8 replies to this topic

[roderick gregg mini]

HI THERE IM NEW TO THIS SITE AND HAVE JOINED FOR A LITTLE HELP IF ANYONE COULD HELP.

I RECENTLY NOTICED THAT MY MINI THATS BEEN STOOD FOR 3 YEARS HAD SEIZED ON THE PEDALS.

TO BE EXACT IT IS THE CLUTCH PEDAL THAT IS SEIZED TO THE BAR THAT THE PEDALS ARE SUPPORTED ON, WHILST THE BRAKE PEDAL MOVES FREELY. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE HAYNES MANUAL BUT WHEN IT CAME TO SLIDING THE BAR OUT IT IS STUCK SOLID. I TRIED TO FREE IT WITH A LITTLE PERSUASION BUT ENDED UP JUST WRECKING THE END OF THE BAR (SO I HAVE HAD TO CUT OFF THE END AS IT WOULD NOT FIT THROUGH THE MOUNTING IF I HAD GOT IT FREE!

MY ONLY IDEA IS TO CUT THE BAR BETWEEN THE PEDALS AND AT THE LEFT OF THE CLUTCH- BASICALLY REMOVING BOTH PEDALS FROM THE PEDAL BOX. THEN I WOULD NEED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT CLUTCH PEDAL AND THE PEDAL BAR? (OR WOULD ANY BAR OF SUITABLE LENGTH DO?) AND WOULD I BE ABLE TO DRILL/ PUNCH OUT THE BAR WHICH IS STUCK IN THE CLUTCH PEDAL?

PLEASE HELP AS THIS IS THE WORSE JOB I HAVE EVER COME ACROSS ON MY MINI AND IM WELL AND TRULEY STUCK!!! THANKS!!!

[L400RAS]

Hi mate,

A car stood for 3 years typically will seize the clutch, not the pedal. To test if it is really the clutch pedal - unbolt the slave cylinder from the bell housing, and GENTLY push the clutch pedal. If the pedal goes very light, and moves to the floor, its the actual clutch / clutch arm that has seized. Try penetrating oil in the plunger / clevis pins etc, then lever the clutch arm to free it off, otherwise just try starting it and bumping the clutch off. Please note, you should give the car a serious service after standing that amount of time. And once new oil is in there, crank it over without the spark plugs in to check that the oil light goes out / engine has oil pressure before even attempting to get the car running with FRESH petrol.

P.S. PLEASE DONT USE FULL CAPS IN FUTURE...

Edited by L400RAS, 05 March 2011 - 07:45 PM.

[roderick gregg mini]

Thanks for your advice, but it si not the clutch that is seized as i can engage/disengage gears. I can see the pedal bar turn when the clutch pedal is pressed. The pedals are supposed to float on the bar, but due to rust the clutch pedal is rusted to the bar. I think without replacing the pedal box my only option is to cut the pedals out. Thanks again.

[bmcecosse]

Soak it all in release oil..... I think it is EXTREMELY unlikely the pedal has seized to the shaft - but I do suppose it's just possible.........

[Dan]

but it si not the clutch that is seized as i can engage/disengage gears.

That means nothing if the engine isn't running.

The pedal shaft can't turn in it's housing, it has a peg at the inboard end that restrains it. That would have to have sheared or disengaged before the shaft could rotate. Are you sure it's turning? It's extremely unlikely that a bronze bush has corroded that tightly onto a steel shaft in a protected environment, in 3 years.

[redboy]

This is what happened to me last monday when i was going for a mot. It has been standing under cover all winter but about every 2 weeks ive been starting it and letting it run. The one thing i havnt been doing is pressing the clutch and engaging gears.
I started him up then went to press the clutch. It pressed in very hard once, come back out then it was stuck solid.
After panicking because the mot was booked in for 9.30 and it was already that time we looked around the clutch and decided it was the bar that was going in the clutch that was seized. After lots of the old wd40 and some knocking with a bar it finally released. Just managed to get to the mot 30mins late but they still did it and he passed
So i would of thought this is your problem, I wouldnt of thought it would be to do with the pedals rusting, I might be wrong though. As been suggested i would do a couple of days soaking the pedal bar and clutch bar with WD40

[roderick gregg mini]

Hi, thanks for your reply. The engine is running and the clutch works its just that because its on the same shaft as the brake pedal both go down together as the brake one must be sticking slightly. Im aware that the pedal shaft has a peg at the inboard end and i can only presume it has coroded as it is definatly turning when i press the clutch pedal as i have watched it. Thanks again everbody forr your help so far!

I think i must have had a leak that has dripped onto the pedal shaft whilst stood as its covered in rust around the pedals!

Edited by roderick gregg mini, 05 March 2011 - 10:16 PM.

[roderick gregg mini]

Thanks again everybody. I think im going to drill a hole where the pin has coroded and put a pin through into the pedal box housing so the pedal shaft i s fixed solid again. then spray penetrating oil and try and free it! Thanks for the ideas everybody!!!!

[Dan]

I wouldn't do that myself because since the threaded end of the shaft was cut off it needs to be replaced. You don't want to damage the pedal box and prevent the new shaft locking onto the peg if it's still there. I think your best bet is to go back to your first plan and cut the shaft. Cut right through the pedal bushing and shaft on the left of the pedal itself, the end of the shaft will come off and the rest will fall out. You'll then be able to drift the remains of the shaft and pedal apart quite easily with more room to deal with. You will be cutting a pedal that might prove useable, but it'll be very difficult to do it any other way. The bush is likely damaged if it is that badly seized and they aren't available seperately. Pedals and shafts aren't that pricey, not clutch pedals anyhow. Just don't damage the brake pedal as they are expensive. You might find when you strip it and clean it up that the peg is indeed missing from the pedal box but if it is still there it will make fitting the new shaft much more straightforward. Just take great care when cutting and removing things that you don't cut the spring, and that it doesn't suddenly release and throw the chopped remains of anything at you. Release the spring before completing the cut.