The welded pair of washers (two different sizes) are shown as red and black in the diagram and are welded to the pushrod and move with it as the brake pedal is pressed. The bigger loose washer in the photo (pink in the diagram) stops the whole lot falling out when the pedal comes forward on brake release. It is stopped from coming right out by the circlip (blue) which is part of the master cylinder assembly.
So, to put it together, remove circlip, insert pushrod, slide loose washer into master cylinder and position circlip over it and in master cylinder groove.
The bottom line is that it's a bit of a bodge (though a safe one, I think). If the welded washers part company with the pushrod, the pushrod will try to escape as the pedal falls forward after my foot comes off it. The pedal will actually be held by a cable tie strung between the top of the pedal and the pedal box bulkhead (unless that breaks as well..).
I am curious to know how other people's brake linkages are put together.
The master cylinder is the same as the Sierra donor car's item which has no integral pushrod since it was bolted on the front of the servo in the Sierra. I have seen some with integral pushrods (e.g. http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/s ... &PT_ID=all).
David