MGB -- Welding up worn clutch pedal: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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April 20, 2010 10:29 a.m. Treb Reader

I'm fixing some problems with the pedals on my MGB.

Replacing brake MC, rebuilding clutch MC, replacing bushings in the pivot points for all three.

The first thing I'd like to note is that it is difficult to install/remove the brake MC with the pedal box in the car, but it's ridiculously easy to pull the pedal box with the MCs still in.

At the top of the clutch pedal, the pedal itself is worn where the pushrod to the MC attaches.

The pedal is 1/4" or maybe 5/16" thick steel, the hole is supposed to be about 1/4"; instead it's ovalled out to 1/4"x3/8". Not pretty. So I need to weld it up & re-drill it, I guess.

Any advice, or things I need to worry about? The amount of material I need to add is quite small, but it is (obviously) in an area that takes a lot of wear.

I don't do a lot of welding, and very little on thick pieces.

Thanks Matt
April 20, 2010 10:43 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

Just measure/make a drawing of where the hole has to go, then weld it up, grid it flat, drill the hole and don't worry about it. I mean, in another 25 years, you can weld it up again.
April 20, 2010 11:39 a.m. aircooled SuperDork

Clean the weld area!

Just as a reminder, cleaning what you are welding is probably the most important part of a good weld. Oh, and don't use brake cleaner (poisonous gas may result), alcohol seems to work good for me (evaporates very quickly, so less of a fire danger).
April 20, 2010 11:46 a.m. Keith SuperDork

I believe I have a spare MGB clutch pedal, would that be an easy solution?
April 20, 2010 1:06 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

...or you could punch the hole to a nice round 1/2" diameter and put a sleeve there with a 1/4" center. You may even be able to do this without removing anything if you're a bit of a contortionist.
April 20, 2010 1:39 p.m. porksboy Dork

+1 for a bushing. Easier next time too.
April 20, 2010 2:19 p.m. mdawley New Reader

While ya got the welder out add a little to the back of the brake pedal where it contacts the brake light switch; mine was so worn out it would not actvate the switch!
April 21, 2010 10:15 a.m. Treb Reader

mdawley wrote:

While ya got the welder out add a little to the back of the brake pedal where it contacts the brake light switch; mine was so worn out it would not actvate the switch!

Good idea. Mine has a few pretty serious pits on the back, from where the brake switch has contacted. I'll fill them and grind flat.

About the bushing -- I don't think I'll go to that trouble. If the system is put together right, I think that the clevis pin is where the wear should happen. The brake was put together right, but the clutch was done with some incorrect hardware. So while the brake pedal's clevis pin was worn, the pedal wasn't. And the clutch pedal was worn, but the pin looked like new. I'll weld it up and put a proper clevis pin in. And if I'm wrong, I'll weld it up again in another 40 years.

The car was built in April of '70, so it turns 40 this month.

Thanks to all.

Matt
April 21, 2010 10:20 a.m. iceracer Dork

Seems to me the bushing idea is much simpler than welding and redrilling. Bushing wears, replace it .