I am stupid

I was all set for my pedal cluster rebuild this morning. Did my 1K mile SWEPCO swap. Whee, new blue-juice in the tranny.

Pulled out the carpet. Pulled up the floorboard. Disconnected the clutch cable (a few busted knuckles on that one!). Disconnected the throttle linkage. Then I try to disconnect the linkage to the master cylinder. So I pull the clip on the pedal end and pull the pin on the m/c end. However, I can't get the pivot pin at the m/c end out because there's this useless-looking bronze bar parallel to the brake linkage that's blocking access to the pin. And I can't slide the rod off the pedal's pin because there isn't enough clearance. What is this bronze (brass?) bar that goes straight to the m/c??? I can't get that off either because I can't see around the clutch pedal to get to the (what I think is an) Allen bolt holding it to the cluster.

About an hour of fiddling and head-scratching later it becomes clear that my better half is becoming impatient. This is like something right out of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. So I button everything back up and go for a spin.

D*mn.

Any ideas? Or should I just retire the socket set and wrenches because I'm too stupid to be allowed to use them?

Hope your experiences went better, Kurt!

blue

Blue,

Naw, couldn't have been out of one of Pirsig's scenes unless you had VERY LOUD ROCK MUSIC playing in the background! You didn't, did you? Find any rounded-off bolts in the quest for the pedal cluster?

Did you disconnect the pushrod up in the trunk?

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Nope, no rounded-off bolts. Though the single bolt holding the floorboard down is as good as stripped (wasn't me, honest!). I'll take a second look in the trunk (only had one quick look--figured I should be able to see the m/c but I guess I didn't look hard enough?).

The only music playing at that point was in my head, courtesy of Alice In Chains:

"I'm the man in the box/Buried in my *****/Won't you come and save me?"

I think it's time to get a microfiche reader and the shop manual for the SC.

blue

Well, I fail to see any justification for the 'stupid' moniker. I hope the Bentley is a good manual for the SC. I think if I had the factory microfiche and the Bentley, I'd use the Bentley almost always.

I have not dealt with the brake linkage. I have the utmost respect for these engineers as you know, but I am curious, lets say, about the brake linkage arrangement. The master cylinder is on backwards and at a glance, the linkage looks like a Rube Goldberg design. So I don't think the rod connected to the pedal is the one connected to the MC. I'm all ears.

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'83 SC

I am unsure what year you have, but my '78 SC was like so: The flat bar is the support bar. It is attached to your pedal 'box via an 8mm allen. You remove the allen bolt by moving the clutch pedal to just the perfect point wherein you can put the 8mm hex in and slowly, oh so very slowly turn the allen head. Once you free the support bar from this, you can slide the circlip off and move the brake shaft off of the brake pedal pin.

BTW: when you have the whole operation out, remember to trim down the clutch spring hook. You'll see what I mean when; it's the backend of the spring and it is overly long. My mech. tells me to cut it about 3/4 ways along to facilitate reinstallation.

I didn't do this, however: I put the clutch spring on prior to reinstalling the 'box. Was a b%$ch to get the 8mm allen in, but do remember to put brake shaft on first, then clutch spring (mine alread on as noted) then 8mm allen.

Sorry not to be of more help,
Jw

PS: Wanted to add this: To remove that 8mm, I used took my 8mm socket and removed the 8mm "bar" that sits in the socket. This gave me a 1" 8mm length that I could get into the side of the 'box. Now a set of pliars gripping the 8mm let me turn it to engage threads. Eventually, as the 8mm set into its captive nut, I was able to get my standard 8mm hex wrench in there. You could cut the end of your 8mm hex wrench to do the same thing, so that the short end is even shorter and lets you manage the close quarters for this allen bolt.

Good luck. Well worth the effort.

[This message has been edited by Jdub (edited 01-29-2001).]

JW,

Thanks! I have an '81, by the way.

I fiddled for quite a while trying to get a hex key in that allen bolt. With the assistance of a dental mirror and a flashlight in my teeth. I'm pretty sure I was even trying an 8mm--but perhaps the length of the key was preventing me from getting it in perfectly straight. I have to wonder how these things could have been assembled in a mass production environment. OSHA (or the German equivalent) would probably have something to say nowadays!

I think I'll take the seat out to make this easier. Next weekend...

Thanks for the tips!

blue
'81 SC Targa

Not that it really matters for your current situation, but Allen bolts do not use the same size drive bit as their designated 'size.' M8 threaded Allen bolts use a 6 mm drive, an Allen bolt using an 8 mm drive would be an M10, and an M6 Allen uses a 5 mm drive bit or wrench.

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

I scanned the pedal cluster page from my bentley carrera manual and was going to e-mail this to you to use as a reference but you have no e-mail listed? Your SC has to be very similar to the carrera! Just trying to help!

Huey581
86' 911 Cab