1965 Dart Brake Pedal doesn't rise to sensor

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sazzlefrats

sazzlefrats

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First, I can't be sure I have a correct 1965 dart pedal assembly. Its a hack job under the dash, I'll probably need professional help sooner or later, but... here's what I got. I'm working on electrical and seems like I'm hitting lots of snags.

I wanted to get my brake lights to work. There appears to be a 1" space between what I think is the brake switch and the brake pedal, when the brake pedal is at rest. This gap needs to be eliminated, but I don't know how it should be fixed.

Is my spring loaded brake switch not extending far enough? Do I need to weld or glue something on my brake pedal? The brake pedal, gas pedal and clutch pedal are all lined up very evenly.

I have a picture of this hack job, my entire pedal assembly has been cut in places and pedals rewelded, my steering column is notched so that my clutch rod doesn't hit, and I can see a bolt going from the disk brake plunger that has a hex end, and nut in the other side into a 3" piece of metal that serves as a lever, so that when my brake pedal is depressed it pushes the brake plunger and activates the power drum brakes of the 1974 power wagon undercarriage.




http://s104.photobucket.com/user/sazzlefrats/media/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly009.jpg.html
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/sazzlefrats/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly007.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/sazzlefrats/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly006.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/sazzlefrats/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly005.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/sazzlefrats/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly004.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/sazzlefrats/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly003.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/sazzlefrats/1965DartBrakePedalAssembly002.jpg
 
Wow looks like someone tried to re engineer your brake assembly with all the wrong parts. That bolt sticking out should go through the plunger without that adapter thing they made.
 
Post a picture of the overall view of the column, please.
 
chryslerfat said:
Wow looks like someone tried to re engineer your brake assembly with all the wrong parts. That bolt sticking out should go through the plunger without that adapter thing they made.
Click to expand...

I learned something here. I think the fix to the adapter bracket is to take the plunger out and shorten it by a couple inches and then put it back in, and hook the brake pedal up the correct original way. This won't make the brake switch any closer. But overall this is probably the better way to go.



B-onefan said:
Post a picture of the overall view of the column, please.
Click to expand...

Sure I'll do that tonight. What do you think the steering column tell you, just curious.




And I'm still wondering how to get the brake switch lower to make contact to the brake pedal
 
Just curious if it is the original column. When I get home I will take some pictures of my 66 Dart and post them so maybe you can see how it was suppose to be and figure it out from there. I was thinking it might be a later column, but after looking later this morning, I noticed it didn't have the expanded metal on the bottom to collapse in a wreck.
 
Ok with that last picture the yellow bracket appears to be a hacked up clutch assembly. If you are running an auto you can make that go away. Then as before the extension adapter that is on the end of the pushrod should be removed and the correct length push rod used.
 
chryslerfat said:
Ok with that last picture the yellow bracket appears to be a hacked up clutch assembly. If you are running an auto you can make that go away. Then as before the extension adapter that is on the end of the pushrod should be removed and the correct length push rod used.
Click to expand...

Nope I'm running a 4spd. I'd rather have an auto behind my 318, but.... it aint broke, so it stays for now.

So with these pushrods/brake master cylinder plungers... can I buy a new one or do I take my current rod to a shop and have them modify it? I don't know anyone with a welder that is local.
 
Would it matter that I'm using a 1974 power wagon dual master cylinder and its power drum booster? I'm guessing it wouldn't matter. I think these rods just rest against the diaphram in the master cylinder.
 
The gas pedal is the original 6cylinder that I modified to work with the v8 linkage.

I think that the pedals might be original just because why else would you cut a pedal in half and reweld it.
 
The yellow part is a Z bar but off what I have no idea. It is normally mounted between the engine or bell housing and the frame of a vehicle.

Here is an example picture of one that is for an A-body.

attachment.php
 
What the heck? A z bar under the dash? I see by your avatar that you have a conversion of some sort. It's tough to get the factory engineered parts to work good sometimes.. ...
 
toolmanmike said:
What the heck? A z bar under the dash? I see by your avatar that you have a conversion of some sort. It's tough to get the factory engineered parts to work good sometimes.. ...
Click to expand...


Well... when your just using the body of a dart on a truck chassis... you have to expect truck parts :p
 
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