Clutch cable broken again !!!

[Chris B.]

Dear All,

The car was bought with a cable of about 4 mm this lasted about 2 years, i replaced it with a new one from Caterham it snapped after about 500 miles at pedal end this cable was about .50 mm smaller in dia.This process has been repeated 4 times now, i have checked for free movement at pedal end this seems ok, I have run oil down new cable this made clutch nice and light but it broke again this morning.

Car is a B.D.R. same as crossflow i think. Third cable came from Redline and is the same as Caterhm one. Does any one have any advice?

Thanks Chris.

[shn7]

Fit a pedal stop. I suspect you are putting too much pressure on it when you depress the pedal. Either that or do you have a rough edge where it exits the pedal box if this is where it's breaking.

 

Steve.

Sussex (West) AR

Not forgetting Percy the Polar Bear

[Chris B.]

It always breaks right at the point where the bowden cable goes into the steel fixing at the pedal end suggesting the cable is being bent by going to far in its arc of movement. i thought it would be a bit better engineered than this.

Regards Chris.

[simon metcalfe]

Hi Chris, apologies if this is stating the obvious but is the cable attatchment to the pedal loose and pivoting? I've seen the cables either seize up through no lubrication or even tightened right up which leads to the cable failing.

[Chris B.]

clutch pivot is moving freely,as steve sugested i think maybe at the extreme of pedal travel i might be bending the cable, do other cables last for years?

Regards Chris.

[Drumster]

I never replaced clutch cable on my x/flow. 9 years, 40,000 miles and counting........

 

Chris Alston

C7CAT 1800 Supersprint

R248.89 ....and then I jumped in

[Chris B.]

I am doing something wrong then,and i thought clutch cable replacement would be easy !

Chris.

[I.Mupferit]

Have you got the cable with the adjustable collar at both ends? If so and you have the adjustment wound too far into the pedal box, when you depress the clutch the cable end assumes a very awkward angle which will break it prematurely. You need to keep the adjustment wound out of the pedal box as far as is practicable.

 

When you replace the cable, get someone else to depress the clutch while you watch what happens and I think you will see what I mean.

 

Brent

(aka Arfur Nayo)

 

2.3 DURATEC SV You know when you've been AMMO'd 😬

R470.69 😬

[Chris B.]

Yes the cable is adjustable at both ends,i just fitted cable as it was fitted in first instance, i have never had any one operate it with me watching, i think i will buy cable No 5 and look very carefully at the operation of it,it cant be faulty cables if some are lasting 9 years.

i seem to be doing my own bulk buy of cables!!

Regards Chris.

[Phil]

Where the cable is bolted to the clutch pedal, if it is tight it will bend the cable and brake every time in the place you have pionted out.

Slacken the bolt going through the top of the clutch pedal and the banjo type end of the cable will move freely and stay in line when you operate the clutch, it will last for years.

 

QCC1148 QH clutch cable fits perfectly and it is a lot cheaper.

 

FreeRange7

 

[Johnty Lyons]

Brent 's abservation is the correct one You MUST keep the outer sleeve as far out of the pedal box as you can otherwise the inner drags rounda sharp bend every time you depress the clutch and saws through the cable Start your cable install with that position fixed and make the necessary adjustment at tother end

 

jj

N.I. L7C AR 🙆🏻

Membership No.3927.

 

[Jason Plato]

Easy to solve

the pedal is chaffing the cable as the pedal moves through its arc

file verticaly the pedal / nipple entry and then check

[Wrightpayne]

Chris,

 

 

I seem to remember that the build manual that the location of the pedals can exasperate the problem. Front and middle position OK, the rear pivot point can cause problems.

 

 

Regards

 

Ian