67 F100, clutch / brake pedal question

[PSB]

Hey all,

I'm brand new to the site and to old Fords, but I just posted in the Welcome Mat. Over the weekend I picked up my 67 F100 and when I got it home I took it for a spin around the block.

Aside from the shift linkage missing a Jesus clip, the first thing my father and I noticed is that there seems to be an issue with the pedal assembly. When you push the clutch to the floor, the brake pedal goes about half way with it. In order to get them to move independently, you literally have to hold the brake pedal up while pushing the clutch down.

We tried to figure out what's hanging up, but neither of us had much time to work on it. I figured I'd go to the experts on the forum for help. I'm thinking that the bushings on the pedal assembly might be shot from the truck sitting for a while. Anyone care to weigh in?

I apologize if this has been asked already. I did search the forum for similar questions, but didn't come up with anything close. I'm sure I will get better with my search terms as I spend more time on here.

[Calfdemon]

That's a new one to me... Only thing I can think of is something is binding in the pedal assembly under the dash. Both the brake and clutch are held by the same assembly and this is the only place that I could think where there could even be any type of contact between them. Did you look under the dash into the assembly while pushing the clutch and see what is causing the brake to move with it?

[PSB]

Thanks for the reply,

I spent some time under the dash trying to determine the cause of the bind. I loosened the nuts on the bolts holding the clutch and brake levers and it still binds, which makes me think it's something to do with the rod and bushings on the assembly itself.

I'll probably just pull it out and see if I can't free it up on the bench.

[PSB]

After a lot of research, I just found the Mustang Steve clutch pedal shaft ball bearing retrofit kit. I'm definitely going to install this while I have the assembly out. I've been sick and the truck is currently at my dad's house, so can someone confirm that the clutch pedal shaft is 5/8" before I order the Mustang Steve kit?

Anyone have experience with this upgrade?

[Calfdemon]

I cant as I no longer have a stick. But hopefully someone will speak up and measure it for you...

[motzingg]

hmm yeah not a bad idea, my bushings are sloppy and the pedals wiggle around a lot... not a huge deal but about 50 other minor wiggles like that make the whole truck feel pretty janky.

i'm going to have it apart soon, i'll check if its 5/8" but its probably not going to be for a couple weeks.

[PSB]

So I went ahead and ordered the Mustang Steve kit from an eBay store. I received it very quickly, but I'm reluctant to install it on my '67 assembly just yet because of the one-year only nature of that particular assembly. I want the wider availability of parts that comes with a 68-72 assembly (master cylinder, brake booster, etc).

Anyone know a good source for a 68-72 clutch / brake pedal assembly? My local junkyards have come back with zilch.

Thanks in advance.

[guhfluh]

The Mustang Steve kit should work fine on your 67. I purchased one for my 67.

Your brake pedal pushrod is not adjustable and isn't held in the master cylinder. The clutch pedal pivot rod goes through the brake pedal pivot, therefore they have friction between the two. If your brake master cylinder isnt returning fully or brake pushrod is too short, it could have too much free play at the top of the pedal travel and then be influenced to move up and down with the clutch pedal. Check the brake pedal and pushrod for free play at the top of travel. Also inspect that you still have a brake pedal upstop rubber bushing and it is in good condition.

[PSB]

Thanks for that information. Equipped with your insight, I'm going to examine the problem again.

As far as the Mustang Steve kit, I know that it will work for the '67 assembly, but I was under the impression that the '67 pedal assembly was unique and as a result, I would be limited in sourcing new master cylinders and brake booster assemblies as only '67 specific items will work. I am very new to these trucks though and I could be completely wrong in that assumption.

My thought process was that if I swap in a 68-72 pedal assembly, I can then use MCs / boosters from any of those years instead of just '67. After looking at the tech page article on the differences between the pedal brackets, I'm curious if I could just drill the pivot hole another 1-1/8" away from the firewall to match the 68-72 dimensions since I'm going to be welding the new bearing kit on anyway. I guess that still leaves me with a brake pushrod that's too short.

I guess these are the problems with owning the first model year of a generation, the kinks get worked out in subsequent years and you're left with some "one year only" challenges.

Thoughts?

[guhfluh]

The only thing with the pedal assembly in 67 is the pushrod length being a problem. The master cylinders all have the same bore size and don't differ year to year, just the pushrod, so always keep your original rod. You can purchase an adjustable pushrod for a Mustang that will work with the 67 brake light switch, or cut and thread your own. Master Power Brakes makes one for $12, or the other ones seem to be about $50. This is only for manual brakes though and only should need an adjustable if you change the master to something way newer or different.

For power brakes, you'll need a 67 booster, or modify a later year booster pushrod to be adjustable AND accept the 67 brake light switch. The 67 pushrod has a flat on the pedal end to accept the switch and make it work; the later years don't have this provision on the end of the rod. 67 boosters are still readily available at any parts stores.

Swapping pedal assemblies AND brake light switches for a later model does make things a little easier, but only after everything has been swapped over. If you have the parts source and it's cheap and good condition, I'd probably go ahead and do it now.

[PSB]

Wow man, thanks a lot. This is the kind of information I was looking for when I posted. Freshening up the pedal assembly is definitely the next thing to be tackled on the truck. Granted the truck isn't on the road yet, but even moving it around the yard is annoying when you press the clutch and the brake pedal goes down.

[guhfluh]

I want to clarify when I said the master cylinders don't differ year to year, I mean from say 67-68 with 4 wheel drum. From 67 with 4 wheel drum , to 76 with power disks, of course the master will differ, but you could still use it with the correct length pushrod in a 67 manual application and making new lines.

You're welcome. I'm currently going through swapping my master cylinder and adding a booster to my 67, so all the info is fresh in my head and I've been contemplating what route to take: power or manual, new style aluminum master or original style cast iron master, etc. so I've looked at about every route possible within the past few days.