Date:         Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:39:13 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike South <msouth@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike South <msouth@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      broken return spring on brake pedal
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi,

I am converting an 85 at to manual using parts from an 85 manual.  The
return spring for the brake on the manual's pedal cluster is broken.

The Bentley diagram, unfortunately, seems to be showing the brake
pedal for an automatic, which is singularly unhelpful at the moment.
The brake pedal on the manual is shaped differently in order to be
able to clear the mount point for the clutch master cylinder.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to replace the spring.  I was
hoping for an exploded view of the mechanism in the Bentley but it's
not the same thing.  It's obvious how to take the spring off of the
AT's pedal.  And it's the same spring (I think)--I could reuse it on
the manual's pedal if I knew how to put it on there.

However, the way it looks to me is (and I know this is crazy--or at
least it seems crazy to me) as though the spring is put on there, and
then the piece that pushes on the brake booster is welded on after
that.  As in, spring breaks, you "spring" for a new pedal...is that
possibly correct?

There is a picture of a complete manual cluster on the samba (at the
moment).  It's not really very detailed but you can see the brake
pedal and the piece that pushes on the booster (you can see the spring
is hooked around it):

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=801025

It looks to me (on mine) like the pedal and the part that pushes on
the booster are welded to the same collar that the spring is around.
Anyone know if that's correct?

mike