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  View original topic: Brake pedal arm/bolt question
blitzkrieg59 Sat Aug 16, 2025 10:17 am

Quick question: When modulating the brake pedal, is the brake pedal arm supposed to move freely on the brake pedal bolt, or is the pedal bolt supposed to move freely in the frame rail?

Explainer:
I'm putting in a new dual circuit master cylinder in my '65 Riviera camper. Also fixing the brake pedal return spring, which slipped out of position. I took it all apart yesterday and replaced the spring with a new Wolfsburg West return spring and pedal hardware kit. I have a new WW brake pedal bolt, too, but I didn't replace that because I didn't want to have to press that bolt out of the pedal assembly. (I have to drive this Bus to Chicago for a Porsche event next Friday and still have to replace the hardlines that twisted apart when removing the original MC.)

I put everything back together, but when I tighten the nut on pedal bolt the pedal will not budge. I backed the nut off enough to allow the pedal to move, and every time I move the pedal it's unthreading the nut, bit by bit.

campingbox Sat Aug 16, 2025 12:48 pm

The bolt with the snap ring and the slotted end stays stationary. I think 65 may have a little cup inside the spring, you probably don’t have that aligned properly and it’s pinching when you tighten things down.

blitzkrieg59 Sat Aug 16, 2025 2:00 pm

I looked over a thread about replacing the brake return spring and there was some discussion about a cup washer, which is show in this graphic here:



Part 31. When I took my brake pedal bolt assembly apart this part wasn't in there. Nor was it in the brake/clutch pedal assembly rebuild kit I ordered from Wolfsburg West. I can't find it on their website either.

if someone could link me to where I can obtain one of these cup washers I'd be grateful.

Here are some photos of my brake pedal bolt assembly as installed now, with the new Wolfsburg West spring and hardware.




campingbox Sun Aug 17, 2025 6:58 am

The cup might be a 66-67 thing.

I can see the spring is pinched and the bolt is loose in your photo. Pry the spring with a screwdriver against that stop tab while tightening the nut.

blitzkrieg59 Sun Aug 17, 2025 11:06 am

I got it in place by prying the spring against the stop tab with a screwdriver, thanks for the tip!

The pedal arm was all but seized to the bolt. Getting everything tightened to spec and hitting it with kroil, I was able to bust it loose and get the pedal arm halfway off by moving it back and forth through its range of motion while that new WW spring pushed against it.

How do remove the remnants of the old bushing so I can put the new one in?

70bus Sun Aug 17, 2025 4:08 pm

I don't have mine handy for a beter pic, but when Scott at Pedalwerks rebuilt mine, he included a tool to remove bushing. There's a shot of it in the ad.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1094485



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