Some of you know that I finally got my '56 Chevy pickup on the road and have been driving it a lot. The bummer is that since I started it 2 years ago I tore some cartilage in my left knee. I had surgery but the knee just isn't the same. I really don't have a hard time with the clutch pedal, but it seems the longer I drive it the more my knee begins to ache...and walking is a little painful after about 20 minutes or more of driving. As "untraditional" as it may be, I think I need to convert to a hanging pedal setup with hydraulic activated brakes and clutch. The reason for the hydraulics is that my firewall and engine bay are clean - nothing on the firewall, and I am not willing to clutter it back up. Are there any parts from old cars that I can adapt? any reasonable priced aftermarket kits?I can hang the assembly from the dash/columns braces that are already in place, and am hoping to use slave cylinders (is that the correct terminology) to do the work. Can I have the pedals actuate hydraulic cylinders that have pistons at the other end of the line so that I can continue to use the stock clutch and master cylinder? I'm willing to fabricate if need be, just wondering if there are any brake gurus out there with any good ideas.
What do you consider reasonable, and what engine are you running? I almost always build using hydraulic clutch setups, with an external salve cylinder, for easy service.
I'm running a 327 with an M22 Muncie 4 speed. It looks like Howe makes a hanging dual pedal set-up that could hang low enough below the dash mounting points, and I could always fabricate a cage of some sort below the dash to support the pedal setup. I guess I just don't know the mechanics. Would the end of the pedal press against a cylinder/piston that would push fluid through a high pressure line that ended in another cylinder/piston that either pushed on the clutch armature or brake pushrod, depending on the pedal? As far as budget, I have no idea. I'd like to stay under $400 or so if possible.
Looks like something like this could work. http://www.kugelkomponents.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_5&products_id=246
Here is my favorite slave cylinder: http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/clutch/kit_hcrc.htm And my favorite, hidden, top-swing pedal assembly: http://www.kugelkomponents.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_5&sort=20a&page=2 Over $400, though. Both are perfectly engineered. If you have a side-mount equipped Iron bell housing, it will need some minor machining, otherwise the slave is a bolt-on. Your summary of the mechanism is correct.
So does the slave cylinder for each pedal mount in the same location as the m/c and clutch cylinders respectively (on the Kugel setup)? And, is the Kugel pedal setup available without the clutch and m/c components - and would that reduce the total price of the Kugel setup?
Just in case anyone who reads this was wondering why I wanted to change to a hanging setup, the main reason is that it will allow me to heel-toe the pedals instead of having to lift my feet a good 6 to 8 inches off the floorboard, and it will also give me at least 2 to 3 more inches of legroom. Right now, at 6'4" with long legs, my knees are almost fully bent the entire time I'm driving. I'm no spring chick.... and I want to be somewhat comfortable when I drive.
The slave cylinder, fed by the clutch master cylinder mounts to the side of the bellhousing. The Kugel setup is available without a brake and clutch master cylinder. They can be used with or without a power booster. http://www.kugelkomponents.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_5&products_id=243
Been down the same road with knee surgery,as long as you keep pushing in clutches you will keep irritating the knee, I went to an automatic transmission in mine and never looked back now I only get a twinge before a change in the weather.Listen to what your body is telling you and get rid of the clutch.As Clint Eastwood once said: "A man needs to know his limitations" you still have to push in the pedal with hydraulic and you are still flexing the knee.
I agree with Jeff^. The hydraulic clutch/swinging pedals aren't going to get you any more comfortable, IMO. An auto trans sounds like a much better solution, plus it'll eliminate a pedal to give you more room to stretch and relax that leg.
The pushing isn't really the issue, it's the fact that I have to keep my foot hovering off the ground when I'm in situations where I'm constantly shifting. These pedals come up through the floor and you have to lift up vertically to push down vertically. The knee also gets sore because I'm in a constant state of having my knee completely bent... you know, the same feeling you get after sitting in cramped movie theater seats for 2 hours. As far as giving up the clutch, ain't gonna happen...
Shameless plug. I have a set pf pedals with the dual master cylinder for hyd clutch for sale in the classifieds. It is out of a 60 or so Chevy pick up. It has the pushrods and springs. It is a complete set up. It is designed to mount the M/C on the outside of the firewall. It could be shortend up. The M/C does mount to the pedal assembly.
I have noticed the jeep setups look like they would work and are readily available and fairly inexpensive. I can't have the M/C mount on the firewall...I have 40 hours into smoothing the firewall....the M/C will need to stay in it's stock position.
I have an ECI kit in my truck(not done yet) http://ecihotrodbrakes.com/hanging_pedal_assemblies.html I am going to run a slave cylinder for my clutch and just plumbed lines up to the under dash master. Still not going to be under $400 though.
If the effort of pushing the clutch pedal isnt a problem can you bend up a custom arm that bolts onto the arm itself? I'm not sure how far apart you've taken your truck but the clutch arm bolts on. Stock ones look like the attachment. How about whippin' something up that puts the stock pedal in a more desirable location for you? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for hacking shit up I just also prefer the cleanest, easiest, and sometimes cheapest solution to a problem.
I agree 100% with the cleanest and easiest...sometimes cheapest ends up biting you in the you know what. I could look into relocating the arm, but cutting another hole in the floor is something I'd like to avoid, and the heel-toe method of shifting that a hanging assembly offers is so much easier than lift your leg off the floor 100 times in one trip. As far as clean, I think the hanging set-up will look the cleanest...it won't be the easiest. Easiest might be relocating the arm and/or pivot point.
The only thing I know that will regrow the cartilage in worn joints is Sam E, a diet supplement you can buy at health food stores and some Walmarts. I started taking it for a different ailment (depression) but noticed after taking it for 3 weeks, my knees and back stopped aching. This was good news to me as I weigh 275 pounds and my knees and back were so bad, they ached all the time and I couldn't stand to be on my feet for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. This was 10 years ago and the pain never came back. O ya you should take Vitamin C too, it is the raw material the cartilage is made from and you need it for healing, among other things.
I came in here to mention Kugel too. On the 48 F1 I just built, I put the MC on the firewall, no power. It was fairly clean. Then the wife took a liking to the truck and needs the power brakes, so I put a 7.5" dual booster, chromed on the firewall. It still looks decent, but more cluttered. I don't think you are going to like the pedal input force with the 7.5, so I thought I would mention it. My 47 in my avatar has an under floor booster and master cylinder. I hate it. I really don't have room under the dash for the Kugel, because my AC box is in the way. It is going to need a firewall unit too. My firewall is smooth too, so I feel your pain. Get a chrome or stainless booster and MC and you will not feel so bad about it.
I wholeheartedly agree with the OP concerning putting a big UGLY master cylinder on a clean firewall AIN'T NO WAY IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!
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