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MG TD TF 1500 - Brake Pedal Spring

To remove the master cylinder, the manual says to disconnect the brake pedal return spring from the frame. For those of you who have suffered thru this, two questions: 1) how were you able to get a tool or fingers into the box to disconnect it, and 2) does the end of the spring go through a hole in the box or is it draped over a flange. I'm working with the body off and this thing is still killing my fingers (and my patience).

The manual also says the next step is to lift out the brake pedal complete with push-rod, rubber boot and pedal return spring. Is that possible? Wouldn't the clutch shaft have to come out first?

Thanks,
Terry
Terry Jacobs

Terry - YOu are correct, the clutch pedal shaft has to be removed to remove the brake pedal. This is a job that you want to avoid at all cost (wait until someone has a gun to your head before doing it), it is a real bear of a job. The good news is that the brake pedal doesn't have to come out to remove M/C. In fact, as I remember, one doesn't even have to remove the spring, just the cotter pin and the clevis pin, then the brake line at the back of the M/C, then unbolt the M/C and remove it. I did mine several years ago and don't remember it being particularly difficult. In fact, as I remember, I did it all from under the car without removing the floorboards. There is an access plate on the right side of the pedal box that can be removed to provide a slight bit more access. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

I don't need to remove my M/C but I do need to remove and install a new brake pedal bushing as my brake pedal has a tremendous amount of side movement (across-car). Looking at the pic in the Moss catalog it appears as tho all you have to do is remove the cir-clip and withdraw the shaft. Is this to simplistic to be true.
Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

Greg,

I did my bushings with the body removed, so it wasn't too bad. If you are going to rebush the brake pedal, you should also replace the shaft bushings in the frame while it is apart. In addition to removing the circlip, you need to remove the bolt clamping the clutch pedal to the shaft and withdrawl it. You might need to open the clamped section slightly to allow the shaft to slide out.

Here are a couple of pics of the whole assembly removed from the frame. http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/eford321/album?.tok=phSkJPBBmqYf2BkH&.dir=/4e2d&.src=ph

Good luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

G&G - That is WAAAAY to simplistic to be true. The picture in the Moss catalog doesn't come close to showing the "whole picture". I will send you some information on the job, but it has to rank right up there with a root canal without anathesia, and is best done with the body tub off the frame. At the very least, one wants the floorboard on the driver's side removed and preferably the transmission out. I would seriously suggest putting the job off until one of the above conditions is met.

There are more circlips on the shaft than shown in the Moss pictures, plus there is a woodruff key under the clutch pedal in addition to the pinch bolt on the clutch pedal. Bottom line, all the grease has to be removed in situ so one can find all the circlips, then the clutch pedal loosened, the shaft slid over far enough to allow the clutch pedal to be slid (slid id an optomistic term, beat is closer to the true procedure)over to clear the woodruff key, then the shaft can be worked out of the frame. Once out, the shaft will undoubtedly have to be replaced, along with the bushings in th frame and on the brake pedal. Reassembly is then (as the manual says) the reverse of the disassembly.

I cannot emphasize enough, what a hard, dirty, messy and frustrating job this is. That is why I suggest waiting until the tub is off or the floorboards and transmission are out to do it. The floopy pedal is not as serious as it seems and will last however long it is until you already have the car apart to work on it. If yu have not already found it, there is a grease fitting on the shaft that is hidden under the rear portion of the front fender (or the front portion onf the running board), that nobody in years past knew about, that is for lubricating the pedals and shaft. Most of them have never received any lubricant over the years and that has resulted in the wear that you are feeling. Once repaired, make sure that that grease fitting gets it's fair share of grease to prevent future wear.
Good luck- Dave
David DuBois

I seem to remember that when the question was asked "what is the worst thing to work on in the TD?" The overwelming answer was the break and clutch pedals and shafts.

Taking out the driver floor and pulling the driver front fender will help, but still a bear of a job.
BEC Cunha

I guess the pain and suffering associated with building my body tub has made me forget how bad the pedal bushing job really was.

As David and Bruce said, I would take the fender and floor board off. You'll need a bushing tool (or an appropriate size socket) to remove the old bushings from the frame.

Also, On my car there was only (1) shaft circlip. (later TD) There where washers between the pedals, and between the pedals and frame. You can't see them in the pictures, as the grease has them stuck to the pedals.

Good luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

I second the misery involved with this job. The last time I put one of the washers in the wrong place, finished installing the key, bolt, spring, etc., and then put the cover plate on. This locked the arm on the shaft, had to do all over again. Very unpleasant! A TF in town has an oval hole that appears factory in the bottom of the pedal box, and a friend's TD had the bottom hacksawed to it could be bent out of the way. Throw in grease, a couple handfuls of Florida sand- what a mess! David's directions good, I may add you must remove the clutch pedal pinch bolt completely before you can slide the pedal over (the shank engages in a concavity in the shaft).
George Butz

Well, if the car is Right-Hand Drive, it is really a lot easier. There's a plain shaft, with circlips on either end, and removing is a matter of removing the circlips and pounding the damn thing out. On my car, it has fused to the frame, and I had to use an air hammer to get the old shaft out, destroying it in the process. Still easier than a left-hand drive car.

There are various bushings and spacers between the pedals and the frame. After replacing these, the pedals on my car move back and forth in a straight line instead of flopping about.
Mark B.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am now 71 and did this 35 years ago when I was young, supple and didn't know any better.

However, I had first recalled an article in a very early TSO that suggested taking a new arm/shaft assembly and, using a new and sharp triangular file, carefully scribe a couple of spirals about .07" deep (I eye-balled it) around the shaft before re-assembling.

I did this, making sure in the final step, there were no burred edges; and slathered moly all over it and re-assembled it, and gave it a few more shots of MOS², once assembled.

It has never given me a speck of trouble and expect I will go to the grave w/o any more clutch pedal shaft woes.

If I had to do it again, I'm sure it would drive me to the grave prematurly!

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark

Sorry - I forgot.

I made a brass drift to set the two shaft bushes, and if anybody needs it, I can help. After all, I don't expect to have to need it again (says he with his tongue in his cheek!).

Just let me know. I live a 10-minute drive from a NY border post office, and can dispatch it quickly.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark

I'm not 71 yet, but after removing the bushes in the frame I felt like it. I too made a drift, and still needed a 10 lb sledge and a lot of whacks to remove the bushes. Gord, if you send yours out, you can always borrow mine if you want to do the job again.

Dave
D Runnings

Anybody that "wants" to do that job a second time is in serious professional help ;) - Dave
David DuBois

It is not obvious to many but Gordon is a glutton for punishment.Real cold weather does that to you.I left his part of the woods many moons ago and I too am still not back to what is considered normal.
Sandy Sanders
90 degrees in Florida
conrad sanders

Well, everybody, is what I did was take all your advices and bought all the parts, bushes, shafts, circlips,etc. Also all the parts for the clutch linkage and a copy of the clutch linkage mods and took every thing (including TD) to English Motors and they did all the hard work (I can't even hold a golf club anymore). TD runs great now. English also fixed the tranny shift problems and installed a new master cyl. and converted to silicone fluid. Beautifull driver now. Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

This thread was discussed between 08/06/2004 and 01/07/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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