Early Pedal Assembly Rebuild:

Video Tips:

Video Transcript:

Hello, Sam again with JBugs.com. In our last video, we covered replacing the clutch and accelerator cables. While the pedal assembly was out, we went through it and replaced the clutch pedal shaft and swapped out to a roller pedal.

That process begins just like our last video, as it was all part of the same process, with our front wheels chalked and the back end of the car sitting up on jack stands. The engine is out but this is not a requirement for any of this process. The clutch cable adjustment nut is loosened from the cable with a wrench. Holding the cable with a pair of pliers or vice grips is usually necessary to keep the cable from twisting while removing the nut. 1966 and later models have a wing nut and wouldn't need a wrench.

Inside the car, the accelerator pedal linkage is disconnected so the pedal can be pulled away from the assembly. The two 17 millimeter pedal assembly bolts are removed. The accelerator cable is pulled off the linkage end and the brake pedal push rod clip is pried up with a flat head screwdriver, so the push rod pin can be removed. The push rod is removed from the master cylinder and brake pedal. The pedal assembly can be removed from the pedal a bit so the clutch cable can be removed from the pedal hook and the assembly can be removed from the car.

We're prepping for a roller pedal so the stock accelerator pedal is removed from the floor pan by pulling the pivot pin loose. With the pedal assembly out, we can begin the tear down of the pedal assembly at the work bench. You can see here how worn the clutch pedal cross shaft hook is.

First, the accelerator cable lever is removed by pushing the lever pin out of the assembly base. With the pedal assembly held in our bench vise, the clutch pedal cross shaft pin can be removed with a hammer and a punch. The assembly is re-positioned in the vise so the clutch pedal can be tapped off at the cross shaft with a hammer and chisel. The pedal assembly is removed from the vise and the cross shaft itself is removed. The pedal base is re-positioned again in the vise so that the snap ring for the brake pedal can be removed. Snap ring pliers are ideal but as we show here a couple of flat head screwdrivers can be used as well. With the snap ring removed, the brake pedal and return spring are removed and twisted off the pedal assembly base so that they and the rest of the pedal assembly can be cleaned and degreased before reassembly.

Reassembly begins by positioning the brake pedal return spring on the brake pedal. After light degreasing of the inside diameter of the pedal, it is slid onto the pedal base. The pedal base is then clamped into the vise so that the snap ring can be installed with a couple of flat head screwdrivers. A new clutch pedal cross shaft is greased and then slid into the pedal assembly and the clutch pedal is slid onto the other side.

Make sure that the pedal and hook both points in the same direction. The clutch pedal pin is tapped into place with a hammer. We will be swapping to a roller pedal but we want to show the stock pedal linkage for those keeping the original set up. The stock accelerator lever is placed into the groove on the pedal base and held in place with a pivot pin. A washer is slid in place onto the double bent end of the accelerator push rod and pushed into the pedal lever on the pedal assembly.

The accelerator pedal would then be mounted to the floor pan with a pedal pivot pin with the spring set in between the two metal mounts. Another washer goes onto the opposite end of the push rod, and that end installs into the pedal itself. The spring clip is pushed over the rod and clipped into the groove on the rod.

Here, you get an idea of how everything is mounted and how the stock linkage operates. We are going to be installing a billet aluminum roller pedal, so all that is taken off and we will install the roller pedal with the stock lever pivot pin. The roller pedal lever isn't as thick as the stock lever so it will wobble a little bit side to side. A few washers that fit over the pivot pin are slid onto the groove to eliminate most of that play.

Next, we will use the same method to remove some of the side to side play on the roller pedal itself. The roller pedal is unbolted from the lever, a washer is installed over the bolt and then it is bolted back to the lever. Now, the pedal assembly can be installed by attaching the clutch cable to the pedal hook. The clutch pedal is pushed forward to the firewall and held there, while the pedal assembly base is positioned into the tunnel.

At the same time, the brake pedal return spring on the bottom of the assembly must be pushed forward towards the front of the car so that it [can] push the brake pedal away from the firewall. The assembly can now be loosely bolted to the tunnel by hand while making sure to keep the clutch pedal from falling down. If the pedal comes down, the cable falls off and you'll have to pull the pedal assembly out and start over again.

An assistant at the back of the car is now needed. While light pressure is still held on the clutch pedal inside, an assistant can guide the clutch cable end through the clutch arm on the transmission. The clutch cable adjustment nut is threaded onto the cable until the slack in the cable is removed and the clutch cable is pulled to a stop on the chassis and no longer moves freely. The two pedal assembly bolts can be fully tightened and the brake pedal push rod can be greased slightly and slid into the master cylinder. The brake pedal push rod clip is positioned next to it on the pedal so the brake pedal push rod pin can be slid into place and seated with the help of a chisel. The clip is tapped down with a hammer and bent over the chisel to complete the installation. The accelerator cable can now be hooked up to the pedal.

We now have a roller pedal and a heavy duty cable that require a small bolt and a few nuts to hold the cable in place. If [you're] using a stock pedal and cable, attach the cable to the push rod on earlier models or through the pedal lever on late models and the job is done. In our next video, we will cover the installation of a new bore master cylinder and some new steel brake lines but you'll have to wait for that. Thanks for watching. Head over to JBugs.com for all your vintage Volkswagen parts and accessories.