Clutch Pedal hits the floor!

[Wishart]

Reversing the bus off the drive and went to put it in first and the clutch pedal hit the floor - clutch cable gone?

The gear change has been pretty rough for the last few days and im guessing i should have taken this as a sign to check the cable :roll:

Ive never replaced a clutch cable before - how hard is it to do and can i do it myself?

The bus is rather low so this may prove a hinderence when doing it

 

[Toad]

Dead easy job (it will be easier with the front jacked up and on stands).
First check though that the clevice pin has not just failed (this is the pin that connects the front end of the cable to the pedal assembly under the cab floor). If its just that you can get them for less than a quid from GSF.
If its the cable, simply pull out the old cable, and then slip a new one in its place (probably worth fitting a new clevice pin and adjusting wing nut (at the gearbox end) as these bits are so cheap.
Job done. Half hour max
Have fun mate
Oh make sure you disconnect the battery prior to doing any work like this (safety first hey)

Oh and if it is just the clevice pin thats failed and you need a quick fix, just put a bolt (and nut) through in its place- at least it gets the clutch working again.

 

[Wishart]

Right cool, next problem.....

Just been to GSF :roll: and as usual they dont have the 'early' 71 cable so i plumped for the 'later' '71 cable knowing full well that it probably wont work.... but will it? Just need a yes or a no before i start trying to get the bugger jacked up :lol:

 

[Harlequin]

VW heritage list 3 for lhd/rhd '71s very close if your Lhd

Clutch cable, 8/67-7/71, LHD 3200mm
Clutch cable, 8/69-7/71, RHD 3245mm
Clutch cable, 8/71-79, L/RHD 3215mm

 

[Wishart]

im a RHD bus, but assuming that the differences will be much the same, i dont like the look of the 30mm difference between early/late 71s

 

[Tofufi]

im a RHD bus, but assuming that the differences will be much the same, i dont like the look of the 30mm difference between early/late 71s

Those late '71s are '72 models. If you have the crescent shaped rear vents, you need the earlier cable.

 

[Wishart]

think a local lad might have a spare one i can 'borrow'

 

[Wishart]

its not the cable :roll:

I forgot to say that the pedal is still in its normal 'up' position and not still on the floor. And with the help of a mate today we could see that the pedal still operates the cable and lever at the gearbox end.

We are thinking it could be the release bearing but it has been suggested that the metal conduit that carries the cable under the bus may have 'come away' from its welds?? Ive got belly pans which appear to be pretty crudely welded onto the chassis and im really not in the mood for trying to get them off to check

 

[froggy]

Dont want to be the bearer of bad news but it might be worth checking out my recent thread concerning roughly the same issue

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15316

 

[Wishart]

i saw your thread the other day - it scared me a little

still, i wont know whats up till we drop it and have a look. Im hoping its just the release bearing but im quite prepared for the worst now

 

[bobley]

The conduit under the load bed runs pretty straight. If it came off its welds it may clank a bit but it just needs to protect the cable and guide it in the right direction. It wouldn't change the effective stroke at the clutch arm by a significant amount. I'm busy in the evenings until thursday night but after that I'm free pretty much anytime if you want a hand with a big trolley jack to pull the engine.

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

I'm with froggy,it's probably the release arm thats failed.Just replace with a heavy duty kit and maybe even weld the new arm a bit more if it hasn't been welded all round.It's not terrible news the parts aren't that expensive and you could tackle it all yourself.

 

[Wishart]

The conduit under the load bed runs pretty straight. If it came off its welds it may clank a bit but it just needs to protect the cable and guide it in the right direction. It wouldn't change the effective stroke at the clutch arm by a significant amount. I'm busy in the evenings until thursday night but after that I'm free pretty much anytime if you want a hand with a big trolley jack to pull the engine.

Cheers Bobley,

Ive got a few hands and a trolley jack for the job, but i may give ou a shout if we're struggling

 

[Wishart]

pm'd you Bobley