Having a problem with my van again. 2003 Combo Van 1.6 Petrol/LPG
This time it is the clutch pedal, went to the floor and stayed there with the clutch still engaged.
Managed to drive home and now i've had a closer look it seems that it is the pedal itself that has failed.
What appears to happen is that there is a plastic peice that its between the metal pin that comes through the bulkhead and the bit of the pedal that pushes the pin down to disengae the clutch.
The pin has a flange about 1" from the top which the bottom of the U-Shaped nylon peice pushes against. It seems the flanges on the nylon peice have snapped off. Furthermore the pin has been pushed down the plastic and has bent/broken away the top of the metal cup that holds the plastic.
So it seems a new clutch pedal assembly is in order. :-( Major ching from vauxhall no doubt.
Now my question is, how do u get the clutch pedal assembly out? Is it a case of undoing the 5/6 nuts that apparently hold the pedal assembly to the bulkhead?
Any gotchas with this job, any guestimates on the prices?
A potential gotcha [1] is that it may have failed because the clutch needed changing. Was it heavy in operation before it broke?
I remember a plastic piece on some citroens which would break, and if you replaced it, the new one would break, until the clutch was changed. This may be a similar thing.
[1] I'm not familiar with the Combo, so I'm generalising.
Hydraulically operated clutch so was a little different to the cable operated jobbies I've previously used/worked on.
Day started well, local stealers had a new pedal assembly IN STOCK for £35.
It seems the white nylon thing is only supplied with the master cylinder so i declined their kind offer of one of those.
Getting the old one off was were the problems started, 5 nuts, no problem, one hidden behind the steering column and power steering control box. Removed dash cowl, air ducting, various bits of trim to get something like access, removed the control box and a small section of steering column and undid the remaining nut with the UJ extension for the ratchet set that i have never used before but came in mighty handy.
Still wouldn't budge, further examination revealed two more nuts right at the top well hidden and difficult to access and of course they were rather tight. Finally got them off with copious grazed knuckles and swearwords, and prying. Too much prying!
With the pedal assembly free i managed to get it out with more swearing - i think they built the car around the clutch pedal and the engine around the thermostat.
Finally managed to get the old set up out and new one something like in and set about re-attaching the nuts, got all the nuts on loosely but no amount of swearing pulling with zipties would persuade both of the holes in the previously pryed bracket to fit so i only put one on. Seems plenty strong with no hint of twisting or movement.
It seems the bits that broke off the white nylon thing were as a consequently of the failure of the metal bit on the pedal rather than the cause, perhaps one that Vauxhall have seen before as they have modified the design to have a welded piece that is has two tabs through holes rather than being simply a bit of metal bent over. The purpose of the nylon thing is to locate the metal operating shaft from the master cylinder in the formed box on the pedal and stop it waggling around like a dick in a bucket. Once re-assembled there seems to be less overall pedal movement with a more positive action.
Still it took me from 1100 - 1600Hrs in the rain :-( mainly due to the inaccessible nuts. Grrr!
However I'm sure someone will be along to tell me how i could have done it in 1Hour soon.
Hi, Tom Burton, if you are there, I need you! I am trying to replace the clutch master cylinder on a combo 58 plate. If you are English and can ring me I will be so appreciative as 4 hours later I still don't have the part out.
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