Clutch pedal bracket crack

[rreegg]

Dang, not sure if this is a new issue or just forgot about it but noticed the clutch/brake pedal box bracket is cracked on the ‘88.

Anyone deal with anything like this before? It seems like the ~87-91 years share the same bracket and then a new one was introduced in 92.

This seems like a ticking time bomb and not sure if jbweld will cut it long term. I’d love to replace this but haven’t been able to find any parts online - just expensive used stuff on eBay.

Any ideas or thoughts?

Attached is a screenshot of the bracket ass’y and circled where the crack is, not able to take a pic from the truck itself

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Anyone deal with anything like this before?

It's not terribly uncommon.

This seems like a ticking time bomb and not sure if jbweld will cut it long term.

It is and it won't.

I’d love to replace this but haven’t been able to find any parts online - just expensive used stuff on eBay.

Any ideas or thoughts?

LMC Truck has new ones for $250. Bronco Graveyard lists them for $219 new, but they're out of stock.

 

[rreegg]

Ah good to know LMC has some variation of it, was looking there but came up short.

After adding the heim joint couple summers ago that really helped the clutch action but do seem to remember seeing some worn out cast aluminum - a pivot point seemed to be all ovaled out too.

The clutch still feels good and was just lubricating that mentioned pivot point earlier and was poking around.

Guess I’ll just channel my inner vice grip garage and “pretend I didn’t see it” for the time being but this rig is definitely keeping me honest.

Least the firewall seems to be solid since know that’s also a known weak point

 

[Clb]

Tldr
Wasn't there a tsb on this?

 

[rreegg]

Tldr
Wasn't there a tsb on this?

I believe the firewall being a weak point relates to the safety bulletin.

My issue seems basically the same but the clutch pedal assembly housing rather than firewall

And for posterity:

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Old Goat]

Did a search and found this part# FOTZ-2L252-B from this forum,

87-91 Clutch/Brake bracket compatability

www.fullsizebronco.com

Doesn`t look like any new one`s out there.
Used one`s are all gold plated.

Saw one on E-bay for $115, and $150 to ship,
Bless his scammin heart.

Start looking at your local Junk yards to see what is there. Not all junk is wore out.
I do think there are more auto trans trucks than manual one`s so the search narrow`s down.

I pulled one out of an 85 at PNP for something like $40 maybe several years ago, replaced the bushings, and now lives in my 86.
I have the new Bushings to add to the one I took out form my 85 extended cab.

If your local Ford dealer doesn`t have them, they are out there.



Goat

 

[Old Goat]

Tldr
Wasn't there a tsb on this?

Sure was, right here.

https://www.thedieselfiles.com/Ford/1989/TSB90167Clutch.pdf

Found it here on this older thread.

Clutch problems due to cracked Firewall? Here's what to do.... PART1

Many thanks to OB member Al (RiotWarrior) for his work on documenting the installation of one of Jason's fine reinforement plate reproductions. Member dedication such as this just continues to make Oilburners.net the finest resource on the web. Without further ado..... Major FIREWALL...

www.oilburners.net

Goat

 

[Jesus Freak]

Seems like with some 1.25" angle and a cheep welder and a bunch of imagination you could invent something. Just ask
@ISPKI , he's a fabricator.

 

[ISPKI]

Depends what the material is. I dont recall if that frame is steel or aluminum. Might be mixing it up with the sub frame that mounts up under the dash on the OBS trucks.

If it is steel, one could drill a hole at the end of the crack, then cut thru the entire crack with a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder, then weld it back up.

Adding a small plate (usually referred to as a fish plate) where the crack started, assuming thats at the bottom of the frame, would disperse the stress risers from the repair into a wider area.

Alternatively, grinding the weld flat where the crack started and welding a square plate over top of the repair would not only disperse the load but also add significant reinforcement to the area.

Now, you are going to have concerns with heating up the frame, that can cause other issues, melting out bushings and shims, possibly warping parts of the frame slightly - any plate of relatively thin metal that is heavily formed to a complex shape will have massive amounts of stress memory worked into it and applying significant heat to the assembly can relieve those, which can cause features and bends to shift and move in unpredictable ways.

Other key is to achieve complete joint penetration on doing this type of repair. If you come up short, you would need to grind into the root side (back side) of the weld and lay another bead on the root side. Likely would want to do that anyways with a lower power conventional welder.

Even adding a plate that is 1/4 the thickness of the parent material would add significant strength to the area.

This is along the lines of my thought process. Would really depend on the shape of the area with the crack.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Jesus Freak]

Depends what the material is. I dont recall if that frame is steel or aluminum. Might be mixing it up with the sub frame that mounts up under the dash on the OBS trucks.

If it is steel, one could drill a hole at the end of the crack, then cut thru the entire crack with a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder, then weld it back up.

Adding a small plate (usually referred to as a fish plate) where the crack started, assuming thats at the bottom of the frame, would disperse the stress risers from the repair into a wider area.

Alternatively, grinding the weld flat where the crack started and welding a square plate over top of the repair would not only disperse the load but also add significant reinforcement to the area.

Now, you are going to have concerns with heating up the frame, that can cause other issues, melting out bushings and shims, possibly warping parts of the frame slightly - any plate of relatively thin metal that is heavily formed to a complex shape will have massive amounts of stress memory worked into it and applying significant heat to the assembly can relieve those, which can cause features and bends to shift and move in unpredictable ways.

Other key is to achieve complete joint penetration on doing this type of repair. If you come up short, you would need to grind into the root side (back side) of the weld and lay another bead on the root side. Likely would want to do that anyways with a lower power conventional welder.

Even adding a plate that is 1/4 the thickness of the parent material would add significant strength to the area.

This is along the lines of my thought process. Would really depend on the shape of the area with the crack.

You must be registered for see images attach

It should be cast aluminum. But I was actually thinking that someone with nothing better to do could actually build a whole new shebang with angle iron, patent it, chrome it, and claim that it's for "racing applications".

 

[ISPKI]

Well that puts a damper on the whole thing. Not that cast aluminum cant be repaired similarly but its alot less forgiving and requires more expensive welding equipment.

Yeah I am actually reverse engineering the pedal assembly for a 2015(?) mustang boss for a guy out of sweden for that exact purpose. Those are injection molded ABS and it just isnt standing up to his abuse. Hes running a quad turbo setup (dual compounds) on a 5.2 roadrunner making upwards of 1200whp. Hes using some kind of modified clutch pedal that puts more strain on the plastic frame and is looking to have the whole thing rebuilt out of 4130 alloy steel, probably going 1/4", tig welded, heat treated, etc.

There is no easy way to build that pedal assembly in a cost effective manner. There is alot of geometry involved in it and a number of machined features. Ive been working on the mustang frame on and off for much of 2023 and we arent quite at the point where we can build it, although its likely more complex and precise than the truck, more sensors, more linkage, etc.

 

[Jesus Freak]

Well that puts a damper on the whole thing. Not that cast aluminum cant be repaired similarly but its alot less forgiving and requires more expensive welding equipment.

Yeah I am actually reverse engineering the pedal assembly for a 2015(?) mustang boss for a guy out of sweden for that exact purpose. Those are injection molded ABS and it just isnt standing up to his abuse. Hes running a quad turbo setup (dual compounds) on a 5.2 roadrunner making upwards of 1200whp. Hes using some kind of modified clutch pedal that puts more strain on the plastic frame and is looking to have the whole thing rebuilt out of 4130 alloy steel, probably going 1/4", tig welded, heat treated, etc.

There is no easy way to build that pedal assembly in a cost effective manner. There is alot of geometry involved in it and a number of machined features. Ive been working on the mustang frame on and off for much of 2023 and we arent quite at the point where we can build it, although its likely more complex and precise than the truck, more sensors, more linkage, etc.

I KNEW YOU WERE THE GUY!!! !!!

So,there you have it, guys get some 1.25" angle iron, a cheap welder, and some time and with a bit of "oil burning enginuity" we will have a source of replacement and improved clutch pedal housing hanger mojigers.

And I tell you the shocking bit of information that @ISPKI shared is that modern mustangs have PLASTIC clutch pedal housing hanger mojigers!........ you just think about that the next time you're coming up on a red light and there's a new mustang in the rear view.........he might be buying you a new truck........or new OLD truck!

 

[Jesus Freak]

And hey, @rreegg , do y'all remember when the one guy on here broke down because his clutch died somehow and he welded a couple links of chain to a pry bar and to the throw out bearing fork and had the handle of the pry bar in the truck to work as a hand clutch? AND he did it on side of the road WITHOUT a welding mask, upside down, on some card board!

I say all that to say:

1. Man, that was cool.
2. You might consider keeping a welder, pry bar, length of chain, welding helmet, etc in the tool box just in case....

 

[1mouse3]

If you now how to make a mold, you can send it to a person like this to get a one off part cast.

WINDY HILL FOUNDRY

windyhillfoundry.com

 

[rreegg]

And hey, @rreegg , do y'all remember when the one guy on here broke down because his clutch died somehow and he welded a couple links of chain to a pry bar and to the throw out bearing fork and had the handle of the pry bar in the truck to work as a hand clutch? AND he did it on side of the road WITHOUT a welding mask, upside down, on some card board!

I say all that to say:

1. Man, that was cool.
2. You might consider keeping a welder, pry bar, length of chain, welding helmet, etc in the tool box just in case....

That was super cool and think about it all the time, I'm not worthy! Just got a generator to do some mobile welding and have been driving the truck around with all the necessary tools, just in case. Only have small stick inverter welder and not sure how that'll be on the cast aluminum..
Was thinking about how to replicate things with steel but as ISPKI mentioned the geometry is pretty complex.