Brake pedal shaft removal

[boltbrain]

My 79 brake shaft needs new bushings, so I took the crush nut off the shaft that the clutch and brake pedals attach to, but the shaft can’t move back the 3” I need it to move, to get the brake pedal off, because it hits the big clutch spring. I tried putting vice grips on the end of that spring, and stretching it 3/4” to come loose, but I can’t get it to budge. If there’s a trick to getting that spring loose I would sure like to know what it is. I could only find two YouTube videos on this but neither discussed this big clutch spring, just said they took the shaft out. Thanks

 

[boltbrain]

Problem solved, I cut the spring end off, and took the spring out. No other pedals I ever saw had a spring there, much less one with at least 1/4 metal. I’ll put a lighter spring back in. The shaft lost its sideways pressure so it slid right out, and I can replace the clutch pedal bushings too now. And I don’t think the shaft would have gone back in place with all that sideways tension anyway. The spring was not expanding or contracting with pedal movement, so I’m guessing it’s only purpose was sideways pressure, maybe to keep things from rattling. I highly recommend this mod