It's not easy being green - 1971 TC

[4129R]

On the negative, the brake and clutch pedals look like being a swine to get out...

One you have disconnected the clutch cable and the brake bar to the M/C, the only thing holding the pedals in place are 4 x 1/4"UNF nuts under the body. You will probably have to loosen all 4 and tap with a hammer as the plate on the inside tends to stick to the bodyshell.

So pleased to hear that - was worried I had to get that out before lifting the body - will leave it until after then in that case.

It is much easier to lift the shell off the metal chassis with the pedal box fully out. It is not difficult.

[Cheguava]

It is much easier to lift the shell off the metal chassis with the pedal box fully out. It is not difficult.

I'll do that then!  I do appreciate the help from those who have done this (several times in some cases!) before - I would have struggled more so far without wiser counsel.

[TurboFource]

I didn’t have to worry about removing the pedals …. The mounting plate dissolved from water 

[Cheguava]

Well, the good news is the pedal box is out. The bad news is it won't be going back in - the pedal box is seized and cracked, so another thing onto the list. The mounting plate was pretty much shot too, so not too many tears. Just got to remember to make sure the holes in the floor for the box and the seats are sealed when refitting to prevent water getting into the foot wells etc and wrecking stuff again.

That concludes the inside and front though, apart from the lower steering column section, which sounds like it may require removal of the steering rack. My cup truly runneth over with joy. 

[jbcollier]

Very, very common.  You can buy new or build your own if you are handy.

[4129R]

Well, the good news is the pedal box is out. The bad news is it won't be going back in - the pedal box is seized and cracked, so another thing onto the list.

Banks make and sell them. 

[EuropaTC]

As has been said, not an unusual problem.

If the spindle and pedals are ok (they usually are) then it's not difficult to make your own base plate, it's a simple construction.  Use stainless if you like although I made mine in mild steel. 

If the pedals and spindle are toast though it's a longer job, at which point I'd look at available time vs buying a new unit.

[TurboFource]

I put oilite bushings in mine when I remanufactured them.

[Cheguava]

Thanks all, I have reflected on this, and given the dire state of the pedal box, and an emotional response to knowing that I may need to stamp on the refurbished part and rely upon my handiwork holding to stop the car means that I'll be buying a replacement pedal box. I'm very impressed by the skills of those who can and have done so though.

Needing more immediate retail therapy, I took Europa TC's advice and went to Lidl today and bought a cordless impact wrench aka ugga dugga gun for £20 (plus another 20 for battery and charger, but that'll come in handy when I buy more cordless tools  Got a feeling I'm going to need it when I get to the body to chassis bolts, as well as every nut and bolt on the chassis itself...

[dakazman]

I put oilite bushings in mine when I remanufactured them.

   Turbo,  Nice work and love the spacing. Question, what keeps the clutch pedal from falling rearwards?  I believe I see the stop for the forward limit.
  Dakazman

[BDA]

I think Turbo may have made a mistake if there is a forward limit. The original pedals had a stop to keep the pedal from falling rearwards. You can see it in the picture of Banks' pedals. There is no stop for forward movement.

[SilverBeast]

There is a fixed pin that sticks out at the bottom near the pivot, I think it hits the base plate of the pedals. Mine had been bent and was allowing the pedal to come too far towards the drriver.  I think it was shown/mentioned in the service manual.

[TurboFource]

The original adjustable stop on clutch pedal.

[Cheguava]

Making (slow) progress, I've now started undoing body fixings at the rear of the car, which was a little less affected by damp than the front end (picture of chassis closing plate below - front end of chassis is toast and contemplating spending the extra and replacing the whole chassis - will decide after I get the body off. However, the air filter casing has also added lightness during its time off the road.  And although I was elated by persuading the nyloc nuts holding the servo to come off without shearing the studs, my celebrations were cut short by brake fluid running out of the vacuum pipe. Will do some searching, but I am guessing this is not a good sign? I'd like to keep the servo if possible, so further inquiry is required.

Mechanical woes aside. am starting to prepare the shell for it's re-Kermitting, which is a cheering process. It's had a few small biffs over the years, but I can't see anything too bad so far.

[BDA]

Your Girling booster is quite likely junk. Moisture can get into the body of the booster and corrode it. In that case a rebuild is not possible. Lockheed makes a replacement booster. Because I knew I liked the stock setup, I installed them with a replacement stock M/C. I’m happy with my brakes but there’s another option you might prefer. You can use a M/C with a smaller bore, 0.70” I believe. Your brake pedal will have a bit more travel. It’s a common mod and I’ve never heard any complaints from anyone who has done it.