Safety point to look out for - pedal travel and pedal box.

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DLM
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Safety point to look out for - pedal travel and pedal box.

Post by DLM »

This is very much a one-off, but thought I'd mention it.

I recently found my accelerator pedal was reluctant to return and quite baulky, and on inspection, I discovered that some soundproofing material was displaced from the front bulkhead and was hanging down to foul the clip and cable. In this case, it's probably because the car has had full dashboard-out work in the past.

The problem wasn't difficult to resolve, but it's reminded me how important it is to keep an eye on the pedal box area, despite the rather awkward access (front seat out, and steering wheel off helps for a full inspection).

For any of newer BX owners who aren't aware of it, just a reminder too that the pedal box may bend and eventually fracture at the accelerator side. The typical symptoms start with the accelerator pedal progressively offseting itself to the right.

Repair is through welding-up with some reinforcing plate, or bolting some kind of bracing-plate arrangement to the box assembly. There are plenty of people on bxclub who have had to repair or do preventative work in this area.

It's obviously much better to find an fix before the problem becomes serious and the box itself suffers a fracture.
Back on two wheels and pedal power for the moment.
kiwi
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Post by kiwi »

Good reminder that DLM :)

Having experianced the stuck pedal because of a bit of interior trim carpet syndrome in the past its something I take as a matter of course especially when the vacuum cleaner comes out.

The TRS I have has some pedal issues and waiting in the shed is a replacement pedal assembly for when it drives me completly nuts at present its not much of a drama actually when wearing large soled boots its a help :lol: saves acceleration with the brake pedal depressed :oops: or worse corner of the sole stuck under the brake pedal.

Yep silly things you dont really think about when you get used to adapting.
1991 BX19 TZS 04/01/91 (Deceased)
1990 BX19 TRS 27/10/89 (Reborn)
1992 BX19 TXD (Ex UK - K 744 SDF) 15/06/92
1990 BX19 TZS Auto 06/11/1989
1992 BX TZD Turbo Estate (Ex UK) 1/07/91
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DLM
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Recent scruffy diesel n/a estate - "The Red Shed" - is no longer mine.
x 9

Post by DLM »

And very troublesome when it rears its head in a single-lane, nearly stationary queue of traffic in night-time motorway roadworks....
Back on two wheels and pedal power for the moment.
mountainmanUK

Post by mountainmanUK »

Another problem that can occur, in the pedalbox area, especially if there has been any work done down there......is that it can be relatively easy to dislodge the wiring connectors to the brake light switch!
Had this problem myself last year, after I had been sorting out my sunroof drain tube. I must have "caught" the wiring with my Size 10 boots!! Result = no brake lights! (as pointed out by my neighbour, while we were both parking up at the same time.

Always worth a check now & again "down there"! :wink:
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Post by SamWise »

My throttle pedal has just come adrift again, despite the ministrations of David Rutherford early in the year. It's a catalog of aggro at present!
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Post by DavidRutherford »

Bums.

I suspect you may have new cracks in your pedal box in that case, and this time it will have to be a pedal box out job to fix it properly.
this might be a signature
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Post by SamWise »

I can smell a meetup coming on David. This time it needs to be in concert with food and beer though!
1966 Triumph Herald convertible with big valve twin carb Spitfire head

1973 Bedford Panorama Elite II Bus

1994 2.1TD Citroen XM

1992 Citroen AX Echo 1.4D
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Post by Vanny »

DLM wrote:And very troublesome when it rears its head in a single-lane, nearly stationary queue of traffic in night-time motorway roadworks....
screw driver and a length of wire! tie wire to accelerator cable, then to the screw driver, pull on screw driver as a hand operated accelerator! Easy. Not that i would want to drive any further than up the drive and into the garage, that alone was scary enough.
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DLM
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Recent scruffy diesel n/a estate - "The Red Shed" - is no longer mine.
x 9

Post by DLM »

It wasn't as bad as that, Vanny - my original experience was with the cable fouling on sound insulation hanging down, not the pedal box cracking. Foot under pedal to persuade it back was the order of the day (thankfully).
Back on two wheels and pedal power for the moment.
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Post by Barrie James »

If all else fails, disconnect the accelerator cable from the carburettor, adjust the throttle to give an engine speed of 1500rpm, and drive home. Takes a bit of getting used to but it works. I got home at about 3 in the morning, albeit rather slowly, a distance of over 60 miles with no trouble at all. That was in a 1983 BX 16RS.
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