1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

My old accelerator pedal more or less kind of fell apart due to heat coming from engine I believe. Bought a new one and it is stiff as a board. The round cup on the rear side of the pedal is stiff also and has a 1/8" hole in it, in to which I need to shove the top of the metal rod that is attached to the push rod connected to the throttle linkage.



Looking for advice to get that large end of the throttle arm coming up thru the floorboards into the much smaller hole on the backside of the pedal. It was recommended that I use WD40 to lubricate the hole and then will evaporate. I can tell before I start that this is going to be one heck of a battle since the metal linkage is about 4 times larger in diameter than the hole in which it is to be inserted!



Hopefully someone has found the solution to what looks like a real challenge. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR Y'ALLS ADVICE!

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Check new pedal to see if it opens up past the small opening to accept the rod end. Try warming with a heat gun and a little grease in the rod and it should go. Remember that will have to come apart sometime in the future and getting it apart is usually harder.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

I just went through this on the 48. What I did was hold the rod with a small vise grip, lubed the gas pedal with liquid detergent. It did go together but not easily.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Tip:
Once you get the pedal and the push rod hooked together, you have to click the spring loaded thingie end onto the throttle linkage under the floorboard. If you disconnect the throttle linkage from the carburetor, that will allow the piece at the floorboard to come right up against the underside of the floorboard. With it there, you can more easily hook on the pedal linkage by feel. Then go back and reconnect to the carb.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Darrell:
I can easily see where the "NOT EASILY" part comes in to play! I am trying to get a 9.5mm metal disc into a 4.5mm rubber hole which is probably close to what you did and using soap as a lubricant.



I am thinking about expanding the rubber hole to about 7mm by using a drill bit and then a lubricant like liquid soap or WD40. But before I do that, can you tell me about any mechanical tools you used in addition to the small vise grip? I thought about using another pair of larger vise grips and squeeze the top of the pedal and the small vise grips. Trouble I see is that it is not directly on to of the hole but kind of off to one side. How did you do it? Brute strength? Mechanical leverage? Did you get it on the linkage BEFORE you fastened it to the floor board at the bottom of the accelerator? Thanks for sharing Ramblin Reck

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

On my 40 I first fastened pedal to the floor and then used vise grips on the metal rod and liquid soap on the rubber hole and then held the vise grips and forced the pedal onto the rod.

However, it might be easier to first attach the pedal to the metal rod as you would have more maneuverability to force the pedal onto the rod. If you use this method make sure you have adequate room to secure the base of the pedal to the floor. Otherwise you'll have to remove the pedal from the rod and start over.

You want the rubber part of the pedal to fit tightly around the rod so as to eliminate pedal side play when you press down the accelerator. So try not to enlarge the hole on the rubber.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

I couldn't get it started with the pedal attached to the floor. I attached the rod and pedal together then screwed it to the floor. The screw will start when all is together but it's a slow process tightening it. Hard to get at. I don't have much brute strength anymore but just enough to attach it.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Thanks! That is good advice. You are correct about the side play. And my "floorboard" thru which comes the brake, clutch accelerator linkages and the steering column, is 1/2" plywood not metal which I guess it was metal when manufactured in 1939?! Also my accelerator pedal attaches to the plywood floorboard by two wood screws inserted thru my drilled holes in the metal hinge plate on the bottom of the accelerator pedal. I have no clue as to what that 5/16" hole is for in the hinge except to assume that it was used in the unmodified floorboard version. More customization! But it works!

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Thanks! My accelerator pedal attaches to the 1/2" plywood floorboard by two wood screws inserted thru my drilled holes in the metal hinge plate on the bottom of the accelerator pedal. I have no clue as to what that 5/16" hole is for in the hinge except to assume that it was used in the unmodified floorboard version. More customization! But it works! My brute strength has gone too, if I ever had any. This getting old ain't for sissies!

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

The accelerator pedal on my 1937 uses a 5/16" bolt to attach to the floorboard. There is a 5/16" tee nut on the underside of the floor board.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Silicone lube, hair dryer for heat to soften the rubber, hold the rod with vise grips. Just some ideas.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

the plywood floorboard is correct for your car.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Interesting, thanks!

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Thanks, I will look for it but I think mine has gone.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Thanks. Does the rubber rebound to its original hardness after applying heat? I ask because the rubber is brick hard right now and I can understand the need to soften it up in order to insert a much larger diameter(double) metal rod into that small hole.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

I think Keke3's TEE NUT theory is correct. Hence the 5/16 ' hole.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tee+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

The pedal is a carryover part from the '35 model year and early '35s have an all steel toe board on the driver's side. There's a 5/16" clinch nut fastened to it and two small locating holes for the two pointed tabs on the end of the hinge portion of the pedal. Later in '35 model year a plywood toe board was adopted as a cost saving and a 5/16" T nut was present on the bottom of wood board in the same location. That setup carried over into '36 and beyond.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Temporary Solution to the 39 Gas Pedal Crisis.


Thanks for all of the comments that y'all gave for installing my New Accelerator Pedal. That project is beyond my pay grade and I will allow a friend to do the hard work for me in the near future. In the mean time I used an old piece of rubber from one side of my slingshot to first wrap around the Accelerator pedal rod and then around the accelerator pedal itself and tie off with a square knot. There was enough left of the raised portion or cup underneath the pedal to keep it from moving sideways and the "rubber band" keeps it in place. I now have a positive feel to the gas accelerator and it drives better than before! If the rubber band fails for whatever reason, I plan to replace it with a short piece of paracord. Henry may not approve of this innovative solution, but it keeps me driving his invention! Hope this might help someone who gets the same problem.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Yes if it’s rubber.

Re: 1939 ford acelerator pedal installation
 

Well the rubber band fix did fail so I now have a new fix until I can get a permanent fix made. I used a hose clamp around the partially deteriorated rubber hole on the bottom of the pedal and this worked! For how long I don't know but I am "On The Road Again" per Willie N! My new "Pedal Rod, Pedal to Linkage came in via mail and the round medal part which fits into the hole in the bottom of the pedal measures 10mm while the rubber hole measures 5mm! Y'all told me it will go into that hole with the help of grease, Hair dryer, vise grips and brute strength, so I believe you. Now that I understand how it holds on to the spring rod(spring loaded) it will be a lot easier to install by affixing it the floor first and then attach it to the linkage. Thanks to all who contributed to my knowledge of this simple but difficult fix.