Changing heater matrix & clutch pedal

[cliokiz]

Any tips on the above?

I need to change my clutch pedal tomorrow, and looks a bit of a nightmare as the dash is in the way.

So, thought i might kill 2 birds with one stone and do both at the same time.

How long does it take to get the dash off to get at the heater matrix, and any tips on doing this?

Also, any tips on changing the clutch pedal? What parts of the dash can i take off to make it easier?

Cheers!

[VIPERONE]

your clutch is basically gone and you are still using it as normal, it is likely that along with stretching the clutch cable, you will stretch the clutch pedal spring and weaken the plastic pedal ratchet. If you clutch pedal starts to click, this is also an indication that it is nackered.

Tools Needed: 13mm socket, ratchet, Universal joint for ratchet, 75mm extension, grease for new pedal.

Replacement:

1) Buy new pedal set from renault for roughly £25. Included is a new pedal arm, green bush, blue bush, pedal spring, geartooth arm, two arm supports and two clips.

2) Remove clutch cable from the gearbox bell housing so it is not under tension. Now Put a mat or something over the sill so you don't injure your back, then position yourself with a torch so you can work on the floorwell. Remove the two screws holding in the plastic covering the bottom of the steering column and remove it. You will have to remove the headlight level adjuster too. Now remove the clutch cable end from the clutch pedal ratchet.

3) The first thing you should do is remove the two nuts that hold on the end support bracket for the pedal rod. If you look carefully, you will see they are right at the back and hard to get at. Make sure you do not start removing the nuts for the entire footwell plate. Use the 13mm socket to remove the nuts. This IS hard to do because the steering column among other crap is in the way not to mention you are lying upside down.

4) Once the bracket is loose, pull off the end clip from the pedal bar. Either use needle nose pliers or a flat screwdriver. Next, pull the support bracket you just loosended off the pedal bar and move it up furthur into the floorwell so its out of the way. This is trickey because the column is again in the way

5) From the brake pedal end, pull the pedal bar out so that it slides out of the clutch pedal. It is loose and should slide out easily. DONT pull it too far so that it comes out of the brake pedal too. Keep an eye on the blue bush for the clutch pedal and pull the bar out until it meets the end of the bush.

6) You should now be able to pull the clutch pedal down out of the floor well. Notice how the pedal is assembed and make sure you correctly reassemble the new pedal in this way. Make a note of how the spring is connected to the pedal arm and to the ratchet. The green bush which by now has either dropped off or is still on the pedal can be thrown away.

7) Assemble the new pedal so that it looks how the old one does. Green bush goes on the clip end as the blue bushes just space out the pedals. Replacing the blue bush with a new one is optional. Grease up the white plastic ratchet parts.

8 ) Hardest part by far is now inserting the new pedal onto the bar without it all disassembling in your hand or the spring coming off. My advice is to not connect the spring i.e. not connect it to the arm and just have it on the ratchet hanging down so that the ratchet is not under force. The idea is to slide the new pedal assembly onto the pedal bar. Best way is to put the pedal up into the right place and then push the bar across so that it slots into the new clutch pedal guides. Remember that the blue and green bushes have notches on them which have to line up with holes in the clutch pedal arm. If they do not line up them will not slot in and you won't be able to reassemble anything.

9) Once the pedal is on ( you will be quite pissed off by this point Smile ) you need to put the metal bracket over the bar and then push the new clip on so it is all locked in place. Then put then nuts back on the screws for the support place and do them up.

10) Reattach the clutch cable and put the plastic cover + headlight alignment thing back on. Now connect up the clutch cable to the gearbox again.

11) Slowly push the clutch pedal down, you will hear it clicking as the ratchet tensions up. This is normal and because it is new. The pedal should feel firm and not sway,move or click once the pedal is at the correct tension. If it does, seek advice on here or admit that you have done something wrong. If it is the latter, Repeat this process and check everything is fitted correctly.


Hope this helps some people.

[dan-hipgrave]

Heater matrix - dont remove all the dash like Haynes says. Instead remove the black top, instrument clusters, centre console, radio and a couple of other bits (i forget which).
Undo the 4 bolts holding the main dashboard to the bulkhead and pull it forward as much as possible. You will be able to pull it out more on the passneger side than the drivers side due to steering wheel.
Remove wiper arms, take off the scuttle panel and remove blower motor + cover. Undo the bolts now visible that hold the heater matrix surround in place. Also while under bonnet drain the coolant and remove the 2 pipes going to the heater matrix (think the header tank has to come off to get to their jubilee clips easily).
Back inside car, go down into the passenger footwell and pull the heater matrix surround out of its position in the bulkhead, then unclip and pull heater matrix out of surround. Refit and refill coolant. Job done.

This is all off the top of my head from when i did mine back in February by the way, so should be taken as a rough way of doing things. You will end up with a lot of cuts/bruises and will swear a lot as space behind the dash is very tight! I also found it very hard putting the new matrix back in its surround fully. It went in easily except for the last 10-15mm. After a few whacks and jiggling it about it will go in fully :lol:

Dan

[cliokiz]

We're got up to step 9 of gunners guide (thanks mate), but i just can't do step 9. Not sure if i've done something wrong, but i can't get either clip on. The clip on the clutch end just won't stay on, keeps pinging off, and the clip at the other end, well i just don't understand how that's supposed to go on!

Its supposed to hook into a hole in the pedal mount and go around the rod to hold it in place, but the hooks lift the clip up too far so you can't get it to go around the rod! Do i need to push the bar a bit further through from the other end, put the clip on, then push it back then put the other clip on?

Sigh.. lol



9) Once the pedal is on ( you will be quite pissed off by this point Smile ) you need to put the metal bracket over the bar and then push the new clip on so it is all locked in place. Then put then nuts back on the screws for the support place and do them up.

10) Reattach the clutch cable and put the plastic cover + headlight alignment thing back on. Now connect up the clutch cable to the gearbox again.

11) Slowly push the clutch pedal down, you will hear it clicking as the ratchet tensions up. This is normal and because it is new. The pedal should feel firm and not sway,move or click once the pedal is at the correct tension. If it does, seek advice on here or admit that you have done something wrong. If it is the latter, Repeat this process and check everything is fitted correctly.


Hope this helps some people.

[MAXIBOY]

yes sounds about right. also you can clamp the bracket together with a g clamp to make it easier.

[VIPERONE]

that is not my guide...however...to hold the pedal together use a tie wrap on the bush outer circumference to hold it in to place...then it should be ez

ish..

I also removed the column made it damm easier..and the time it takes to remove the column its a no brainer

[cliokiz]

OH MY GOD.

Me and my dad spent the WHOLE day today in this god damn f***ing pedal! We only just managed to bodge it all together, what an absolute NIGHTMARE of a job!

I will never try and do that again! We didn't take the steering column out, nor did we take the dash out, we just worked around all that lol.

The hardest part was getting the clip on the steering column end, and getting the spring to attach to the quadrant. In the end we used string, hooked it around the spring, then pulled it up using the string, to attach it.

We also had to chop some of the clip (as suggested in the Haynes) for the passenger side, it just doesn't go on otherwise.

Absolute nightmare of a job, good luck to anyone else that wants to do it! :P

[1fast6]

that guide is familiar :wink:

[VIPERONE]

that is not my guide... it was expertly put together by the one and only fast1 :eekout:

[northy]

the clutch pedal is very hard to change....took me all afternoon !