Clutch cable link pin

[VeeDubMan]

My van's off to VoodooVW tomorrow to get sorted for it's MOT (I hope!) but putting it away in the garage tonight, my left foot suddenly went to the floor as though the clutch cable had snapped! Fortunately, I've got an inspection pit so found the problem quickly. Turns out this had snapped (the spindle bit had come away from the flatter section:

I ended up just putting a nut and bolt through it which seemed more secure anyway. Got me thinking though, what is the point in these linkage pins? Just convenient to use and replace when fitting a new cable?

 

[Happystamps]

Yeah, pretty much. You also don't have the option of tightening it too much, which could hold the cable at a fixed angle in relation to the pedal arm, making the clutch biting point a bit "unpredictable"