9 replies to this topic

[dezshearer]

Hey guys, maybe my searching abilites arn't up to scratch, but i couldn't find any info on removing a pedal box?

Also, couldn't find any pics =(

The Haynes manual is a vague as always (couldn't actually find a refernce for pedal box in it)

Anyone know anything about removing this little item?

I'm converting my auto to manual, so i need this and the gear change, along with the master and slave cylinders.

Do i need anything else? I'm going to a friends house tonite to strip his car so... any replys would be very helpful!

Cheers.

[Dan]

You don't need to remove the pedal box, that's one of the commonly bandied around myths about the auto to manual conversion and it's extremely annoying that people keep this myth going because replacing the pedal box has got to be one of the most horrific jobs in a Mini. All tandem brake line type pedal boxes are the same, auto or manual. What ages are the two cars? If one has single line brakes or a hydraulic brake switch you will have to swap the box but avoid it if you can.

You need the master cylinder base plate from the bulkhead, the clutch pedal and the two-pedal type return spring. All you have to do is swap the new baseplate into your car (which unfortunately means removing the brake master cylinder unless you have a late car with a direct servo, in which case you will only need to remove the bell crank box) and exchange the spacer that fills the otherwise empty space on your current pedal shaft for the clutch pedal, swapping the springs at the same time. Be careful, there's a lot of energy stored in those springs. I can't think of anything else that needs to be done to add the pedal.

As for the morality of the auto conversion, that's another matter!

[WiredbyWilson]

i converted my mini from auto (awaits battering) and all i did was added the pedal to what was there etc. but getting it in with the spring was a right **** of a job, upside down in the footwell with arms stuck in small spaces!!

good luck friend!

[dezshearer]

Thanks for the quick reply Dan! Really Helpful.

My Auto is '95 Cooper, SPi

I'm taking the bits from a crashed '98 Cooper MPi..

The brakes in my engine bay looked like this, it's all been removed..



I know thats not clear.. but its that huge circular servo thing..

like this...

Edited by dezshearer, 18 February 2008 - 03:44 PM.

[Ethel]

shouldn't be too hard to remove the pedal box if you also have the subframe out - it'd make adding the pedal easier.

[Big_Adam]

Undo master cyliner(s),

Undo front (most) bolts for pedal box (in foot well, two bolts on bulkhead).

Undo rear most bolts (they go through the bottom rail, to a plate).

Pull whole thing down then out. Much wiggling and swearing will be required.

[dezshearer]

Oh also.. this is my current engine bay..

[WiredbyWilson]

you chopped that up good didn't you

[dezshearer]

Flip-front =)

Ok so, minus the pedal box...

I'll just pinch the gear change rod etc?

And thats pretty much it?

[Dan]

I thought yours was the nice shiny one above, I was getting all impressed!

With everything out of the way like that it'll be easy but I'd still advise just changing the pedal. Removing pedal boxes is horrible and doing it in an MPi would be a nightmare. Change the whole box if you must but that will mean drilling all the shear bolts, removing the steering column and everything else that's in the way. If you do that you must use the pedal box bracketry and parts from your current car and only the box itself from the MPi, take photos of the arrangement of the steering column clamp at the nose of the pedal box first as this is safety cirtical. There is a crimped yellow plate and other parts that must remain assembled as they are, the MPi parts are different because of the different column and the airbag.

VERY IMPORTANT, IF THE AIRBAG IN THE MPI IS STILL UNDEPLOYED YOU MUST REMOVE THE BATTERY FROM THE CAR, UNPLUG THE SRS ECU AND WAIT HALF AN HOUR BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING AROUND OR UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN. If the car is being broken it would be a great idea to remove the airbag at that point. Then put it somewhere on a shelf, face up with nothing on top or anywhere near it and enough room for it to deploy. Airbags are dangerous.

You can see and easily get to the bell crank box in your car, it's the box on the cross member that the servo was bolted onto. The plate under it is what needs replacing, it should have four nuts on it and only one large hole through it into the cross member. The manual version has a second large hole for the clutch M/C pushrod and that's why you need to change it.

As for the spring on the pedal shaft, yes it is nasty to deal with but personally I think it's much harder to juggle a completely assembled pedal box with two pedals being forced forward by that spring and then jam the whole thing including the brake bell crank rod into the small hole in the crossmember while getting all four studs into the right place and not getting the nose end the wrong side of the lower dash rail. All while lying on your back or side or squatting outside the car. To do it easily without having the production line fitting jig to hold the pedal in the right place and get everything lined up you need about five hands!