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DANGER / BRAKE PEDAL RETURN SPRING

D dickruzzinMember
This is something that I have been meaning to put on the Forum for a while, I could not find the new post button.

If any of you with a Mangusta would go into the front compartment and take that little panel off that conceals the brake and clutch bottles, about 5 screws, you will find the pedal assembly. There is one small spring that returns the pedal to the normal position at the front end of the booster after braking. If it snaps you have no brakes, the pedal goes to the floor and will not return unless you return it manually by pulling it back with your foot.

This happened to me, I was fortunate that no one was in front of me, I did run a red light. The spring attachment is really a shoddy piece of work, hard to believe.
I immediately added a second spring as a back-up and am building a small bolt on bracket to replace the two with two that are balanced, there is a handy bolt on the pedal carrier casting that can be used for attachment.

Anyway, take a look, you will be shocked. The original springs only last about 20,000 miles, then snap.
There are no replacements, you have to find a substitute, that is why I opted to create something new. A Pantera spring will not work, they are the wrong size.
DICK RUZZIN / 8MA-670
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mangustamangustaMember
Dick, Dick, Dick!

How does a broken return spring allow your pedal to go to the floor????????? You are saying that if I didn't have a return spring, that my brake pedal would hit the floor? No way!!!!

Two different systems.....one hydraulic, one mechanical. Second one assists the booster in returning the pedal...nothing more.

Youse got bigger problems me thinks!!!!! (Bad master cylinder!)

Fix your brakes, then worry about the spring. The world will be a safer place! Smiler

Steve
PS: 52K on my original spring....
mangustamangustaMember
John,

OK, I'll buy that for a dollar!

However, I cannot buy the logic of the spring and no brakes thing that was originally posted! This is bad mechanics 101!!!

It is posts with such misinformation in it that cause all sorts of confusion and unnecessary repairs on cars...."cuz I read it on the internet".....

We should strive to keep these posts as accurate as possible, something that Dick really does an outstanding job of! However, like I said..... I'm not seeing it this time....

I just dealt with and finally fixed a NASTY anti-lock brake problem on a 90's Mark VII, so brake issues have me a little keyed up at the moment! You wanna talk about rumors and half truths....I read them all....many twice...(cuz they multiply on the internet!)....simply because Ford didn't take the time to explain in the shop manual, how their brake master cylinder/booster assy works when NOT in anti-lock mode. (electrically assisted M.C!)

In this case, a simple return spring should have no bearing what-so-ever on the physical action of pushing on the brake pedal.

IF, the brake switch was bad and allowed fluid to leak out...causing the pedal to go to the floor, I would be WAY MORE concerned about finding a new type or design of brake lamp switch! That is one failure that I would not want to let anyone experience!

So, Dick, if you could edit your original post to say just what happened and clarify what was failing and when, I think it would help any and all reading this post from here on out.

Ciao!
Steve
D dickruzzinMember
STEVE STEVE STEVE,
John has it right, that is exactly what happened.
The brake light switch split resulting in a massive leak. Apparently the speed of the loss of pressure and the fact that the pedal was allowed to go further than normal resulting in a broken spring for the second time.

The first time was at about 30 thousand miles, i avoided a crash and was able to pull the pedal back up with my toe and stop. I had some brakes but not the normal value.

Just another drive in an old car.
Dick Ruzzin
mangustamangustaMember
Dick,

OK, now that makes sense!!!

I went back in my archives and pulled this gem out! 2004 you sent me this! Smiler

"I had to replace my Mangusta brake light switch. It is the original as I do
not remember ever replacing it. It is in the front, on the >T< between the
front wheels on the brakeline from the master cylinder.

I went to my local foreign parts dealer, ordered it based on the numbers on
the switch, and had it in one day.

It is a LUCAS part >SWITCH 25H SPB401 900 25 02<.

I looked exactly like the original and it works.

Dick Ruzzin"


I guess what bothers me, is that Lucas is widely known for the ability to not pass electrons properly in their devices.....do we now add to this, the ability to not hold brake fluid properly too????


I believe that this is an area for people to watch!!! Any indication of seepage, replace it. For that matter, after 40 years....REPLACE IT!

I thinks I'm gonna go looking for a new switch before the next driving season. They are not difficult to replace at all, and I wanted to replace my front brake hoses anyway, with a new set of braided ones from Dana!

Ciao!
Steve
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