GMC Vandura brake pedal linkage

[rseelen]

Hello, I have a 1995 GMC Vandura G2500 Van. The power brake vacuum boost unit went bad. I'm trying to install a new booster unit but I can't figure out how to disconnect the booster unit push rod from the brake pedal. The very top of the brake pedal is bolted to a bracket and the booster push rod is attached to stud coming out of the side of the brake pedal. There is a plastic housing surrounding the push rod end and also a wire harness on the plastic housing. Can anyone tell me how to release this plastic housing? The repair manuals I have just say to disconnect the push rod but they don't say how to do it. From what I can see under the dash, it looks like I might have to drop the steering column to get at the plastic housing. Please help, I don't want to break anything.

[GMMerlin]

The plastic piece is the brake switch. I believe there is a clip that holds it to the pedal.

[rseelen]

Originally Posted by GMMerlin

The plastic piece is the brake switch. I believe there is a clip that holds it to the pedal.

Thanks GMMerlin. After much monkeying around, I removed the brake switch and pushrod. I'll try to describe the clip holding the switch and pushrod on the small shaft coming out of the side of the brake pedal. There is a groove in the small shaft and the clip snaps around this groove. The clip also has a type of flange on it to hold the brake switch and pushrod in place. I noticed a slot in the part of the clip that fits in the groove. I placed a small flat head scewdriver in the slot and twisted it to enlarge the clip, which allowed me to slide the clip off the shaft of the brake pedal. The only way I could remove the pushrod from the shaft was to remove the four nuts holding the booster unit to the firewall, and then slowly pulled the booster unit from the engine side. This allowed enough play in the pushrod to slide it off of the shaft. I also had to depress the brake pedal to remove the pushrod. To make it easier to see what I was doing, I lowered the steering column. This gave me a little more access to the pushrod and switch. One word of advice though. This whole process is much easier if you remove the lower left nut holding the booster unit to the firewall before lowering the column. Once the column is lowered, it partially blocks your access to the lower left nut. Thanks again.