T4 Clutch pedal bracket.

[jets]

After moving from an auto. to a manual trans. I thought I should address the potential problem area of broken clutch pedal bracket.
Although I havn't read anything about it on this forum, there is plenty of action over in the T4 forum.
http://vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=13267&highlight=clutch+bracket
I had a look at mine & sure enough every time the clutch pedal is pressed the bracket flexes. This flexing will fatigue the bracket & start a crack & eventually break. I showed the problem to my son who is a metal fabricator & he agreed with my prognosis & came up with a preemptive repair. He welded a piece of bar stock, roughly 20x3 from the flexing bracket to the right onto another part of the pedal box. The bracket no longer flexes & I am confident that I have solved a potential problem.
BTW, while we were looking in the area we noticed a switch hanging from a pair of wires. At first I thought it was the brake light switch but that was still in place. It fits in a bracket & is operated by the clutch pedal. Does anyone know what this switch does? My van is a '01 Syncro without cruise.
EDIT
DO NOT copy this modification. If one circuit fails in the brakes , the pedal may hit the cross bar before the pressure can be applied.

[Golf Loon]

I noticed the flex when I converted my T4 to a TDI 2002 Spec.

I put a large nut in the space between the bracket and the firewall and then cabletied it in place. It has stopped the flex and will hopefully prolong the life of the pedal box.

Dunno what that switch could be on your. maybe its something to do with 4WD system on the syncro.

[rob64981]

Jets,

Is there any chance you could put some pictures on here or mail them to me?

robert.mellor@manchester.ac.uk

The last owner of my caravelle wacked a lump of wood behined the pedals.

The guys on the T4forum would probably be interested in your modification,

Would you mind if i posted your oics on there?

Cheers Rob

[jets]

I will be leaving in the morning to go to Loxton, just over 200kms away & won't be back until the weekend. I will take a picture then & post on this thread.You are quite welcome to repost on the T4 or any other forum. I have looked at ELSA WIN on the wiring diagram & have found the switch on the clutch pedal but still can't work out what it does. Maybe you guys with syncros could take a look to see if yours are fitted with the switch. It's quite high up near the top of a spring.

[Seano]

Jets......never heard of the clutch bracket problem....hafta have a look now.

As for the switch on the clutch.......my syncro has that switch. I assumed it was related to the cruise control - depressing the clutch does switch cruise off.

[jets]

As promised here is the picture of the modification.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/07/P1010102Redline-2.jpg
It was hard for me to photograph under the dash & I havn't shown the weld at the other end of the plate just under the pedal arm.
Before welding, the battery terminal clamp is disconnected & the paint is removed from that area of the pedal box where you weld with coarse emery or wire brush.The plate was held in position with the earth clamp of the welder. A spray with some paint completes the job.

I should add, this modification has not been endorsed by VW in the fatherland, nor has it been tested for 1.000.000km on their proving ground. In the interests of self preservation you carry out this modification at your own risk.

EDIT DO NOT carry out this modification. If one circuit fails in the brakes the pedal arm may strike the plate before full pressure can be applied.

[WEDEL.1]

The Green T4 has 146,000Kms without problems.

Are you sure that there isn't supposed to have some flex? Will your "Fix" cause another problem?

What's that old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Maris

[rob64981]

VW have been replacing them for free on some of the UK transporters.

No body seems to have the answer to what chassis numbers fall in the free repair.

There seems to be a hell of a lot of them that have snapped.

Some causing clutch fluid all over the drivers feet:eek:

The picture is of good enough quality for me to put on the T4 forum.

Would you mind if i did this Jets?

Thanks again for your help!!

Rob

[jets]

Rob---go for it. Please give a reference to our forum though.

Maris, as I said before I haven't read anything about it on our forum but the nos. here with manual T4s is very small compared with the thousands on the T4 Forum. The design in UK delivered vans would be the same as our vans & like Rob has said, some have experienced brake fluid over the floor from broken hyd lines. One difference in the 2 countries could be that the clutch pedal is used more frequently in the UK because of traffic conditions.
In a past life I worked as a mechanical design draughtsman for around 20 or more years & I can say without reservation the bracket should not flex. As far as creating any other problems, the only proviso is to not weld in such a way as to get things too hot.
Putting in a new bracket is time consuming & difficult to work in such a confined space. I have read prices mentioned of 400 pounds in the UK. Some members have had to replace theirs twice. Apparently the replacement brackets are not improved.
Heres a link http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26879

[Golf Loon]

Mine snapped yesterday.
We ended up putting a bar across and another one back, welded in, no flex now.
I unplugged the clocks, the ecu, the battery and the acellerator potentiometer before welding and we put down wet rags around the area.

[jets]

Thanks Loon for your comments. I sent a copy of your post to a friend who is an electrical engineer & his comment was it's good practice to disconnect any electrically sensitive equipment such as the ECU before welding on a modern vehicle.

[Deeceer]

Veeerrry interesting! I noticed the flex in my pedal bracket and thought it couldn't be good. After a few miles on the road, the pedal makes a little click every time it comes back up, hope it's not a crack. Anyway, I'm going to take a closer look and maybe make the 'preemptive repair'. Thanks!

[Golf Loon]

Yeah do it, mine started as a creak, then a click.

[jets]

Anyway, I'm going to take a closer look and maybe make the 'preemptive repair'. Thanks!

DO NOT copy what I have done. WindWelder on the T4 forum has pointed out that if I have a circuit failure in the brakes, the pedal won't go down far enough to operate the remaining circuit. I am intending to make up a U shaped piece that fits neatly between the two plates. I don't know if this will work without registering first.

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=29888

[jets]

Here's some more reading on the subject.
http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=259063#post259063

[Deeceer]

Here's some more reading on the subject.
http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=259063#post259063

Thanks Jets - I checked out the links on the UK forum then went and checked out my clutch pedal bracket and, indeed, it's cracked at that silly little brace. Deflection on the cylinder is in the order of a couple of millimetres so it must be stressing the seals significantly.

I'm thinking of a repair similar to the revised one you propose in the welded in 'U' bracket although Wind Welder over on the UK forum makes removing the pedal box for a full beef-up sound relatively straightforward.