So how long should a clutch cable last?

[Nugsy]

Hi All, had my engine out February to tidy things up and put an new clutch cable/Bowden tube in. Mileage was around 1800

Just done a two week stint driving round France and covered around 1500 miles, Coventry to Dover, to Calais, Disneyland, across country to Eu and up to Le Touqet then back up to Calais. We stopped in Luton on the way back from Dover and noticed the pedal seemed a bit loose. Got back on the motorway and back to Coventry. Pulled up outside the house Friday night and the bus wanted to stall when stopped.

Saturday I took the rear wheel off, and managed to take up the slack and return the pedal to somewhere near normal. Then got back in and pressed the clutch a few times. Next thing big twang and pedal fell to the floor. Looked underneath and the cable was hanging down. It has snapped right where all the braiding meets the crimped bit that hooks into the pedal body. The cable seemed to be a two lots twined together (bought from JK)

So in all a new clutch cable lasted only 1700 miles before failing. Is this normal?

 

[aspro]

Looks like you may have adjusted it too tight. Should have had an inch of slack at the pedal.

 

[midlandpaintwerks]

Look at these pics and see if it helps , i've seen a lot that have snaped because of this.
http://www.midlandpaintwerks.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Trikky2]

So how long should a clutch cable last?

Mine is still the original @ 140K

 

[RePhil]

Nugsy,
Glad you got back OK before it broke. Shout if you need a hand or bigger hammer!

MPW love the drawings - love the stuff we can do nowadays on powerpoint

Seriously though, I think you are showing that the cable attachment should be able to rotate freely about the pedal arm otherwise it will bend the cable each time you press the clutch & snap the cable.

Are you saying that :-
A) It's been incorrectly installed & we need to take care,
B) The arm is corroded, or similar, & prevents the cable from moving about,
C) The cable attachment is incorrectly manufactured ( i.e. too small internally)

Interested Phil.

 

[RePhil]

Or

D) Other.

 

[midlandpaintwerks]

Nugsy,
Glad you got back OK before it broke. Shout if you need a hand or bigger hammer!

MPW love the drawings - love the stuff we can do nowadays on powerpoint

Seriously though, I think you are showing that the cable attachment should be able to rotate freely about the pedal arm otherwise it will bend the cable each time you press the clutch & snap the cable.

Are you saying that :-
A) It's been incorrectly installed & we need to take care,
B) The arm is corroded, or similar, & prevents the cable from moving about,
C) The cable attachment is incorrectly manufactured ( i.e. too small internally)

Interested Phil.

They are not my drawings, got them off samba.
I am not saying this is the case here but check how its fitted as the drawings show you what happens when its been incorrectly installed .

 

[justcruzin]

I replaced my original cable just because. There was nothing wrong with it (although the clevis was almost worn in half). My new cable only lasted about 2 months of daily driving back and forth to work. It broke in the same manner as you described. I took it back to where I bought it and they gave me another new one. This time a friend put some shrink wrap around the clevis and down the cable a bit. Figured that would help hold things together. About 3 months later, it failed. I am now on my third cable and 'knock on wood' so far so good. This one has been in a few months now. I really think it is just bad manufacturing. I know I had my clevis in right both times. I have my original and I carry if for a spare now. If this one breaks, I plan on putting the original back in it and using a new one as the spare. LOL

 

[Nugsy]

Hi again and thank you for the responses. I read a few things about having slack in the cable but if im honest didn't quite get it. I bought the correct cable for my bus presuming everything was stock. The cable itself when fitted had about 10mm of thread showing out the wing nut so was pretty much as loose as it could be. The pedal went down about a 3rd of the way before it felt like it was doing anything. I also fitted a new clevis pin thing but kept the old one as a spare. The ne cable was a Gemco or whatever and they seem to be the only ones available unless anyone knows any better.

cheers Phil for the offer, yeah it was a close one and couldn't believe it actually broke as we pulled up, bless him Otiz he knew he had to get us home

MPW loved the pics and the faces guilt tripping you to get it right. I'd imagine the pin in the clevis that goes through the cable end should sit in the right place, maybe a bit of light oil or grease to lube it to get it to swivel freely.

If the rain stops gunna try and get under it to fit a new cable

 

[Nugsy]

Look at these pics and see if it helps , i've seen a lot that have snaped because of this.
http://www.midlandpaintwerks.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

After looking at these i think thats exactly what my problem was. The little cam bracked thing on the pedal was the wrong way round. The guy i bought it off in the states said he had replaced the cable 3 times in a year. I had done it not so long back. When i did i noticed it was routing under the bus wrong (around a big washer thing near the brake servo). Had a good look at the back of the pedal the other night when i did it and it was in the 'ouch' position in the first pics (can see where its wore the straight side of the cam)

Fingers crossed i'll get teh 140k out of it now lol


Thanks for all your help/comments on this esp MPW for the pics