Fixing clutch and brake pedal "wobbles" Ford F-15A

[Jacques Reed]

As it gets closer to reinstalling the engine I am tidying up a few loose ends that are easier to do with the engine out of the truck.

Sloppiness in the brake and clutch pedals arms is quite common due to wear on their shaft and bushings. Besides being annoying it is downright dangerous if your foot slips off either pedal. My first "Blitz" had the wobbles so bad on the clutch pedal arm that a previous owner cut the floor plate out to give it more room to move. Ah, bush engineering at its finest!

As shown in the photos the original shaft has a substantial wear groove in the bushing area. This wear, plus wear in the bushings magnified over the length of the arm resulted in over 1/2" of sloppiness at the pedal.

A few years back I obtained a NOS shaft and bushings from Trelevens in Adelaide who unfortunately is no longer around. No doubt they are still available somewhere or could be easily turned up. Could not find appropriate rivets so I have made my own from a 5/16" bolts cut roughly to shape then finished off with a file in the "vertical lathe" ie. drillpress.

The sloppiness is now negligible at the pedals.

[Private_collector]

Jacques,

I hear ya man! I have a set just like you described.

I was lucky though, because I have a second set that is really good.

Guess which set I used!

Once again, Ross Prince in Hervey Bay, here in QLD, will have most bushes you would ever need. I can get you the email address later, when i'm back home, but his phone number is (07) 4124 4075 or Mob. 0401 637 480. He posts parts certainly within Australia, and I suspect worldwide. I got the elusive steering box seal from him today at Canungra meet. On that subject, I wasn't sure which of the two sizes mine was so I bought one of each size. Mine was the smaller size being the 375 box. If you have the better & heavier duty 400 box, you are welcome to the other seal I have.

[Jacques Reed]

Thanks Tony,

I have bought a few of times from him. Always pleased with the service and parts. I even made a pilgrimage to his Hervey Bay "Alladdins Cave" about 10 years ago when I was visiting my brother in Clontarf.

My last purchase from him was a crab dizzy points plate. It was like the day it left the factory 70 years ago once the cosmoline came off.

Cheers,

[Private_collector]

Jacques,

If you get around to that Hervey Bay trip again in future, get in touch. I'm about 40min South of Maryborough, and on the way!

Also, a development in search for your battery box bolts. The guy I was planning to ask about those, actually passed away around two weeks ago. I only found this out yesterday, while at Canungra meet. Went to see his brother this morning and found out more about the events. I did look at a number of the trucks, but didn't find any bolts YET! Am in the process of uploading a series of photos of the CMP wrecks on my resto page.

I will be returning to the site in three weeks time, to get a better look over, and to purchase some parts (shock absorbers, steering wheels etc.). There is a chance that the wrecks may either go to auction and/or scrap!!!!! Best bits will be removed before any scrapping occurs, if that eventuates.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Tony,

Thanks, will contact you next time I am up Qld way. Have an old shipmate in Rocky who keeps hounding me to come up for a visit so may have to do it one day. Saw your photos of the CMP wrecks on you thread. Can only hope those usable bits go to people who can use them in their restorations and not to Korea on a Simsmetals ship to come back as Hyundai's. Thanks for keeping an eye out for those battery box bolts.

Sad some of the old timers leaving us. Many of the suppliers I have used the last twenty years are gone too or shut up shop. Hughes Trading, Treleaven's, John Biddle, Powertrain, to name a few. Just learnt the truck brake guys in Dandenong, Bernies Brakes, who did my brake linings, drums, and sleeves a few years back have shut up shop. They had been there for years. Time marches on....

Cheers,