First real assembly day

Assembly work has begun with the installation of the steering and pedal box. The steering column bushing is set in a rubber grommet and was a struggle to install because it is so tight in the cold garage where the rubber was too stiff. After putting a space heater on the floor below the pedals I could keep the rubber flexible while I worked the bushing into it. I got help and inspiration from Richard's GBS Zero Blogspot  I think I will find a rubber gaitor for the firewall side of the steering column just to give it a more finished look and seal around the gap.

Getting the column into place and engaging the lower steering shaft went just about like the Assembly Guide but then I had to slide the spring clip down to keep the bushing in place and clear the brake pedal travel. Lots of fiddling to get the pedal shaft installed because the center bushing was not quite straight but once I opened up the hole a little bit on the inboard side of the pedal box then it could all be assembled. I had to shave down the clutch bushings to fit into the bracket space. And then cutting the brake pushrod and shaping the end to engage the master cylinder piston went OK. I think later I will make a new pushrod using an ISO grade 10.9 (SAE grade-8) bolt, just for added strength. I still have to trim the pedal pivot tube by about a 1/2 inch.

 I don't understand the mounting of the throttle cable - the holding bracket looks opposite of what it should be. I'll just have to wait and see how the alignment to the throttle body ends up before deciding hoe to do the actuation. I might be able to use a simple pushrod link; very old school.