For the love of Tuscan (project build)
Discussion
So next out was the pedal box.
First remove the 5 allen bolts holding the aluminium cover plate in place.
Then remove the various pins and clips that attach the pedals/pistons to the pivot arms, this allows the pedals to be folded forwards to give better access to the nuts holding the clutch master cylinder and brake servo to the back of the pedal box and the chassis bolts.
Remove the chassis allen bolts x6
Disconnect the wires from the brake pedal switch
Undo the 4 brake servo nuts (the bolts are captive so this is easy...). The throttle cable bracket shares 2 of these bolts, and the end of the cable needs to be unbolted from the secondary pivot arm of the throttle pedal.
Onto the fiddly bit, undoing the 2x clutch master cylinder nuts. The bolts are not captive so you need to get a spanner on the head of the bolt at the back, then undo the nut from the front. The top one isn't too bad...
I needed a flexi-head ratchet spanner to get round the LHS of the pedal box to get onto the lower bolt head and an electric screwdriver with long extension bars onto the nut at the front. Now it's a case of easing the pedal box towards you and separating it from the clutch master cylinder and brake servo.
Once removed I noticed a grommet was missing where the throttle cable passes through the bulkhead so this will need to be sourced and fitted...I'll be removing all the carpet from this area as well as it's damp and filthy...
This was the state of my pedal box. Obviously moisture/water ingress (water soaks into the carpet and travels under the pedal box...) have taken their toll over the years and this is going to need a complete stripdown and refurb (and water ingress fixed) before going back in...
First remove the 5 allen bolts holding the aluminium cover plate in place.
Then remove the various pins and clips that attach the pedals/pistons to the pivot arms, this allows the pedals to be folded forwards to give better access to the nuts holding the clutch master cylinder and brake servo to the back of the pedal box and the chassis bolts.
Remove the chassis allen bolts x6
Disconnect the wires from the brake pedal switch
Undo the 4 brake servo nuts (the bolts are captive so this is easy...). The throttle cable bracket shares 2 of these bolts, and the end of the cable needs to be unbolted from the secondary pivot arm of the throttle pedal.
Onto the fiddly bit, undoing the 2x clutch master cylinder nuts. The bolts are not captive so you need to get a spanner on the head of the bolt at the back, then undo the nut from the front. The top one isn't too bad...
I needed a flexi-head ratchet spanner to get round the LHS of the pedal box to get onto the lower bolt head and an electric screwdriver with long extension bars onto the nut at the front. Now it's a case of easing the pedal box towards you and separating it from the clutch master cylinder and brake servo.
Once removed I noticed a grommet was missing where the throttle cable passes through the bulkhead so this will need to be sourced and fitted...I'll be removing all the carpet from this area as well as it's damp and filthy...
This was the state of my pedal box. Obviously moisture/water ingress (water soaks into the carpet and travels under the pedal box...) have taken their toll over the years and this is going to need a complete stripdown and refurb (and water ingress fixed) before going back in...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 20:08
Pedal box strip down
The first part to come loose when removing the pedal box is the brake pedal switch and bracket as this is held in place by the pedal box to chassis bolts. As you can see there is quite a bit of corrosion to the aluminium bracket around the fixing holes due to the stainless chassis bolts used (in my case anyway) to hold it all in place. This is the first time I've come across how aggressive corrosion is between aluminium and stainless steel due to the metals being far apart on the periodic table. The aluminium literally starts to dissolve as it's converted into aluminium sulphate powder.
This has also started to happen to the back of aluminium pedal box cover where, again stainless bolts have been used, I have cleaned this off in the pic below...
The brake light switch will be replaced by one with a much more robust level that is incorporated into the switch as opposed to the 'add-on' arm of the original. These switches are just a couple of quid from eBay. Search eBay for 'Short Roller Lever V3 Microswitch SPDT 16A Micro Switch' or item 282116447726.
Next up is to remove the E-clips from the ends of the 2 pins/pivots that hold the pedals and arms in place then slide the pins out and remove everything from the pedal box housing.
Leaving a very rusty housing ready to be cleaned-up and dropped off along with the aluminium cover at Able Platers in Livingston for re-plating/anodising...
The first part to come loose when removing the pedal box is the brake pedal switch and bracket as this is held in place by the pedal box to chassis bolts. As you can see there is quite a bit of corrosion to the aluminium bracket around the fixing holes due to the stainless chassis bolts used (in my case anyway) to hold it all in place. This is the first time I've come across how aggressive corrosion is between aluminium and stainless steel due to the metals being far apart on the periodic table. The aluminium literally starts to dissolve as it's converted into aluminium sulphate powder.
This has also started to happen to the back of aluminium pedal box cover where, again stainless bolts have been used, I have cleaned this off in the pic below...
The brake light switch will be replaced by one with a much more robust level that is incorporated into the switch as opposed to the 'add-on' arm of the original. These switches are just a couple of quid from eBay. Search eBay for 'Short Roller Lever V3 Microswitch SPDT 16A Micro Switch' or item 282116447726.
Next up is to remove the E-clips from the ends of the 2 pins/pivots that hold the pedals and arms in place then slide the pins out and remove everything from the pedal box housing.
Leaving a very rusty housing ready to be cleaned-up and dropped off along with the aluminium cover at Able Platers in Livingston for re-plating/anodising...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 20:13
Cool looks spot-on mate.
I tried contacting Autobarn Engineering on their twitter page weeks ago but had no response and haven't found any other way to contact them. Where did you get your curved pedals from and how much?
The shafts are in surprisingly good condition so no need to replace them, one of them feels like Titanium??!! Just need new E-clips. Everything else has cleaned-up nicely. The brake master cylinder was new in 2019 and the clutch master looks pretty new as well. It had £6k spent on it in 2019 and has only done 400miles since.
I wouldn't mind using flexible hoses when I re-fit the box as I'm going to make it adjustable so it's less of a ball ache getting it in the right position. Is there a specific HEL kit for the Tuscan? I can only find brake lines...
I tried contacting Autobarn Engineering on their twitter page weeks ago but had no response and haven't found any other way to contact them. Where did you get your curved pedals from and how much?
The shafts are in surprisingly good condition so no need to replace them, one of them feels like Titanium??!! Just need new E-clips. Everything else has cleaned-up nicely. The brake master cylinder was new in 2019 and the clutch master looks pretty new as well. It had £6k spent on it in 2019 and has only done 400miles since.
I wouldn't mind using flexible hoses when I re-fit the box as I'm going to make it adjustable so it's less of a ball ache getting it in the right position. Is there a specific HEL kit for the Tuscan? I can only find brake lines...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 4th December 22:54
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 4th December 22:55
TwinKam said:
It's great that HEL offer the facility, but it's not difficult to make these lines yourself... then you can have exactly what you want, and at a fraction of the cost.
That's got me thinking TwinKam, I'm a dab hand at crimping
I take it all you need is the crimp tool, some braided line and fittings?
I'll see if youtube has any how to vids to get me started. Thanks TwinKamI've got stacks of updates to post, trying to sort through them when I have time...
Pedal box re-build
The pedal box and cover are back from the platers.
The base is quite pitted because of how rusty it was but it was just surface so hasn't lost any strength and looks almost like new now. The aluminium cover plate is also looking great but the areas of wear and surface scratches show through the anodising, the only way to have achieved a perfect uniform finish would have been to have had it polished first but the platers don't offer that service.
Anyway, on to the rebuild. I used lithium grease on the spindles for a nice smooth pedal action...
1st row in place
This is the spindle that looks and feels like Titanium?? It's very light and rigid and totally corrosion free, but doesn't look or feel like aluminium or stainless...
As I will be fitting a start-stop button I have fabricated a bracket for a clutch switch...
I then changed my mind on how to fix the clutch switch bracket in place so removed the upright tabs and drilled/threaded the base plate, used the same method for the brake switch bracket as the chassis bolt holes won't be used as I'm making it adjustable.
I used a generous coating of silver Hammerite on the pedal box base and on the aluminium switch brackets to help reduce future corrosion...
Next up the pedal box sliders...
Pedal box re-build
The pedal box and cover are back from the platers.
The base is quite pitted because of how rusty it was but it was just surface so hasn't lost any strength and looks almost like new now. The aluminium cover plate is also looking great but the areas of wear and surface scratches show through the anodising, the only way to have achieved a perfect uniform finish would have been to have had it polished first but the platers don't offer that service.
Anyway, on to the rebuild. I used lithium grease on the spindles for a nice smooth pedal action...
1st row in place
This is the spindle that looks and feels like Titanium?? It's very light and rigid and totally corrosion free, but doesn't look or feel like aluminium or stainless...
As I will be fitting a start-stop button I have fabricated a bracket for a clutch switch...
I then changed my mind on how to fix the clutch switch bracket in place so removed the upright tabs and drilled/threaded the base plate, used the same method for the brake switch bracket as the chassis bolt holes won't be used as I'm making it adjustable.
I used a generous coating of silver Hammerite on the pedal box base and on the aluminium switch brackets to help reduce future corrosion...
Next up the pedal box sliders...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 20:27
Pedal box slider rails.
So, this is how I made the pedal box slider rails to allow easy longitudinal adjustment. The pedal box has 3 positions from the factory but you need to unbolt it from the chassis each time you want to adjust it and this way is less of a faff...
A pair of stainless steel sheet metal angles, laser cut from eBay.
Slots cut with grinding wheel...
RivNuts fitted to the side of the pedal box
Stainless bolts welded to angles for easy fixing to the floor. I'm a little rusty at welding, I've not done much since my apprentice fabrication/welding days at Senior Hargreaves so go easy...
Rails fitted
From the factory the pedal box is hard up against the RH sill so I've had to offset it to the left by about 10mm to allow clearance for the adjustment bolts on the RH side. This gives about 80mm of adjustment once bolted in place, but you can still use the 3 sets of bolt holes in the floor to bring closer to your range of movement. Just need to get it back in the car and test it now...
So, this is how I made the pedal box slider rails to allow easy longitudinal adjustment. The pedal box has 3 positions from the factory but you need to unbolt it from the chassis each time you want to adjust it and this way is less of a faff...
A pair of stainless steel sheet metal angles, laser cut from eBay.
Slots cut with grinding wheel...
RivNuts fitted to the side of the pedal box
Stainless bolts welded to angles for easy fixing to the floor. I'm a little rusty at welding, I've not done much since my apprentice fabrication/welding days at Senior Hargreaves so go easy...
Rails fitted
From the factory the pedal box is hard up against the RH sill so I've had to offset it to the left by about 10mm to allow clearance for the adjustment bolts on the RH side. This gives about 80mm of adjustment once bolted in place, but you can still use the 3 sets of bolt holes in the floor to bring closer to your range of movement. Just need to get it back in the car and test it now...
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 20:34
Hi Polly, it's fitted bar the clutch switch connection as I haven't re-fitted the pedal box yet.
This is the kit I bought
Don't be scared by the price it's simply a circuit board with relays and a logic circuit, tech like this is amazingly cheap these days and Chinese manufacturing is generally of a very high standard. I have bench tested it for functionality purposes and it works perfectly.
Start/stop button works like this:
Foot NOT on clutch pedal: 1st press>ACC on (Switch LED flashes), 2nd press>Ignition on (Switch LED flashes), 3rd press>all off.
Foot ON clutch pedal: 1st press>engine starts (Switch LED illuminates) ACC & Ignition 1 powered on.
Engine will only stop by pressing the start/stop button with the clutch pedal depressed.
My Tuscan's ignition key switch has 0/I/II/ENGINE START positions but position 1 isn't used so to get the accessories such as the radio to turn on position II is required. I presume my Tuscan is not alone from the searches I've done. The wiring can in theory be changed to provide an accessory/position 1 as there is a spare pin (middle of pic) for this but I haven't modified this as the terminals are fixed and cannot be removed as far as I can see. I'm going to use the start/stop kit to provide a new accessory circuit for the radio and any other tech I'm going to install.
So the wiring is really straight forward. The kit has 2 looms, one for high current input/output and one for the sensors/switches to enable functionality but you only really need one switch to enable the engine to start. The instructions suggest a brake pedal switch which the Tuscan already has, but the kit requires a 12v output from this switch and the brake pedal switch is a switched earth so you would need to use a relay. My preference as this is a manual gearbox is to use a retrofit clutch switch (12v output) for obvious safety reasons (left).
All the other wiring is done locally to the ignition barrel switch. The red wire is the fused permanent 12v feed to the ignition switch, white/yellow is position II/ACC, white is position II and white/red is engine starter.
Wiring as installed:
(Start stop main loom>Tuscan wiring)
Red>red (12v feed)
Black>earth screw on steering column
White>white
Yellow>white/red
Brown, not used, similar to white wire.
(Sensors/switches loom>Tuscan wiring)
Blue>clutch switch
The start/stop box can be mounted on the back of the vertical part of the shelf with a Velcro pad, here shown just hanging down...
And the main loom wires feed through with all the dash wires...
]
Then the start/stop red wire is soldered to the ignition switch red, white from the start/stop loom (position II) to white which also switches the cars white/yellow circuit on, and the yellow wire to the cars white/red starter circuit. I used amalgamating tape to seal the soldered joint then insulation tape on top to stop them all amalgamating together into one lump.
The blue ACC/position 'I' wire from the start/stop loom is not connected yet as this is for the new ACC fused circuit.
The start/stop switch that came with the kit is meant to fit over the original barrel key position but I don't think it would fit in this case and I want to keep the key functionality for the steering lock (until I work out how to use a solenoid to replace the key) and until I'm happy with the reliability of the kit. Anyway, I wanted to use a start/stop switch more suited to the Tuscans switchgear so have replaced it with a 22mm alloy switch with purple illumination {other colours available ) which I will mount on the centre console...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004180245956.h...
Switch wiring to new switch
Sitting loose ATM.
This is the kit I bought
Don't be scared by the price it's simply a circuit board with relays and a logic circuit, tech like this is amazingly cheap these days and Chinese manufacturing is generally of a very high standard. I have bench tested it for functionality purposes and it works perfectly.
Start/stop button works like this:
Foot NOT on clutch pedal: 1st press>ACC on (Switch LED flashes), 2nd press>Ignition on (Switch LED flashes), 3rd press>all off.
Foot ON clutch pedal: 1st press>engine starts (Switch LED illuminates) ACC & Ignition 1 powered on.
Engine will only stop by pressing the start/stop button with the clutch pedal depressed.
My Tuscan's ignition key switch has 0/I/II/ENGINE START positions but position 1 isn't used so to get the accessories such as the radio to turn on position II is required. I presume my Tuscan is not alone from the searches I've done. The wiring can in theory be changed to provide an accessory/position 1 as there is a spare pin (middle of pic) for this but I haven't modified this as the terminals are fixed and cannot be removed as far as I can see. I'm going to use the start/stop kit to provide a new accessory circuit for the radio and any other tech I'm going to install.
So the wiring is really straight forward. The kit has 2 looms, one for high current input/output and one for the sensors/switches to enable functionality but you only really need one switch to enable the engine to start. The instructions suggest a brake pedal switch which the Tuscan already has, but the kit requires a 12v output from this switch and the brake pedal switch is a switched earth so you would need to use a relay. My preference as this is a manual gearbox is to use a retrofit clutch switch (12v output) for obvious safety reasons (left).
All the other wiring is done locally to the ignition barrel switch. The red wire is the fused permanent 12v feed to the ignition switch, white/yellow is position II/ACC, white is position II and white/red is engine starter.
Wiring as installed:
(Start stop main loom>Tuscan wiring)
Red>red (12v feed)
Black>earth screw on steering column
White>white
Yellow>white/red
Brown, not used, similar to white wire.
(Sensors/switches loom>Tuscan wiring)
Blue>clutch switch
The start/stop box can be mounted on the back of the vertical part of the shelf with a Velcro pad, here shown just hanging down...
And the main loom wires feed through with all the dash wires...
Then the start/stop red wire is soldered to the ignition switch red, white from the start/stop loom (position II) to white which also switches the cars white/yellow circuit on, and the yellow wire to the cars white/red starter circuit. I used amalgamating tape to seal the soldered joint then insulation tape on top to stop them all amalgamating together into one lump.
The blue ACC/position 'I' wire from the start/stop loom is not connected yet as this is for the new ACC fused circuit.
The start/stop switch that came with the kit is meant to fit over the original barrel key position but I don't think it would fit in this case and I want to keep the key functionality for the steering lock (until I work out how to use a solenoid to replace the key) and until I'm happy with the reliability of the kit. Anyway, I wanted to use a start/stop switch more suited to the Tuscans switchgear so have replaced it with a 22mm alloy switch with purple illumination {other colours available
) which I will mount on the centre console...https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004180245956.h...
Switch wiring to new switch
Sitting loose ATM.
Edited by Modrich on Sunday 31st March 20:46
All is not lost Polly I would be more than happy to help with testing if you don't find another suitable candidate, connecting a different module wouldn't be too difficult and it sounds like a good piece of kit you have there. Although you won't get much testing out of my Tuscan until the spring I would think...
One selling point would be a way of doing away with the ignition barrel completely and having a failsafe bolt-on steering lock solenoid. It looks doable on the Vectra B steering column
Thanks for your positive comments
One selling point would be a way of doing away with the ignition barrel completely and having a failsafe bolt-on steering lock solenoid. It looks doable on the Vectra B steering column
Thanks for your positive comments
Sounds doable BB thanks for the suggestion. I must admit spinning the rivnut 180deg so the thread is inside the pedal box is preferable but the way I've done it is a simple way to provide a spacer between the pedal box and runner. I could even keep as is but use a longer bolt with a locknut on the inside of the pedal box...and bigger washers as suggested
Polly Grigora said:
Does the above operation have a built in delay before cranking the engine over to allow for fuel pump priming?
Hi Polly, I took a video of the sequence and to illustrate it I used LED strips for each stage. Hopefully the video link works...
The first half of the video is without the clutch pedal depressed, or the blue wire not connected to 12v.
Then I show the blue wire connected or the foot depressed on the clutch and the starter sequence engages showing the 3rd light illuminate, I would say 2secs from pressing the start button to starter motor spinning...
Then I show the optional cold start, you can press and hold the button and it gives you a pre-set extra long go at the starter motor.
looks ok to me, what do you think?
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