MTFCA Forum

When adjusting the low speed band in order to achieve the desired 1 to 1 1/2” distance from the floorboards, should the emergency lever be fully back or fully forward or in the middle? I can never remember and the diagram that’s commonly used doesn’t state the position for adjusting the low band nut.

The one to one and a half inch distance to the floor is measured when you are pushing the pedal down for low speed. It makes no difference where the brake lever is.

See diagram Adjusting for a free neutral. If you cannot get the neutral unless the band is adjusted to be tight only when the floorboard is out, then the notch and cam are worn out and need to be replaced. The pedal should be in high and halfway down in neutral. Then when about 1" to 1 1/2" above floorboard should be tight in low gear. If the cam and notch are worn, the band will drag the drum when in neutral. This will wear out the drum and if the band is not tight when 1 1/2" above the floor will slip and also wear out the drum. If your drum has turned a blue color, it is an indication the band has been slipping on the drum and the drum will eventually crack.
Norm

That dimension can get you a broken low drum if running kevlar bands, otherwise have @ it.

See: "Low gear band adjustment and over centering" thread for safest low adjustment procedure.

Both the ramps on the pedal and the notch on which they engage wear considerably over time, giving way more than 1.5" of free play in the pedal. As that wear accumulates, it means some extra pressure is often exerted on the pedal to make the band do its job, possibly mending the pedal. This combination will completely mess up the old 1.5" measurement for the pedal to the end of the floorboard slot.

The answer is to rebuild the pedal and notch ramps and get them back to where they allow 1.5" of free play. Don't do as I once did. I rebuilt the pedal and notch ramps so there was no free play, taking out all that wear! Hence no neutral on the pedal.

The rebuilding of the ramps and grinding them back into their spiral "mesh" takes much time and blue-ing to get it right, but in the absence of new pedals and notches makes it about the only way I know of dealing with the problem. When you can get them to work well as a pair, it may still mean some adjustment to the bend in the pedal to get it to sit at the correct height in relation to the other two pedals.

I have one to do at the moment. I suspect someone got lucky some time and found a new old stock pedal, as the pedal ramps still show original
machining marks. I will only have to rebuild the notch ramps on this one.

Allan from down under.

speedytinc wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 31, 2024 8:25 pm

That dimension can get you a broken low drum if running kevlar bands, otherwise have @ it.

See: "Low gear band adjustment and over centering" thread for safest low adjustment procedure.

Couldn't agree more!! Quite honestly, both my T's with Kevie's I have adjusted so actually my pedal DOES go to the floor!
Know what? So far (knock that wood floor!) I've had no issues. You want them "just tight enough" to grab, or conversely, "just loose enough" so they don't drag and heat the drums. It works. Takes a wee bit of adjusting and getting used to but it works.

Tim, it might be time to do a couple of checks. If you have way more than 1 1/2" free play in the pedal it may be time to pay some attention to the pedal ramps. Otherwise, it may be beneficial to heat up the low pedal and drag it back a bit. it may well have been bent some in years of prior service. Both these conditions are sometimes worked around by adding extra length to the pedal slots in the floor boards.

Allan from down under.