I am very new to sevens and looking forward to receiving my 65 EB this morning. I am 6'2" and so the space for my right foot is awkward - I can operate the accelerator OK but moving my foot over onto the brake pedal is impossible without sticking my knee outside the car. The brake pedal sits a lot higher than the clutch pedal and I need to drop the brake pedal down into the footwell to give myself room to manoeuvre. Initially I rejected the car as being undriveable for me, but because I loved its lines and originality I took my shoes off and tried again, convinced myself I could move the pedal and promptly bought it.
I intend winding the nut to the left of the lever in the photo towards the split pin and then adjusting the spring and nut on the right to suit, hoping this will drop the pedal forward within the footwell without altering the tension on the brake cables.
Is this my only option for adjusting the pedal, other than starting to hack things about, which I have no intention of doing? Any advice much appreciated!
Hopefully I'm shortly to be in the same position as you, getting to drive my 65. I'm slightly shorter than you but probably a bit wider!
I can't answer your question yet, but will probably have do some fettling for the same reason. It would be good though to see some photos of the car, if you have some?
If you back off the adjustment at the pedal adjuster you will find that there will be insufficient reserve travel when the brake is fully applied. In layman's terms - you'll not get full braking when you need it. The nut & spring are there to maintain tension on the brake pedal rod, which should have a butterfly nut for adjustment.
Just a couple of comments - firstly I'm 6ft 1" and have driven a Nippy and a (short wheelbase) Ulster for many years without any real difficulty. I'd urge you to give it a good try before modifying anything. I do struggle a bit in 'normal' shoes (I'm a size 11) so tend to reserve a pair of canvas 'boat' shoes for the A7; flexible, low profile and rather comfortable; it also saves ruining your day-to-day shoes with oil stains and what have you.
Second, there is no brake servo assistance in an Austin Seven! Most owners try to keep the brake pedal at right angles to the actuation rod in order to secure the best possible mechanical advantage, which you will be needing! Plus as Reckless says, you also don't want to run out of travel.
Finally, if new to Sevens and taking delivery of a 'new' car, I'd urge you to take a good look over the brake linkages and make sure everything is in good shape. Check for any signs of free play, misalignment or binding, as these can seriously sap your braking potential. The long brake rod which is connected to the pedal can suffer fatigue cracks (normally at the screw thread where it's thinnest) and eventual failure. This happened once to me; if it happens to you don't forget the handbrake still works! Anyway it's worth checking it carefully, out of the car if needs be. Replacements are quite easily obtained and fitted.
Sorry but that doesn't make any sense at all. The clutch and brake pedals are completely different. One is clamped onto the clutch release shaft on the gearbox and the other is mounted onto the steering box. Only one of them has a connection to the cross shaft.
Are you having a senior moment or has someone hacked your account?
If you are genuinely short of legroom, the first port of call is to look at re-positioning the seat further back; Austin Sevens do seem to attract a lot of taller-than-average drivers, and there should be ample room to accommodate a long-legged 6'2"!
(02-11-2017, 12:45 PM)Nigel was in Brittany Wrote: Why dont you just change the 2 pedals over, on the engine side of the bulkhead there is the 2 levers the pedals go into.
(02-11-2017, 01:04 PM)Reckless Rat Wrote: Sorry but that doesn't make any sense at all. The clutch and brake pedals are completely different. One is clamped onto the clutch release shaft on the gearbox and the other is mounted onto the steering box. Only one of them has a connection to the cross shaft.
Are you having a senior moment or has someone hacked your account?
Steady on Reckless, I think Nigel is talking of the kind of pedal where the pad and its stem are clamped into the upright lever part, even though that doesn't apply here.
(02-11-2017, 12:45 PM)Nigel was in Brittany Wrote: Why dont you just change the 2 pedals over, on the engine side of the bulkhead there is the 2 levers the pedals go into.
(02-11-2017, 01:04 PM)Reckless Rat Wrote: Sorry but that doesn't make any sense at all. The clutch and brake pedals are completely different. One is clamped onto the clutch release shaft on the gearbox and the other is mounted onto the steering box. Only one of them has a connection to the cross shaft.
Are you having a senior moment or has someone hacked your account?
Steady on Reckless, I think Nigel is talking of the kind of pedal where the pad and its stem are clamped into the upright lever part, even though that doesn't apply here.
Sorry but I'm still baffled. I can't see how it's possible to change over a clutch and a brake pedal, or for that matter why. The whole point of having a long travel on the brake pedal is to ensure that full braking can be applied but still leaving sufficient reserve travel to comply with Con & Use requirements. If the pedal pad is set closer to the floor that's less likely. The solution is to correctly adjust the braking system and/or move the driver further back. The brake pedal naturally stands higher than the throttle pedal to allow "toe & heel" gearchanges - although that's not so necessary with a synchro box (as in this case). Perhaps Nigel can clarify.
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