Amateur Restoration of a 1960 Morris Mini

[scalpel_ninja]

....or if it's reachable, drill the hole and use a nut and bolt, but to answer your question - I think you need both fasteners there, one is not sufficient. When it comes to brakes, I always err on the side of caution.

It would be a good idea to run a die or thread chaser over those threads too, they look a little corroded.

I agree. I did use a 5/16 NF24 die to clean up the threads on the three old studs.

It looks to me like the "ear" of the pedal box mount where the 4th stud should go is completely missing - like that corner got cut off at some point.

That may explain why there was previously a bolt holding the brake master to the bulkhead.

Yes, that part of the plate is missing. I did end up welding a replacement plate and then drilled and tapped for a new stud.

[scalpel_ninja]

Here's the result of the repair.

[scalpel_ninja]

Getting ready to order parts from Mini Spares but I've never ordered from them before. After they ship the package, will I be hit with an additional charge for tax before I can receive the package stateside?

[94touring]

Very rarely. If it's a huge order DHL emails you the bill. There aren't delays, unlike UPS who holds your stuff for a week or more.

[MiniDave]

Where are you located?

As Dan says, you may get hit with customs duty, but it's a relatively small amount and I usually only get charged with it on orders around $2K or more. They send you an email and you can pay it with a credit card and they'll release the shipment. They won't hold your shipment up unless you don't pay the customs fee.....and it usually only adds a day.

The only issue I ever had ordering from Spares was my own fault - my credit card (the one I use for car parts purchases)   has a daily limit and when I made an order larger than that limit they of course declined it. I got an immediate email from Spares, had to call my bank and OK the larger amount, then tell Spares to go ahead with it. From then on I called the bank ahead of time so that wouldn't happen. Later I just upped the daily limit.

Your bank will probably charge a currency conversion fee too, but again, it's minimal. The most I ever paid was about $10....usually it's a couple dollars.

DHL shipping is really fast, one shipment was on my doorstep 2 days after I made the order!

[scalpel_ninja]

Where are you located?

As Dan says, you may get hit with customs duty, but it's a relatively small amount and I usually only get charged with it on orders around $2K or more. They send you an email and you can pay it with a credit card and they'll release the shipment. They won't hold your shipment up unless you don't pay the customs fee.....and it usually only adds a day.

The only issue I ever had ordering from Spares was my own fault - my credit card (the one I use for car parts purchases)   has a daily limit and when I made an order larger than that limit they of course declined it. I got an immediate email from Spares, had to call my bank and OK the larger amount, then tell Spares to go ahead with it. From then on I called the bank ahead of time so that wouldn't happen. Later I just upped the daily limit.

Your bank will probably charge a currency conversion fee too, but again, it's minimal. The most I ever paid was about $10....usually it's a couple dollars.

DHL shipping is really fast, one shipment was on my doorstep 2 days after I made the order!

Thank you for the information. I'm located in Los Angeles. My order will be about $400 this time.

I'm also looking at which speedo cable I'm supposed to get. I recall it should be attached to the engine before it gets lifted into the bay? Not sure of which length should be purchased for a LHD.

[scalpel_ninja]

Received a bunch of parts from Mini Spares and getting ready to get some work done soon.

I ordered 5/8 inch rear brake cylinders to go with the new front discs with 7.5 inch rotors, but they sent me 3/4 inch rear cylinders. Wondering if this will cause an issue with the rears locking up prematurely? I did get a new proportioning valve, and also have the old one ready to modify to an adjustable version.

[MiniDave]

I run 3/4" rear cylinders with 8.4 discs, I don't ever have a lockup issue.....don't know why it would matter that they're 7.5" discs.

[94touring]

I use and have used a number of other times the 3/4 bore pre assembled rear kits with 7.5 front disc. I've never had an issue.

[scalpel_ninja]

I run 3/4" rear cylinders with 8.4 discs, I don't ever have a lockup issue.....don't know why it would matter that they're 7.5" discs.

I use and have used a number of other times the 3/4 bore pre assembled rear kits with 7.5 front disc. I've never had an issue.

Thank you sirs! I was also attempting to put the pedal box back in, and it seems to sit at a weird angle, unable to position the studs for the brake and clutch cylinders perpendicular to the cross brace. It's as if the studs are too far back, or the lower mounting tabs are too far forward?







I did elongate the four holes in the cross beam, but can't do too much as it'll misalign the holes in the pedal box from the cross beam.

There also appears to be extra thickness below the lower mounting tabs where the floor is welded in with sealant. However, trimming those pieces of metal doesn't appear to be enough to reduce the problem by much.

[94touring]

I've never had a pedal box not fit, so I'm not sure on that one.

[MPlayle]

I had to go out to the garage and try to examine the pedal box in my Mini and it does not look anything like yours.  The long arms (hanging down to the toe board on yours) are horizontal and attach to the bottom rail of the dash as part of the sterring column support.  I was not able to get a picture to show the difference (plus mine has the carpet tucked in there blocking most of the view).

I did find this diagram on the Mini Spares site that might help seeing the orientation as it matches my pedal box.

[scalpel_ninja]

I had to go out to the garage and try to examine the pedal box in my Mini and it does not look anything like yours.  The long arms (hanging down to the toe board on yours) are horizontal and attach to the bottom rail of the dash as part of the sterring column support.  I was not able to get a picture to show the difference (plus mine has the carpet tucked in there blocking most of the view).

I did find this diagram on the Mini Spares site that might help seeing the orientation as it matches my pedal box.

Thank you for the diagram. I found this listing. Looks to be similar and should work for LHD?

[cstudep]

I have one out of a 68 MkII LH drive car. I pulled it out of the scrap pile I was going to be hauling off soon. The pedals moved freely but they are a little stiff and did not want to "return" via the spring pressure alone. I sprayed it down with some WD40 and worked the pedals back and forth for a few minutes. The right pedal now returns on it's own and the left tries to but does not quite yet. I think with some more penetrating oil and some back and forth work they could come out of it. It also looks like the shaft can be removed for a more thorough cleaning if need be?

[scalpel_ninja]

I have one out of a 68 MkII LH drive car. I pulled it out of the scrap pile I was going to be hauling off soon. The pedals moved freely but they are a little stiff and did not want to "return" via the spring pressure alone. I sprayed it down with some WD40 and worked the pedals back and forth for a few minutes. The right pedal now returns on it's own and the left tries to but does not quite yet. I think with some more penetrating oil and some back and forth work they could come out of it. It also looks like the shaft can be removed for a more thorough cleaning if need be?

If you're not planning to use that box, perhaps I can send some funds to buy it from you?

[cstudep]

Send me a zip code and I'll see what shipping might end up costing. I can guarantee whatever it ends up being the total will be a hell of a lot cheaper than that one on mania.

[MPlayle]

The pedal shaft is supposed to be removable.  Mini Spares has listings for replacement shafts as well as replacement springs.

The one @cstudep has is correct and should work after a good cleaning.

[cstudep]

Both pedals return via spring pressure as of this morning, just not as vigorously as maybe they should. Just sitting overnight with the leftover wd40 in the joint loosened things up considerably. They should work fine with a little more cleaning. I even have the lower mounting bolts taped in the holes with electrical tape. Tossing in the engine bay plate as well, not sure if you have that part or not but the weight add is negligible, it was in the pics.

[MiniDave]

Put me down as another who's never seen a pedal box like that one - at first I thought maybe you had it in there wrong, but there's no way to do that and have the studs go out the right way....strange.

I went to Somerford's catalog as they have the best line drawings of Mini parts on the web that I've found, none of the ones listed look like yours, they all resemble the one Paul has with some detail changes thru the years. I think you should def go with his....

https://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/manual-gearbox-clutch-pedal-and-hydraulics

And yes, you can disassemble the entire pedal box, you can even replace the bushings in the pedals if they're worn badly but be aware you will need to ream them to size if you do. Ask me how I know.......lol.

Oh, and I would never try to assemble one of those in the car, do it on the bench then put the whole thing in the car - much easier.

[scalpel_ninja]

Put me down as another who's never seen a pedal box like that one - at first I thought maybe you had it in there wrong, but there's no way to do that and have the studs go out the right way....strange.

I went to Somerford's catalog as they have the best line drawings of Mini parts on the web that I've found, none of the ones listed look like yours, they all resemble the one Paul has with some detail changes thru the years. I think you should def go with his....

https://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/manual-gearbox-clutch-pedal-and-hydraulics

And yes, you can disassemble the entire pedal box, you can even replace the bushings in the pedals if they're worn badly but be aware you will need to ream them to size if you do. Ask me how I know.......lol.

Oh, and I would never try to assemble one of those in the car, do it on the bench then put the whole thing in the car - much easier.

Thank you for the information!

I wonder if this box was from an Austin America vehicle? The old engine and many parts that came with the car appear to be for non-Mini vehicle.

[Willie_B]

I have this one in my boxes of parts that I will not be needing.

[scalpel_ninja]

I have this one in my boxes of parts that I will not be needing.

Thank you for the offer! However, I've already made arrangements with cstudep.

[MPlayle]

Could the odd pedal box be for a LHD car that has the cross-over tube to under the right side of the dash for the late style boosted brake master over the clutch?

I don't see the cross-over parts in the Sommerford diagram.

[MiniDave]

My green car has the crossover, the pedal box looks the same as the rest of them

[MPlayle]

I know on the LHD cars with the cross-over the main pedal box is the same as those shown above.  What I don't know is what the secondary box on the right side (where the cross-over leads to for actuating the brake master/booster) looks like.