackIIA]

Thanks Walker. Yes, I did remove that pin before trying to force the shaft out. I would guess that it's just rust-welded in place given it's probably never been disturbed in 39 years. (What throws me off is that the shaft is inside brass bushings, so I wouldn't expect it to seize up at all).

I'll just keep whacking away at it I guess. The manual doesn't specify which side to tap from, but I'll assume one would be applying force from the side of shaft where the pin resides?

[Nium]

OK. It's been awhile since I've removed pedal shafts from the brackets too. Looking in the manual for the brake pedal (I know your working on the clutch pedal but their basically the same) it says to remove the locating pin from the pedal shaft. I went and looked at my pedals and from the toe box side I couldn't see a pin on the pedal shaft maybe you can see one with the cover plate off the bracket. Plus if you look at the diagram you can see a set of holes on the pedal shaft that looks like a pin would go thru.

If there isn't one I'd guess you should try and drive from the side opposite the locating pin not the side of the locating pin since the pin would be probably be on the side where shaft would come out of.

Sorry if I'm not much help. I agree with you that it shouldn't be rusted in though. Just one of them head scratchers.

Cheers!

[kevkon]

When you move the pedal, what moves, the shaft, the shaft and the bushing(s) or nothing?
Sometimes after much use the shaft can wear to such a degree that it gets a shoulder on it.

[JackIIA]

Nium - thanks for taking a look at your brake box for me. Kevkon, the pedal and bushings move as one unit, which looks OK. Hadn't thought of your point on a shoulder forming. I think I'm going to take this to a machinist and have the shaft drilled out. The box has a very slight warping around the shaft housing, which means more than enough muscle been applied already.

It's always surprising what causes delays in a rebuild! Thanks again.

[Nium]

Did you get it out?

[jb_]

I have the same problem with the clutch pedal on my '74 109 RHD.

I've removed the pin at the opposite end of the shaft to the oil bolt hole.

In my case the shaft is locked to the clutch pedal box. I can only just move the pedal now that it has frozen up probably after lack of use. So I really want to get it apart and clean up the bits.

I haven't hit it yet. But I feel a lot like doing that. LOL.

Does heat usually free up rusty surfaces, or should I soak it in something?

[Bertha]

More times than not is is going to require a lot of heat(something more than a propane torch) and a bit of force, but be warned that with too much pounding, you will distort the tube that the pin goes through, that is welded onto the box. Penetrating oil won't be of much use. So try and heat it until it is red and give a few moderate hits. If it doesn't move, re-heat again-don't keep pounding or you will distort it, especially when the metal is at such a high temp. As a point of reference, I have spent as much as an hour screwing around with some really bad ones, so be prepared to heat and re-heat a few times.

One other thing-you will need to apply heat evenly across the entire shaft, not just the end.

[jb_]

Thanks for the reply.

Hmmm. The only way I have to heat it is with a propane torch. And even then I'm likely to heat up the entire pedal box too.