Topic: 1968 Brake Pedal Bumper

[1968Cally]

So now that I have completed the work under the hood and am driving my '68, I noticed that when I release the brake pedal, it "clangs" back. So I figure there must be a missing bumper. As I was putting in an NPD order anyways, I looked it up and sure enough they sell it for a whole $1.50. So it came today and I took a look under the dash. I believe that it goes way up on top of the pedal assembly. I could not even begin to see it. I have factory A/C so I am sure that does not help.

Has anyone been able to replace the bumper without taking half the car apart (or at least half the dash). Probably the first step would be to take the front seat out.

Thanks

[krelboyne]

You can't see it with the brake pedal depressed?

[1968Cally]

Yesterday, I took out the seat and I got up in there and could see where it goes.  My brake pedal has a short arm coming off the main pedal arm and the bumper goes at the end of that arm.  Can't get to it unless I take the pedal out.  Strange as replacement pedals for '68 cars do not have this extra arm for the bumper. The bumper I got although listed for a '68 is not the right one.  It looks like it would want the '65-'66 bumper which I ordered I took the switch and MC push rod off to get the pedal to the floor which exposes the bumper location more but not enough.  Also noticed that the push rod bushing was missing so I ordered that as well.

Guess I have to take the whole pedal off to solve this problem.  The nut and bolt for the pedal pivot is really far up there under the dash.  Not sure how hard that will be.

[Coralsnake]

Do you have power brakes or standard brakes?

[1968Cally]

Sorry.  I should have been specific.   Factory Power Front Discs with a C4.  Build date of 2/9/1968 at San Jose.

Attached is a picture of the brake pedal that is in there.

Thanks.

Dave

[Coralsnake]

I dont believe that pedal uses a bumper.  Have you ever changed the support?

[J_Speegle]

Ad I found reads "Mustang BUMPER CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL' and applications 67 and 68 6 cylinders and small blocks

Looking at the MPC Ford list the base part the same way (base number 7583) So Ford was using the same base number of bumpers for both applications just depended on the year and application and only one were year and model. Also the book does not indicate which application it is for each year - brake or clutch so it can easily seem to mislead someone reading the text.

Don't have a auto 68 at home at the moment to try and get a picture of an I really don't think I've taken one in the past due to the difficult access and so much in the way.

1968Cally if you have a clang in your brake pedal when you operate it you might want to disconnect it and test for side play. The nylon bushings tend to wear out and over that the races. All of this results in wear and tear and a pain in the bu** repair of the carrier. More often seen on manual trans but not unheard of on an automatic

If I recall correctly you don't have to unbolt anything to remove just the pedal. Clip at the end of the shaft, attachment (with the brake switch) to the master cylinder/brake rod and a little wiggle

[ruppstang]

I believe that you said you discovered you were missing the nylon bushing from the master cylinder, that may be the cause of the clang. 

[1968Cally]

Yes, the bushing is coming today.  But that arm off the pedal shaft hits the top inside of the support bracket when you release the pedal.  There is also a hole at the end of that arm for a bumper that would then rest against the support bracket.  Lack of that bumper is what is currently making the metal on metal clang when released.

See the attached picture.  The blue arrow points to a tab at the top of this arm.  It is this tab that hits the brake support to limit the release travel of the pedal.  The red arrow points to the hole where a bumper should be.  No one seems to sell this bumper so I will fabricate one.

[Coralsnake]

This is my experience, there is no bumper. That is limited to my experience with big blocks. I know it looks like one belongs there, but until someone posts a picture of an original, Im going with it does not exist

[67gtasanjose]

What brake booster are you using? Midland? Bendix? Does the shaft from the booster shaped like a"P" on the end?

[1968Cally]

Not sure what booster I have as nothing is apart on the firewall side

Coral Snake - Is your experience with manuals or automatics?  When I look at vendor parts, The brake pedal for a manual does not have the arm coming off the pedal shaft.  My thought is that there is a different set-up with the support bracket for both the brake and clutch pedal.

[67gtasanjose]

Watch this video from WCCC to see why I ask about your booster...

[krelboyne]

All factory installed 1968 brake pedals have the tab. Manual drum pedals do have variation from the longer disc brake pedal as shown. There is also a date stamped into the tab.

[1968Cally]

Watch this video from WCCC to see why I ask about your booster...

Wow.  Very informative.  I thought you meant the booster to MC rod.  Anyway, I have a Midland booster and the rod does look like a "P" or as he called it, teardrop.  My rod is also adjustable.  So, it looks like I have the '68 pedal, rod and booster. When I took the rod of the brake pedal stud, the rod just hung down in it's boot and it came out of the boot pretty easily.  Keep in mind, that the brakes worked very well.  I got into this only because the pedal metal tab to the bracket "clang" was very annoying and I figured I just needed a bumper.

Is the push rod supposed to be mechanically retained in the booster and that is what keeps it from returning too far and clanging?

Thanks for all your help

Dave