Clutch cable pulled out of nipple at pedal some 50 miles from home.
Managed to drive it to within 2 blocks from home, but could not time it for last set of traffic lights.
Drives and shifts OK without clutch but once stopped your done.
Easy but fiddly job when car is on lift, but no way I could have done it on the road side.
BE WARNED lol.
Steve
broke clutch cable
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EricStarmer
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:51 pm
- Location: USA
Re: broke clutch cable
Definitely not recommended, but if you are desperate (maybe on the railroad tracks and the train is coming 
) you can do what I did in my Fiat Spyder when the clutch went out and you need to get going from a dead stop - engage 2nd or 3rd gear and then use the starter to get you up to speed (not sure if the Triking starter is powerful enough for this, as fortunately I haven't tried it 
)
) you can do what I did in my Fiat Spyder when the clutch went out and you need to get going from a dead stop - engage 2nd or 3rd gear and then use the starter to get you up to speed (not sure if the Triking starter is powerful enough for this, as fortunately I haven't tried it )Re: broke clutch cable
Why did the wire pull out of the nipple, in this case a trumpet?
Hmmm. I may have put this on here before somewhere.
This is my home-made Bowden cable clamp/crimper.
Copes with carb inner wires up to heavy brake cables.
Construction: Bolt 2 pieces of stout m/s plate together with a sheet of not-too-thin paper between. Drill hole on split line same size as inner wire, countersink one end of hole.
When paper is removed, it should grip the wire.
Method:
Thread the nipple onto the wire.
Clamp over the wire then cut off to length with a disk cutter. (No fraying.)
Move the cable out of the clamp by a mil or 2, tighten clamp down, then (with clamp in a vice) spread out the strands with a centre punch giving a half ‘birdcage’.
Remove clamp.
Pull nipple into position over spread cable, into the counterbore of the nipple.
Now to solder.
Don’t use a flame, it will overhead the cable and make it brittle and will break.
Use a solder pot half filled with plumber’s tin/lead solder which you heat up with the flame.
Dip nipple and cable into paste flux then dip into the solder pot. You may need to dip in again till the solder cools down a bit, thus filling the nipple reservoir.
Cool down then file/grind off excess to size.
Or you could use a heavy weight soldering iron.
Hmmm. I may have put this on here before somewhere.
This is my home-made Bowden cable clamp/crimper.
Copes with carb inner wires up to heavy brake cables.
Construction: Bolt 2 pieces of stout m/s plate together with a sheet of not-too-thin paper between. Drill hole on split line same size as inner wire, countersink one end of hole.
When paper is removed, it should grip the wire.
Method:
Thread the nipple onto the wire.
Clamp over the wire then cut off to length with a disk cutter. (No fraying.)
Move the cable out of the clamp by a mil or 2, tighten clamp down, then (with clamp in a vice) spread out the strands with a centre punch giving a half ‘birdcage’.
Remove clamp.
Pull nipple into position over spread cable, into the counterbore of the nipple.
Now to solder.
Don’t use a flame, it will overhead the cable and make it brittle and will break.
Use a solder pot half filled with plumber’s tin/lead solder which you heat up with the flame.
Dip nipple and cable into paste flux then dip into the solder pot. You may need to dip in again till the solder cools down a bit, thus filling the nipple reservoir.
Cool down then file/grind off excess to size.
Or you could use a heavy weight soldering iron.
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Re: broke clutch cable
Made lots of cables over the years using similar to your method, but large iron. Must make a pot!
Decided to fix the existing cable as nipple was on the floor. Could not get the inner cable to take solder even with lots of scuffing and Bakers fluid so low temp silver solder which worked OK. Not going to trust this due to temperature effects on cable. Had a new cable overnighted from MG Cycle in the US.
Getting access to the clutch arm was the real inhibiter to road side fix. Might be easier on space frame later models.
Tried moving off in gear by using starter, but just bucked and kicked.
Pushing 2 blocks is not the best exercise at 71.
Steve
Decided to fix the existing cable as nipple was on the floor. Could not get the inner cable to take solder even with lots of scuffing and Bakers fluid so low temp silver solder which worked OK. Not going to trust this due to temperature effects on cable. Had a new cable overnighted from MG Cycle in the US.
Getting access to the clutch arm was the real inhibiter to road side fix. Might be easier on space frame later models.
Tried moving off in gear by using starter, but just bucked and kicked.
Pushing 2 blocks is not the best exercise at 71.
Steve
Re: broke clutch cable
The inners on modern Bowden cables are usually stainless steel wire so solder will not take to it regardless of technique and flux choice. The potting idea works because you are setting a block of solder around the cores.
Unusual for a nipple to pull off the cable. They are mostly crimped on now.
Unusual for a nipple to pull off the cable. They are mostly crimped on now.
Re: broke clutch cable
The answer then is to buy galvanised wire rope available from venhill.co.uk
Re: broke clutch cable
Venhill sounds like a plan.
I have plenty of good outer cables so a few yards of inner will go a long way.
One of the disadvantages of living in Calgary is most things have to be mail ordered. When I grew up in London everything could be found locally.
I have plenty of good outer cables so a few yards of inner will go a long way.
One of the disadvantages of living in Calgary is most things have to be mail ordered. When I grew up in London everything could be found locally.