I really suck at doing writeups with pictures. Turns out all the photos I took ended up too dark to be useful except for the pics of the busted bracket. However, here is a detailed description of my repair: My truck is a 1990 F350 CC 2wd 5spd btw...
My supply list:
1/4" drive socket set, 7/16" socket
flathead screwdriver
3/8" drive ratchet
3", 6" 3/8 extension
14MM deep well 3/8" drive
10MM 3/8" drive
box fan to sit up on the passenger seat for airflow
My steps to completion:
1. Undo the four twist-lock retainers holding the kickpanel on the lower dash, set panel aside.
2. Remove headlight and wiper knobs from their shafts (if you still have yours. i dont)
3. Gently pull on the left hand side of the lower panel, around the headlight/wiper shafts. It is held on with snaps. Unplug the fuel switch harness when it pops free. Set aside.
4. Using the 7/16" socket, remove the single screw on the bottom left of the steering column. Then pry off the right side lower panel.
5. Using the 7/16" socket, remove the bolts that surround the instrument cluster. Two on top, and IIRC 3 along the bottom.
6. Gently pry the upper cluster surround with dash vents from the dash area. There are some more snaps.
7. Using the same 7/16" socket, remove the four bolts on the four corners of the instrument cluster.
8. Gently pull out on the cluster, unhooking the two large connectors on either end, and squeeze the plastic retainer and pull out the speedo cable. Set cluster aside.
9. Lay on your back under the dash, and remove the brake light switch from the brake pedal. Then, side its shaft off of the pedal too, letting the pedal fall dead to the firewall.
10. Reach over above the throttle, and unhook the clutch master shaft from its pedal connection, letting the clutch fall to the floor.
11. Using the 14MM deep socket and 3/8" drive wrench and extensions, remove the four nuts holding the brake master and vacuum box on the firewall. Once its free, climb out under the hood, and slide it forward as a unit until the bolts clear the firewall. Leave the rod inside.
12. Back into the truck, on the floor, use your 14MM socket again to remove the two bolts that hold the steering column up to the pedal bracket. Let wheel rest down on the seat.
13. Look around the column up onto the bracket.. using the 10MM socket, there are two bolts up behind the column. Remove those. You might need to use a wobble extension or swivel, if you cant get the column to move far enough left/right for a straight shot.
13A...there might be a nut on the edge of the bracket closest to the seat...pull that too. This nut was present on the donor truck, but not on my own.
Now, the bracket should be completely free...but still wedged up in there like a puzzle piece. Here is how it comes out:
14. Using the brake or clutch pedals as a handle with one hand, use your other to guide the upper half of the bracket. You need to rotate the assembly counter clockwise.. pedals towards the tranny hump. About 70* rotation, you bring the pedals out towards the seat, thereby making the brake attachment point rotate downward. From this position, it drops straight out. You may need to fiddle with things to make it fall out. Mine got caught on the column harness, and I had to unplug it and move it out of the way.
Time for installation tips:
Installation is reverse of the removal, so I will not retype all of it. Just work backwards. Here are some tips, from my own headaches:
* Once you twist and rotate the bracket back up into the dash, reattach the bolts in step 13 FIRST to hold the bracket up. Skip 13a, but reattach that nut just before you raise the column.
* It helps to have an extra set of hands while trying to mate the vacuum box and master cylinder back onto the firewall and through the bracket. I didnt have any. What I did was move the box close enough to the firewall to line up the studs with the holes, and thread the rod back through its opening in the firewall. Inside the truck, I used the rod as a handle, to do small adjustments and line up the bolts with the holes a bit better. Once it was close enough, I put the rod back onto the brake pedal and pulled up...wah-lah, booster pulled back into its seat where I could hand spin on the nuts.
* Remember this bracket is made of pot metal. Dont torque down the nuts/bolts an excessive amount. Snug, then slightly firm is adequate.
* Take your sweet ass time when doing this. No need to rush and miss something when it comes to the brakes.
In my case, all is well now. My replacement cluster is crap, so thats going back for a credit tomorrow, but the clutch feels much nicer now, and doesnt squeak when I depress it.
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Pics: Dash and column dropped, ready to start on step 14...twisting the bracket out of the dash.
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My busted ass bracket. For a little while before it finally broke the pedal seemed squishy, and squeaked randomly when pressed. None of these breaks occurred during removal.. it all happened while running with a big SNAP!
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