Pedal Draft Seals

[1937 Dodge]

Merle,

Have the same seals as you. Heated them up wiped on some Vasoline and slipped them on over the metal pedals. Was suprised that they did not tear. My original truck had similar seals on them but they were in bad shape after 70+ years!

I also bought the rubber pads to put on the pedals and was later told that the trucks did not use rubber foot pads, only used on cars.

[Merle Coggins]

I did install them but wasn't as lucky. Either I didn't get them warm enough or didn't have enough lube. Mine ripped when I tried to get them over the pedals. I'll have to get a couple more and try again later.

Merle

[Monkey Truck]

Ok thanks. So when these draft seals do get slipped over the pedal w/o tearing and are slid down the petal arms to the floorboard, I'm assuming that the seals go under the floorboard? And if so, do the seals stay attached to the pedal arms and move back and forth when the pedals are pressed, therefore sealing the floor when the petals are not pressed, and not sealing the floor when the petals are pressed? Otherwise if you attach them to the bottom of the floor board, the pedal arms would have to slide back and forth through the seals?

[grey beard]

Merle,

Those poor old draff seals likely tore because they had AGE CRACKS in them, from you waiting so long to put 'em on, what? I've seen some guys put 'ej on upside down, not understanding that they belong below the floor board and ride up and down with the pedal. Go figgeff . . . . . .

Good luck on the next pair. Mine are in place, but everfy fime I see them, they're half way down the shank. They just don't stay up against the floor board like they should on my trucik. Maybe I'll try hose clamps . . .

Good Luck

[Merle Coggins]

There should be a nub on the pedal shaft that should keep the seals from sliding down.

Merle

[1950 Special Deluxe]

Just snooping from the P15D24 side of things. I spent about 2 hours yesterday trying to get the draft seals to stay in the holes in the floor boards of my car. Now I see that they are supposed to go through the floor and stay on the pedal arms themselves. Luckily I quit before I ruined them so now I can finish the job correctly.:)

Thanks

[HanksB3B]

a nub on the pedal shaft for holding them on?

Hank

I'm not sure it's original (and would like confirmation) but there is also a thick piece of what looks like early neoprene with a U-Shaped cutout for the steering column mounted somehow on the engine compartment side of the floor board. I think it was used to keep the pedals from clunking against the floorboard. I have the original in a plastic bag because it's so rotted, but the general shape is there enough so that I plan to re-make it out of that very tough closed celled white foam. Does anyone know the part I'm talking about?

[grey beard]

Hank,

Your mention of the rubber piece you saved reminds me of my constant wonder at the factory-designed brake pedal height of Pilothouse trucks. Both the parts book -in the body section - and Don Bunn's B Series Dodge books show the brake pedal height to be several inches higher in prfofile than the clutch pedal. My own truck is just like this.

I find it mightily inconvenient to raise my foot so high that it hits the front of the seat, every time I use that brake pedal. I believe the originhal floorboards had some sort of rubber bumper 0 now long-gone - not shown in my parts book - that served to limit the up-travel of these brake pedals.

On my list of to-do stuff this winter for my own truck is to fab a rubber stop against which my brake pedal will top out against. - make it the swame height as my clutch pedal. Best I've come up with so far is a rubber block core plug (freeze plug) with a bolt molded into it that I can position just above the pedal arm that will cut down on the top height of the brake pedal about two inches. This will, of course, necessitate some radical re-adjustment of the master cylinder linkage to maintain some free play at the top of the pedal for proper master cylinder action. Shouldn't be a big problem.

Sure will make driving this truck a lot more pleasurable to not have to push down on the gear shift to raise my size 13 EEE up high enough to catch that too-high brake pedal.

Have any of the rest of you noticed this unequal pedal height? My previous owner had a block of wood on the clutch pedal to make it even with the brake - musta' been a stubby rascal, what?

Good Luck,

[Frank Elder]

Wouldn't it be simpler just to cut the offending height off just below the pedal or is it cast iron? I doubt that would affect your brake's stopping power, seeings a well maintained system doesn't go all the way to floor when stopping:D

[HanksB3B]

With what you have to say, I'll take a look at the pedal height in my truck and also take a photo (later today if I can) of the rubber pad I mentioned to see if in fact there is a low side/ high side to address the pedal height difference.

Hank

[ggdad1951]

chalk two covers for the thrash....soaked 'em in boiling water and used soap as a lube and all they did was tear...drrr....even managed to slightly burn my finger tips trying to put them on they were so hot!

[Merle Coggins]

When you figure out how to get 'em on without ripping them let me know. I just gave up and let the draft come through.

Merle

[Desotodav]

Let me know when you work it out too Mark. I bought mine from Andy B sometime ago but haven't been game to try and fit them yet. I'm thinking of just slicing them with a knife and then gluing them after fitting.

Desotodav

[TodFitch]

Let me know when you work it out too Mark. I bought mine from Andy B sometime ago but haven't been game to try and fit them yet. I'm thinking of just slicing them with a knife and then gluing them after fitting.

Desotodav

Thats what I did. Been a number of years now and they are falling apart. Next time I think I'll try the warm soapy water and see if they slide over the metal pedal...

[Guest P15-D24]

They will slide over the truck pedals. Didn't think it was possible but it was actually pretty easy. Cars are even easier.

[Desotodav]

Thanks GTK. The car pedals are smaller than the truck ones aren't they?

I'll give it a go after the next few major hurdles are completed.

Desotodav

[Young Ed]

Thanks GTK. The car pedals are smaller than the truck ones aren't they?

I'll give it a go after the next few major hurdles are completed.

Desotodav

Yes. The actual foot pedal piece unbolts on a car pedal and all you have to slide the seal over is the tab that it bolts to.

[TodFitch]

Yes. The actual foot pedal piece unbolts on a car pedal and all you have to slide the seal over is the tab that it bolts to.

True on the later cars. My 1933 car is like the trucks with respect to the clutch and brake pedals.

[John-T-53]

Spray silicone worked great for me, at least the second time around. It's helping the rubber last longer too.

[JBNeal]

IMO these seals are less than perfect because as soon as a pedal is engaged 1/4", they no longer work. Being a cheapskate, I'm gonna try rectangular pieces of .060" EPDM roofing rubber with a X cutout and a mounting flange under the cab & inside the cab. It won't be original equipment, but it'll take less cussin' to get installed, plus they'll work even when a pedal is engaged.

[Young Ed]

The draft seals I had/have have a lip on them that I believe is supposed to hold the seal to the floor piece. Of course I tried installing one today and it ripped apart.

[Jim Roach]

Was it new?

[Young Ed]

Was it new?

It was new about 5 years ago but I hadn't ever attempted to install it. FYI I thought I heard gas makes rubber swell up so I soaked it about 5min before hand. NO help.

[ggdad1951]

The draft seals I had/have have a lip on them that I believe is supposed to hold the seal to the floor piece. Of course I tried installing one today and it ripped apart.

yah I see that groove on there and want to have it stick on the floor boards, but I doubt it'll stay in one piece if I do! Well, all assuming I can ever get a set on!

[JoelOkie]

IMO these seals are less than perfect because as soon as a pedal is engaged 1/4", they no longer work. Being a cheapskate, I'm gonna try rectangular pieces of .060" EPDM roofing rubber with a X cutout and a mounting flange under the cab & inside the cab. It won't be original equipment, but it'll take less cussin' to get installed, plus they'll work even when a pedal is engaged.

I cut some pieces of soft foam pipe insulation (it already has a split in it) and zip tied them to the clutch and brake shafts where it snug touches the bottom of the floor when the pedals are up, by pulling the shafts down slightly and putting it on so the foam is slightly compressed. It works pretty good to keep the air out, plus it keeps the return on the pedals from making a bump noise, which is what I was after to begin with. Of course they only seal off when the pedal is all the way up. Joel

http://www.lowes.com/pd_24434-1410-P12XB/6_?PL=1&productId=3133247