K Series Accelerator Cable - Cheap Alternative

[revilla]

Whilst adjusting my accelerator cable and pedal stop I decided to replace the entire tatty old cable, however although plenty of sources came up on a Google search for the SBB10176 (Metro 1.4 16V RHD) cable, almost none of them actually had any stock at all when contacted, so it seems supplies are running out. Redline were the only place I could find that did have stock of them, but at £38 they seemed pretty expensive, so I decided to experiment ...

 

For £3.68 Rimmer Brothers stock SBB10097 which is described as being for the Metro 16V Manual Petrol RHD Single Point Injection Standard Performance. This cable is slightly shorter and has different throttle body fittings. It also has various bits crimped to the inner cable which made it unusable, so I cut the inner cable and discarded it. The throttle body end has the same 8mm threaded section, so it was quite easy to unscrew the square plastic fitting from the old cable and transfer it to the new cable in place of the metal nuts originally fitted. I then replaced the inner cable with a much more robust one from MGB cable AHH8462 which is available on eBay and elsewhere for £3.95 delivered. The inner cable needs cutting down to about 79cm in length. I put a couple of drops of superglue on the cable where I wanted to cut it and let it penetrate and bind the strands for a centimetre or so, then sliced it through with a small cutting wheel on a Dremel. A universal 7.5mm x 5.5mm solderless nipple like this for £0.99 then completed the cable and provided a much more satisfactory attachment at the pedal end.

 

The 8mm threaded section on the throttle body end has a small groove around it where the thread is missing, which slightly limits the adjustment range available at that end of the cable, but the solderless nipple provides complete flexibility of adjustment at the pedal end without having to bend the pedal to take up slack. Once adjusted, I tightened it up securely put a drop of Loctite on it to keep it in place.

 

The resulting cable is actually 11cm shorter than the original but as you can see in the photographs below, is still a comfortable fit, in fact possibly better than the standard cable, and operated smoothly.

 

JOB DONE - TOTAL COST £8.62 - AS GOOD AS NEW (IF NOT BETTER)

 

It may not be to everyone's taste and it may or may not work as well on other engines (mine is an EU3 VVC 160) but I just wanted to share it in case anyone else found them short of a cable in the future and didn't feel like parting with £38.

 

PS: I bought another one of the MGB cables, cut the inner down to size, slipped a nipple end on it, coiled it up in a packet and put it in the boot as a spare for touring. Takes no space at all, weighs next to nothing and cost me £4.94.

 

http://www.revilla.plus.com/CableFitting.jpg

http://www.revilla.plus.com/PedalAttachment.jpg

 

 

Edited by - revilla on 26 Jan 2014 21:35:58

 

Edited by - revilla on 28 Jan 2014 16:58:40

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

That 99p screw nipple would be good with my spare bicycle inner cable spare throttle cable

[revilla]

Just make sure if you Google for "Screw Nipple" you have safe search turned on 😳

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Ordered two via your link. Cheers

[Dave B]

I use a cycle brake cable with my jenveys, with a solderless nipple at the throttle pedal end. Works a treat and very cheap.

 

Dave B