Brake pedal shaft removal

[boltbrain]

My 79 brake pedal needs new bushings but the shaft, which also has the clutch pedal on it, hits the big clutch spring when I slide it back. The shaft is actually a bolt and the bolt head hits the spring. Can’t get the spring to come off, I pulled on it with vice grips but it’s stronger than I am. Moving the clutch pedal doesn’t get it out of the way. If anybody knows how to get that spring off I would sure like to know how. Thanks

 

[Mr Clean]

Do you have a brake spring tool? That's what you are going to have to do is leverage to get the spring off. A large screw driver, just watch your face, when that spring comes off, it's coming off fast.

 

[85K304SPD]

Ouch! I saw that big spring on my '84 and didn't want to mess with it. You might need to take the whole dash apart to get to it.

 

[boltbrain]

Thanks, I noticed that spring was not expanding or contracting when the pedal moved, and it moved a lot after I backed way off the fork adjuster. So I decided to replace it with a smaller spring I can deal with. I cut the end off it with a 4” grinder, and yeah it really snapped hard when it lost its pressure. That eliminated the sideways pressure on the shaft so it slid right out. I still had to remove a cotter pin in the clutch linkage which took a extra long needle nose pliers with a bend in it. Not having the sideways pressure will also make it easier ( more like possible) to put the shaft back in. I’ve removed other pedal assemblies that had no spring in them, just small springs on linkage and I think I can live without that big spring.

 

[boltbrain]

BTW, the end I cut off was U shaped and in a 1/4” hole, not a notch. So I don’t know how else it could have been removed, short of removing the dash and other things. That spring is made of 1/4” rod

 

[Ricko1966]

Sometimes. I do not know in this case but you maybe able to push in on the pedal to extend the spring. Wedge quarters between each coil and release the pedal. The spring tension should be gone. Works on hood hinges and others also