How to Swap Your Plastic Clutch Pedal for a Metal One from an FJ Cruiser

Hey folks, I just spent 2 hours finally swapping the plastic clutch pedal in my 3rd gen Tacoma out for the all metal piece that the manual FJ Cruisers use. This swap was inspired by @Jeff Lange, @ShirtTucker, and @su.b.rat. Jeff Lange was the parts brain who figured this out, Shirttucker and Su.b.rat both carried out this swap on their trucks. Thanks for the input of each! And thanks to @Grossomotto for the good deal on the parts!

The 2nd & 3rd gen plastic pedal is known for wonky side to side play (wobble), squeaking when the grease runs dry, and overall just not very confidence inspiring. Luckily for us, the FJ cruiser uses a pedal that is the exact same shape and is all steel. Why Toyota didn’t just use this on the Tacoma….I don’t know. It certainly would have made sense for all parties.

The process is not too difficult, I took a few extra steps to remove some of the dash and main body ECU to give myself more access to the nuts and bolts on the pedal assembly. Without doing so, you do a lot of work on your back and trying to reach things, which can be quite difficult. I will just about always take extra steps if it means the difficult steps will be more hassle free.

Parts needed/recommended:

• 31301-35270 - Metal Pedal Sub-Assembly Clutch
• 31321-52010 - Rubber pedal pad (not needed, can reused but I bought 2 to freshen my clutch & brake pedals up)
  
• 90386-14015 - Bush x2 (for pedal pivot - recommended, but can reuse)
• 90389-06055 Bush (for return spring where it rests on pedal
  
• 90541-06036 Cushion x3 (for cruise switch, NSS start switch, and firewall contact at floor - can reuse one from Tacoma but I wanted all new)
  
• 31420-35070 FJ Master Cylinder
  
• 31454-30030 Boot for Master Cylinder
  
• 31404-35013 Metal Clevis Sub-Assembly Cylinder from Land Cruiser (FJ clevis is plastic - didn’t use)
• 90240-T0002 Pin W Hole (for clevis to pedal)
• 90386-08033 Bush (for clevis pin inside pedal)
• 90206-08001 Washer Wave (for clevis pin slack)
• 90468-15006 Clip (to secure clevis pin)

You could reuse your Tacoma master cylinder. If you have the 2nd gen plastic MC, I’d definitely buy the FJ one. If you have a 3rd gen, you can reuse, although the Tacoma pushrod is a few threads longer. Shouldn’t be an issue but since the FJ MC came in my parts I bought from Brian, I figured I may as well use it.

Tools needed/recomended:

• Cheap turkey baster (got mine at Target in kitchen section)
• Various ratchets, sockets, and wrenches in 10mm, 12mm, 14mm
• Lots of paper towels or rags
• Hose clamp pliers (Drake Offroad 1725)
• Normal pliers or needle nose
• Sharpie

Install Process

1. Prop the hood up and disconnect the negative battery cable.



2. Open the driver’s door and remove the floor mat. Turn the little knobs 90° and the mat comes right out.



3. Pull up the door sill trim panel. Just grab at one end and pull up. It comes right out. Work your way down it until it’s out.



4. Remove the nut (circled) on the driver kick panel. Once that is removed, pull the panel off. Do so by pulling the panel towards the pedals (like the arrows show), then you can pull it towards the seat and out.



5. Remove the 3 10mm head bolts. Remember that the silver one goes at the door, the other two black ones go in the dash area.



6. Pry off the panel. You can tug on the bottom using your hands. The bottom will pry off, especially around the airbag area, and then you can keep tugging higher on the panel to get it to let go up top by the steering wheel. It’s all held in by clips, just gently but firmly tug, it’ll go.



7. Unplug all wiring going to the panel. In my photo you’ll see the green plugs. That is not stock, so you won’t have that. Just unplug everything electrical. No need to label them, they’re all different.

8. Work on the hood latch release cable. Start by pressing the red-circled tab which holds the release lever to the panel. Press that in to release the lever and then push the lever back until it’s free from the panel. It will still be trapped until you undo the cable from the lever.

Push the trim panel towards the dash and tug on the lever and cable some for some slack. The blue-circled white portion of the cable is locked into the lever housing. Slide it a click sideways, and then a click down and it will come free. Once the white portion is free, tug on the metal cable for some slack, then rotate the cable (green circle location) until it clears the channel in the plastic of the lever. It makes sense once you see it in person.



9. Zip tie the wiring to the side so it’s out of your way for the pedal removal.



10. Unplug the connectors on the front side of the Main Body ECU (MBECU). The two bottom plugs (square white ones) you just press the tab and pull. The bottom right one is a bit tricky because you have to press a bit hard. The upper right white connector you just press in the tab on the left side and pull.



The tall/long plugs stacked on the left side do not make it immediately obvious what to do with them. There is a small locking tab towards the top of each connector. You need to stick a small flat screwdriver between the tab and the top of the connector and push the tab towards. Then you pull on the top of the connector, which will rotate outwards, slowly pulling the plug with it. The pictures show this the best I can.



11. Now that all front plugs are disconnected, remove the 2 10mm nuts holding the MBECU to the metal bracket.



12. Pull the MBECU off the bracket studs and hold to the side.



13. Grab the small relay block clipped to the metal bracket (red circle) and move it out of the way. Remove the 10mm nut (yellow circle) holding the bracket to the dash.



14. Fish the bracket out and set it aside. The MBECU is still held in by plugs on the back.



15. Lay on the floor with your head by the pedals. Hold the MBECU in your left hand and reach behind the MBECU with your right hand and a small screwdriver. The funky plugs that rotate out with the tab release are also on the back. You need to do it by feel - use the screwdriver to free up the tab and then rotate the plugs backwards from the top. It sounds scary but isn’t too bad.



16. With the rest of the plugs removed, the MBECU should now be out of the dash. Set aside in a safe space.

17. Move to under the hood. Time to deal with the clutch hydraulics. The Off-Road and Pro models have a separate clutch reservoir mounted to the fender. The Sport models have a feed hose that pulls brake fluid from the brake reservoir.

OR/Pro:



Sport:



Since mine is an Off-Road, I emptied the reservoir entirely using a turkey baster from target. Similar to a nose plunger you use on a sick kid.



If you have the Sport, it’s a bit different since you’re tied to the brake reservoir. I’d say best move here would be to get some hose pinching pliers to pinch the rubber hose which will stop the flow. Keeping the cap on the brake reservoir will also help keep some vacuum on the fluid to slow it from running out the hose. I think you could just let the hose drain the reservoir, but doing so will waste/lose a bunch of fluid, so pinching the hose with pliers is the best plan.

Automotive 3-piece Line Clamp Pliers Set https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-Automotive-3-piece-Line-Clamp-Pliers-Set/1003096272

18. For OR/Pro owners, now that the reservoir is empty, use hose clamp pliers to grab the hose clamp and remove the hose.



For Sport owners, pinch the line.

19. For OR/Pro owners, pull the hose off and remove the reservoir. Undo the 2 12mm head bolts to remove. Set the reservoir aside.



20. For all owners, now work on the firewall connections. Stuff a bunch of rags/paper towels under the hose and threaded line connections. Use your hose clamp pliers to remove the hose clamp on the supply hose at the firewall. Pull the hose off. You may need some force, and it may help to grab the hose with pliers and twist a bit in order to break the seal between the hose and nipple.



21. Unthread the threaded line connection. Put a 14mm open end wrench on the larger fitting to hold it, and a 10mm on the smaller fitting. Ordinarily I’d suggest a line wrench, but the shape of the truck body blocks a line wrench from reaching the fitting. So, just use a 10mm open end. It’s not really that tight, so it shouldn’t strip.



22. Now that the hydraulics are disconnected, go back into the cab. Disconnect the 2-wire clutch safety switch connector towards the bottom of the clutch pedal assembly.



23. Disconnect the cruise control clutch switch at the top of the clutch pedal bracket. This one was tricky, the tab that you press was facing the firewall and there isn’t much room to reach it. Had to work blindly by feel.



24. Time to remove some pedal bolts. First, remove the black Phillips screw. This one has a 10mm head which is what I used (socket). This secures the hose and threaded line junction plate to the firewall. Use some extensions to reach it with a 10mm socket.



25. Remove the 12mm nut holding the left side of the clutch pedal bracket to the firewall.



26. Remove the 12mm nut holding the right side of the clutch pedal bracket to the firewall.



27. Use a box end of a 12mm wrench to loosen the upper vertical bolt. This one you can just loosen, it hooks into a slotted bracket that has an open end on the slot, so once it’s loose the pedal comes free.



28. With the top bolt loose, the pedal can come out. Pull it forward, then pivot the top towards the seat so that fluid doesn’t spill out of the master cylinder into the carpet. Set the pedal assembly down and admire the piece of junk you’re getting rid of!



29. Take a sharpie and trace where the upper bracket sits against the lower bracket on both sides. The reason for this is because the upper bracket that holds the spring will rotate away as soon as you loosen the nut and bolt for the pedal (due to spring pressure). The sharpie markings give you a good starting point for when you set the new pedal and bracket back up.



30. Loosen the 12mm nut that holds the clutch pedal to the bracket. The upper bracket will pivot away once the bolt is loose and the return spring should fall out.



31. Unthread the hard line (red circle) from the master cylinder using a 10mm line wrench. If you don’t have one, use the 10mm open end from earlier.

Use pliers to pinch the hose clamp (yellow circle) and remove the hose from the master cylinder. You won’t be able to get the hose clamp pliers from earlier onto this clamp because of interference with the bracket.

Remove the 2 12mm head master cylinder bolts (blue circles).



32. Install the new FJ master cylinder in place of the old one. Reinstall the 2 12mm head bolts, hook up the hard line, hook up the hose and clamp.



33. Install the master cylinder boot (red circle). Thread the jam nut (yellow) all the way onto the master cylinder rod. Thread on the clevis (blue).



34. Remove metal bolt sleeve from old pedal. Use disc brake grease to grease up new clutch pedal bushings and sleeve. Install into new pedal (2 bushings and old sleeve). Insert upper bracket into main pedal bracket and line up the bolt holes. Take the new clutch pedal with its bushings and sleeve and align into the bolt holes with the two brackets. Slide the bolt through from the left side, then install nut and washer on right side. Leave loose for now. The photo shows the left side of the assembly, so bolt head side. Nut and washer go on other side.



35. Hook the upper end of the return spring into the curved white bushing attached to the rod of the upper bracket. Install the u-shaped bushing into the new pedal, lubricate with disc brake grease. Insert spring into the pedal u-shaped bushing. Pivot the upper bracket down to where the previously marked sharpie marks line up with the shape of the upper bracket. Snug the pedal bolt, but don’t go too tight.

Slide the wave washer onto the clevis pin. Install the clevis bushing into the pedal. Line up the clevis with the pedal bushing and insert the pin with the washer on it. Rotate the pin so that it locks into the shelf on the metal clevis if using the metal clevis in lieu of the plastic. Slide in the retaining pin on the other side of the pedal.

Adjust the pushrod on the master cylinder using some pliers. You want to lengthen this to where the pedal when fully released, stops on the upper switch (blue circle - cruise control switch). This switch is used to set the pedal height when pedal is fully released.

Make sure to install stopper cushions at all 3 circled locations (red and blue).



36. You’re now ready to reinstall the pedal assembly into the truck. Leave the upper vertical bolt loose, so that you can hang the pedal assembly on the slotted bracket you removed it from. Line up the master cylinder hose nipple and fitting into the firewall hole. Line up pedal bracket holes with the firewall studs. Hang it all up and install the firewallnuts loose. Snug up the upper bolt (the one in the slotted bracket), then tighten down the 2 firewall nuts.

Remaining Steps (no Photos)

37. Tighten down the pedal bolt now that the brackets are secured up top and at the firewall.

38. Reinstall the Philips 10mm head black screw on the firewall (from interior)

39. For OR/Pro owners: reinstall the previously removed reservoir. Hook up the hose and install the clamps. Leave the master cylinder hard line unthreaded at the firewall.

40. Fill the reservoir up with Dot 3, 4, or 5.1 brake fluid. DO NOT USE DOT 5.

41. Wait a minute and see if brake fluid comes out of the threaded hole. Mine did not, so I hooked up the threaded line and did a bunch of the pumps of the pedal. Eventually I built up pressure. Some of the fluid level went down due to air removal, so I filled the reservoir back up. (Sport owners will be doing this through the brake reservoir).

42. Bleed the clutch at the slave cylinder. It helps to have a helper work the pedal, but personally I just let the slave cylinder gravity bleed. Remove the 4 12mm bolts on the transmission slave cylinder heat shield. Crack the bleeder. Monitor the fluid level. After a few minutes it should be good. Reinstall heat shield.

43. Tighten the firewall hard line.

44. Plug back in the two switches on the clutch pedal

45. Plug in the 2 connectors to the back of the MBECU

46. Snake the MBECU bracket into place and snug down the 10mm head nut.

47. Clip the small black relay block to the metal bracket.

48. Slide the MBECU onto the bracket studs and secure the 2 10mm head nuts.

49. Plug in the MBECU front connectors

50. Cut the zip tie securing the dash trim panel wiring (for all the switches)

51. Pull the hood cable through the hole in the trim panel. Secure the white part of the cable to the slot in the lever. It clicks up in, then clicks over sideways.

52. Pull the hood cable itself and hook the metal end into the release lever channel. May take a minute or two to finagle it in there.

53. Clip the hood release lever into the dash trim panel.

54. Plug in all the switch connectors for the dash panel.

55. Install dash panel to dash, push into place.

56. install the 3 bolts, silver one goes at the door, black ones at the center and right positions.

57. Attach the kick panel back into place using its weird angled clips, then fasten the plastic nut.

58. Install the door sill trim by pushing straight down.

59. Reinstall floor mat

60. Go for a drive! This completes the install.

If you have any odd feelings of air in the pedal, give it some time. There’s no great process to ensure all air is removed. I found squeezing the supply hose (from reservoir) helped some. I’d get some air bubbles burped out when I did that. Mostly things work themselves out over time.

It might be helpful to double check the slave cylinder a few days later. Might get some last remaining air out. Otherwise, really just filling the reservoir and pumping the pedal with the hose and line hooked up did the trick for me.

Final Results?!

The pedal now feels great! It doesn’t wobble side to side at all anymore. It’s very secure and has a very positive feel to it. It feels like it should feel now. There’s not much more I can say about it, but I really like it.

Hope this helps, happy shifting!

 

Wow, I feel like I just finished reading War & Peace. Good job I think?

 

Lol. I just wanted to show the whole process which naturally is a lot of steps and takes up a lot of space to illustrate.

 

Great job.. another awesome resource here on TW.
I noticed that the 4th Gen engineers got the memo BTW, steel pedal is back for the 2024+

 

Saw that as well! Good change for sure. I can’t recall if it looked like they’re using the FJ part again or not.

And thanks, I hope it helps others. Main reason it took me 6 months after buying the parts to do it was because I was dreading it. My post might make others not dread it so bad - knowing what I know now it’s not scary at all. Just need all the parts and some time.

 

Was it really worth it?
With that amount of work, you should have put the tranny in too. My$.02

 

It’s a lot of steps but I broke it down into baby steps. I like the result of the pedal swap for sure. The plastic “worked” but it had an annoying side to side wobble and wasn’t very confidence inspiring.

Not sure what the tranny comment means.

 

Step 1: buy an FJ.

 

Great mod and you showed your skills doing it. But I don’t think I would attempt this after reading the post w/photos. Cost + labor = I’ll live with my wobbly clutch pedal. Maybe down the road if it gets really bad.

 

Thank you for posting this. I like the idea of fixing the wobble and grease point at the hinge.
Hopefully by the time I'm really considering this I'll just do an engine swap for v8 power and change the transmission out also.

Changed manual transmission fluid last week thanks to this forum though. Redline made the shifts crisp again.

 

Do you know about how much it ended up costing and do you have the accumulator delete mod also?

 

Attn Mods - I think this one deserves a sticky!

 

I got the parts for a bit cheaper off a forum member. I’d guess buying all the parts is around $200. It can be done a few different ways, such as using the plastic clevis that comes with the MC I have, or ordering the separate metal clevis from the Land Cruiser that adds additional cost.

Yes, I did the dremel mod on the accumulator.

 

Very good write up, nice job.
Thanks for adding this resource.

Mods: This should be a sticky.

 

I’ll try to pay more attention to side to side wobble. Could you help me understand the “positive” feel part? I’m curious about that.

My ‘05 has a cracked pedal under the rubber pad, corner missing, so it seems like the more likely candidate for the swap if I attempt it. But it also seems like a lot of work and tough to know what the return is.

 

It’s hard to describe in words the difference, but I’ll try.

The biggest thing would be the side to side play. You don’t really feel that when you press the clutch, although maybe a little bit. Throughout all of this, I learned that the cruise control switch (the one at the top of the pedal) is literally the stopper that controls the height of the pedal when it’s fully out. Threading that switch in or out controls how early or late the pedal stops.

the plastic pedal as I said wobbles a bit side to side. Mainly just because it’s not a firm chunk of metal like the metal pedal is. When the pedal is actuating and returning, it mostly goes straight. When it hits the stopper, the pedal actually cocks over a tad and goes a bit crooked. It just looks hokey. When you press the pedal initially, at least in mine, you could feel the pedal shift from crooked back to straight once you press it enough to not be resting on the stopper anymore.

the actual actuation of the pedal feels about the same, maybe a bit more rigid? That could just be the solid hookup of the clevis vs that weird pecker looking thing that engages the plastic pedal. There is definitely less free play with this setup, the pedal pretty much is immediately firm when you start to press it.

don’t take any of this to mean the plastic pedal doesn’t work…it definitely does, clearly. The best way I can describe the result is that the plastic is fine, this is better or improved.

ROI is going to be subjective. I like the result, but I also love to tinker. I put this off for a long time not sure if I should dive in or not. At the end of the day, this isn’t much different than me diving headfirst into other jeep or truck mods and like anything, I got the hang of it once in there. I got a practice run a week ago where I got all the way in and realized I didn’t have all the parts, so that really built my confidence up because I already knew what I was getting into today.

 

Sorry, don't mean to sound like a dick head. It just seems to be a lot of work just to swap out a pedal.

 

No worries. Like I said, it’s a lot easier than it seems. It’s a lot of steps but that’s because I broke it down as far as I could. Most of the steps are stupid simple. Overall it was less than 2 hours for me, so not too bad. At roughly $200 the ROI is subjective and totally up to the owner; I think it was worth it.

 

This is a solid write up. Looks like you're taking some flak for the extensive documentation, but for something like this, you want the baby steps. My 3rd gen has the side-to-side play, but I only really notice it when I'm barefoot. If I ever feel the need to replace my clutch pedal, this is the how-to I'm going to use. Thanks for taking the leap and documenting it as well as you did.

 

Yeah it’s a great write up. I’m not gonna lie that I’m mildly intimidated, and not at all by any of the trim removal or sensors as I’ve already added clutch start cancel and cruise on the ‘05 Taco. I probably would need a full day I think, time and space. As I’d make it more complicated by doing some wiring with the parts out of the way.