Technical Fiat Punto clutch pedal bracket broken

[Kr0n]

Hi there, first time posting here! I have a 2005 Fiat Punto Mk2, and the clutch pedal bracket, the plastic piece that's inside the pedal, has broken, specifically one of the side wings that fix the piece in place inside the pedal. So now the piece is loose, and if you press the clutch to the bottom, you hit it. You can see the piece I'm referring to below:

I've found and ordered the replacement piece, but I have some questions I'm hoping someone can answer here:

- What's the purpose of this piece? I'm guessing it is preventing the pedal from hitting something at the last part of its movement, but... can I remove the piece and continue to drive, or would driving without it cause some tear and damage to the clutch?

- What's the best way to replace this piece? Does the whole clutch need to be dismantled, or is there a way to unscrew just the pedal?

I really appreciate any help and insights you can provide. Thanks in advance!

 

[judderbar]

It is 'easy' to take apart without removing the pedal. That piece is one of two plastic pieces that forms a ball and socket joint like a hip joint with the ball at the end of the master cylinder rod. There is also a circular hat shaped cup that goes against the circular bulge you can see at the top of the pedal which is what is taking the pushing force between the metal ball of the rod and the metal of the pedal. If you have not yet got the cup it is worth getting it in case your one is broken. They are very cheap to buy.

Maybe in an emergency you could use the clutch without those pieces as the master cylinder rod is very difficult to remove entirely from the hollow pedal without undoing the bolts on the master cylinder. But I think you can get the plastic out and replace it without freeing the master cylinder rod entirely from the clutch pedal.

After you posted I was motivated to replace my master cylinder as I have had that typical punto clicking for months and not got around to doing the job. In my case the end of the master cylinder rod had earlier been damaged and then ground smooth and it started clicking again.

To do the job pull the clutch pedal up to release the master cylinder rod. It will then be loose and captive inside the hollow pedal. That plastic guide is held in place by two clips on the guide. The top clip is difficult to remove but I eventually found an easy way to release it. If you take off the cover under the steering wheel you can unclip one bundle of wires and get a very long screwdriver to go against the tab of the clip and lever it using the available metal near the clip. I tried doing this with a small screwdriver with the cover in place but I could not do it. There is very little working room there. If you find it necessary to have more working room because the master cylinder rod is in the way you will need to avoid scratching the ball on the rod. You will likely have to loosen the nuts on the master cylinder from the engine compartment to allow you to clear the pedal without scratching the ball of the master cylinder rod (been there and done that myself). The master cylinder is easier to access from under the car. I did it from the top but it was extremely difficult to get the bolts back in again.

When you look at that plastic piece you will see the hole is off center. I dont think I noticed this the last time I took out the plastic. Today I decided the cutaway part of the plastic is so you can grease the ball thru those 2 slots in the pedal - which again I had never noticed before. Or maybe it is to ventilate the ball and stop it rusting with condensation? Either way my plastic piece was in the car like that for a few years and it worked.

That drawing you have is not correct but I cannot find a better version

 

[judderbar]

The drawing in this link is the same as your one but the pictures are good.

Kuplung pedál holtjáték - Fiat Punto II - Puntonium Blog

A 2-es Puntoban a holtjáték nem állítható. Ha mégis érzésre túl nagy a pedál holtjátéka, érdemes ellenőrizni a pedálnál található kis műanyag alkatrészt.

www.puntonium.hu

 

[Kr0n]

Wow, thanks for the thorough response! And for that link, it's really useful. I wasn't aware of the other cup piece; I'll track it down. I'm still unsure about doing the replacement myself. I will take a deeper look and decide, but in the worst-case scenario, thanks to your post, I know enough now to know what to ask in a repair shop. Thanks again!