Editing Pedal Box Refurbishment (section)

====Getting the bloody thing out====

*Disconnect battery
**I have a master battery cut-out switch, you will probably need to physically disconnect the positive terminal
**'''TAKE CARE TO RECONNECT TO THE CORRECT TERMINAL WHEN YOU PUT IT BACK TOGETHER  OR YOUR ECU MAY TOAST ITSELF'''

*Remove Driver’s seat
**Four Allen bolts – front two easy with a cut down Allen key, rear two easy with an Allen key socket and multiple extension bars

[[Image:Pedal_Box_03.JPG|Driver's Seat Removed]]



*Remove Steering column shroud
**Mark the steering column shroud and wheel at top dead centre  - you’ll need to align things back again on reassembly so that your steering wheel isn’t at a crazy angle
**Undo 4 x small self-tappers holding upper shroud to lower shroud
**Undo 3 x large self tappers holding lower shroud to column (underneath lower shroud)
**Remove trip meter reset/dash light dimming button
**Put lower shroud on the dashboard – the touch key cable is just long enough

[[Image:Pedal_Box_09_annotated.jpg|Steering boss and shroud marked]]


*Remove Stack
**Undo two bolts visible to either side of the steering column holding the stack onto the main steering column mount
**Disconnect the single stack connector – there is a latch that you need to hold down and it’s quite stiff

[[Image:Pedal_Box_10_annotated.jpg|Stack Fixing Bolts]]

[[Image:Pedal_Box_11.JPG|Stack removed]]


*'''(Optional)''' Remove Lucas 5AS unit
**Two small bolts hold the 5AS unit onto the main steering column bracket.  It is possible to remove the main mounting screws without taking this off but I was following the service manual.
**Disconnect both connectors to the 5AS unit – again, both have latching barbs you’ll need to hold down to get them off

*Disconnect Steering column switches (including ignition switch connector)
**Both the wiper switch and indicator switch will slide out of the column housing if you find the latches (top and bottom sides of the switches themselves.  No need to disconnect the connectors from the switches if you do this, but if you do want to, they are held on with a couple of tabs which are quite obvious.
**Ignition switch wiring connector can be disconnected by inserting a small screwdriver into the recess between the white and yellow wires.  You’ll need to remove the cover from the connector, again held on with barbed tabs.
**You are trying to push the white plastic bit you can just about see towards the centre of the assembly.  If you put your screwdriver in too far, you’ll also end up pushing the bit that it’s caught on in with it.  
**If you pull too hard, the entire thing will fall apart and you’ll be stuck trying to figure out how to put it back together again.  If you’re lucky, only one of the three lugs holding the back of the ignition switch in will have broken and you’ll be able to reassemble, then super glue it back together again (having testing that it works before gluing, of course).  '''Yes, I wasted 2 hours doing this and would not recommend it'''. 
***There are three components that will ping out and land somewhere in the car.  One is a small piece of nylon with a spring in one end.  This keeps the internal part of the switch centred on the ignition lock shaft and also prevents the lock being rotated too far.  
***The other two are small “Y” shaped metal pieces that act as the contacts.  One is longer that the other.  The longer one goes in the lower locating position on the central switch mechanism.  Actually, the ignition switch is quite ingenious because the contacts are raised and lowered to meet with the pins as the switch is rotated.  I wouldn’t recommend busting it though, if it pings off again after gluing, you’re screwed because all power to the ignition system routes through the switch.  I’ll probably be buying a replacement at some point for peace of mind.

[[Image:Pedal_Box_10.JPG|Steering Column wiring disconnected]]


*Disconnect throttle pushrod from pedal
**Pop off the plastic ball joint from the tit on the pedal.  If you’re lucky, the rivet holding the tit onto the pedal won’t give way.  If it does, use a small nut and bolt to put it back on afterwards.
*Remove throttle linkage plate
**Undo the two small bolts holding the plate to the underside of the dash panel, then swing the entire linkage assembly into the passenger foot well
**Remove the throttle stop bolt from immediately behind the throttle pedal at this stage

[[Image:Pedal_Box_04.JPG|Throttle Linkage unbolted]]


*Remove Steering column
**Move your steering wheel so that the mark you made earlier is top dead centre
**You’ll need to undo three bolts from the cockpit.  Two large bolts either side of the column immediately below where the stack was, one slightly shorter bolt in the bowels of the dash, on the bulkhead.  Follow the column into the dash recess and it’ll be just above it, buried behind a nest of wiring.
[[Image:Pedal_Box_12_annotated.jpg|Steering Column Mounting bolts]]

Once these are undone, assume the lotus position and undo and completely remove the pinch bolt on the steering column lower universal joint nearest the bulkhead.  Use a large flat bladed screwdriver, or alternatively a crow bar to gently lever the forward face of the UJ away from the bulkhead.  It will be tight.  It will move eventually.
[[Image:Pedal_Box_08_annotated.jpg|Steering column UJ Pinch bolt]]

*Gently ease the entire column out through the dash into the cockpit.
**Do not put huge amounts of force axially through the steering column – the collapsible mechanism may collapse and then you’ll be spending time in a scrap yard looking for a mid-nineties vintage Vauxhall Corsa that doesn’t have a shagged steering column.
**While it’s out, do up the UJ pinch bolts at torque setting #2 (effing tight).  It’s much easier off the car and if any of them are not tight, it’ll result in steering play.

*Unbolt and ease out of the way both Clutch Master Cylinder and Brake Master cylinder
**The Clutch master cylinder is undone from inside the cockpit – undo the two nuts either side of it whilst upside down in the foot well
**The brake master Cylinder also has two bolts – they are arranged diagonally and the lower one is simple – undo it from the front service compartment – it’s in a captive nut. The upper one requires you to put a ring spanner on the front service compartment bolt head, and undo the nut from the cockpit – having someone around to hold the spanner on is a great help here.

[[Image:Pedal_Box_08a_annotated.jpg|Master Cylinder Bolt locations]]

*The clutch cylinder will move around easily – it’s connected by two flexible hoses (one from the brake master cylinder reservoir, one is the dreaded red clutch hose (or braided, if it’s been replaced already)

*The brake master cylinder has three rigid brake pipe connections, and will not move as easily.  You basically have to ease it out of the way without fracturing the pipe work or pulling the reservoir off the top.  BE CAREFUL.  The higher you can get it, the easier undoing the pedal box bolts will be.

*Remove Clutch pedal pushrod
**Undo the grub screw in the side of the trunnion then unscrew the pushrod itself from the trunnion.  The grub screw requires a 3mm Allen key.   It may be in either side of the trunnion.

*Remove Brake Pedal pushrod
**As per clutch pedal above

*Unclip brake light switch
**From the front service compartment, reach over the top of the pedal box and feel behind it for the brake light switch – there’s only one thing in the back of the box there, so you can’t get the wrong thing.  Give it a ¼ turn clockwise then pull it out (towards the rear of the car)

*Remove blower unit alloy ducting
**Just pulls off the blower unit below the master cylinders and the diverter flap housing.  You can’t miss it, it’s a 4” diameter convoluted alloy tube

*Loosen diverter flap housing screw
**There is a single machine screw with a big washer on the base of the diverter flap housing – undo and remove it.  This will allow you to move the housing to the side slightly

[[Image:Pedal_Box_15_annotated.jpg|Diverter Flap fixing Screw]]


*Remove 6 x bolts holding the pedal box onto the scuttle bracket
**I found this to be the fun part.  You’ll need perseverance.  In fact, accept that you’ll need the patience of Jobe. The three right-hand bolts are too long to come out with the diverter flap housing in the way.  The three left hand bolts are hidden out of sight underneath part of the structure of the front of the car.

*The left hand ones are not dreadful to remove provided you have the brake master cylinder eased up high enough to slide your left arm under the pipe work and around the scuttle bracket. Even so, you will be working blind.  A straight 10mm ratchet spanner (£10.99 from Halfords) is invaluable here.  Once you have the spanner on, should be simple, if intensely uncomfortable.
**The right hand ones I could only get out be punching holes in the diverter flap housing and using a long socket from within the housing itself.  Even so I needed a big lever to move it across to the right as far is it would go and the front lower bolt in particular was tough to get out.

[[Image:Pedal_Box_16_annotated.jpg|Overview of Pedal Box location]]


*Remove pedal box
**The pedal box will have glued itself (via the foam strips on the mating faces) to the scuttle.  You’ll need to us a large flat bladed Screwdriver to lever up the front edge, and a drift and hammer to get the rear edge released from within the cockpit.
**Once the box has been released from front and rear edges, push the rear edge up and rotate the front edge down and through the hole.  You’ll then have to manipulate the pedal box further round (front edge down) until it’s been rotated around 90 degrees.  The top front corner of the box will have to clear the steering rack pinion and the bracketry in the base of the foot well, but it will go through '''provided you took out the throttle stop bolt earlier'''.  When the throttle shaft has cleared the lower edge of the hole it’ll get much easier and you will be able to pull the entire assembly down through the foot well and out of the car.

*'''Have a cup of tea and a chocolate hobnob or two – you will have earned it at this point'''

[[Image:Pedal_Box_17.JPG|Chocolate Hobnob time :)]]

MrRigma’s tips: 
It’s not necessary to remove the stack or the drivers seat.  
Work from the passenger footwell, place a small cushion on the footrest at the end of the well.  This gives you enough room to work on the drivers side by reaching across.  

The procedure above talks about removing the stack so that the steering column brackets are exposed to give room to remove them.   There’s a short cut. Remove 3 pinch bolts, the lowest 2 on the universal joint that mates the steering rack to the lower part of the steering column.  Then remove the next bolt that’s at the top of the steering column universal joint that’s easily accessed.  Prize open the upper UJ a little with a screwdriver.  Then take a pair of mole grips, some cloth around the column and grip the column so that the cloth is protecting the shaft.  Lightly tap the edge of the mole grips so that column shaft moves upward into the highest UJ.  Next loosen the 4 steering rack bolts, 2 per footwell 17mm and 13mm.  This allows you to push the steering rack away a little such that there’s enough room to detach the column from the top of the lowest UJ.   Hey presto it can be removed and you don’t have to reassemble all the stuff in early steps. :-).