Thread: brake return problem

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I have through floor pedals and the type of brake light switch that is just a lever mounted on the firewall that the pedal arm depresses when it is up.
My brake pedal isn't returning all the way up (it's real close) so the brake lights just stay on.
I was thinking of connecting a spring as shown in the picture here. (It is actually a very straight shot, the picture makes it look crooked).
Do you guys think it would cause a problem with my clutch if I hooked it to the fork like this (maybe it would slightly hold the throw out against the diaphragm or something).
I do have a good spring on the bottom hole of the fork pulling the fork in the opposite direction. (that return spring isn't in the picture)

forgot this

You should use two springs, each going forward from both attachment points in your picture. The one from the throwout arm is to keep the slack up in the linkage, and to hold the bearing away from the fingers.

Interesting idea, but every time you shift your brake lights will "flash"..............confuse the heck out of the drivers behind you!

An appropriatly sized coil spring around the M/C actuator shaft with washers at each end (M/C end and pedal end) works nicely.

Originally posted by tcodi
IDo you guys think it would cause a problem with my clutch if I hooked it to the fork like this (maybe it would slightly hold the throw out against the diaphragm or something).
I do have a good spring on the bottom hole of the fork pulling the fork in the opposite direction. (that return spring isn't in the picture)

You need free-play on the clutch pedal.
If not, your throwout bearing will not last too long.

(I've got a friend who rests his foot lightly on the clutch pedal.
He's on his third throwout bearing in less than a hundred thousand miles.)

Parts houses have springs with a short coil and long straight run of wire on one end.
Made expressly for clutch and/or brake pedals.


Good one Bob.
I didn't think about the brake lights going on when the clutch was depressed.

I do have a spring that keeps the throw out off the diaphram. It isn't shown in the picture because I took it before I had that set up. But is connects on the bottom hole of the fork and runs forward to a hook I fabricated straight in front.
My master cylinder has a boot in front of the booster canister, I don't think I could get a spring that wouldn't interfere with it.
Unless I used a spring that was 2 or 3 inches in diameter.
Is that what you had in mind?

See the next to last item on this page for inspiration;
http://www.donshotrods.com/parts/detailparts.html

Your idea seems best.
I still think the boot on the booster
end of mine will interfere with the action of the spring, but I saw on McMaster Carr they have some Conical springs that are 2-3 times bigger on one end than the other. That way it could seat on the booster surface and taper down to a washer on the pedal end.
Thanks for the suggestions.

why not put a short hose over the sw. lever arm? you dont want to be hooking extra springs to your clutch fork.

For further detail, here's a copy of the installation intructions;
http://www.donshotrods.com/instructions/5000-URSK.pdf

Originally posted by lt1s10
why not put a short hose over the sw. lever arm? you dont want to be hooking extra springs to your clutch fork.

I'm not sure what you mean?

Originally posted by tcodi
I'm not sure what you mean?

do you sw. look like this?

i definitely got to much time on my hands.

I have thru pedals on my Dodge--no clutch and i run a spring from the master cylinder lever to the frame. You should be able to do it on yours if you get a long enough unsprung end on the spring. Has almost the same angle as yours.

I do have a spring pulling the fork forward like drawn in on that picture.
Ok, I didn't know what you mean by "sw arm" at first.
My switch is like you think, it's just a little lever that gets depressed by the brake lever when it comes all the way up. It just stopping a tiny bit short and not depressing it all the way. I was thinking about just putting something on the lever (or switch as you suggested) so that it would get depressed sooner, but I wanted to make sure that brake returned all the way too.
That's why I figured a spring would help with that last inch it needs.
Plus the spring I have on the opposite side of the fork is pretty strong so I didn't think using a brake return in the other direction would do harm.

M.E.
"Why did God give us a penis and a brain. . .but only enough blood to use one at a time?"

he really didnt like me, i came up short on all 3.