clutch cable

[agbucks]

over the past 12months i have had 2 clutch cables break on my superlight r (coincidentally both on a track day at oulton and both times going into the knicker brook chicane).

the cable breaks away from the fitting at the pedal end inside the pedal box cover.

anyone else experienced this on 6-speed boxes or in general? any solution or is this considered normal wear and tear?

andy.

 

 

[Mcalvert]

Andy,

 

I had exactly the same thing on my car in the first 6 months of ownership - although rather an older car, I doubt that the clutch cable arrangement is any different.

 

The problem for me was this: The eye on the end oc the cable is supposed to pivot as the pedal moves - if it siezes, then the cable itself bends every time the pedal is depressed. Adjusting the tightness of the nut holding the cable in, and a bit of grease every 6 months and I've never had one snap again.

 

Hope this helps you too - Michael.

[agbucks]

michael, thanks.

 

the end of the cable fitting actually rotates on a pin through the pedal, the pin being secured by an 'r' clip.

maybe best approach is to apply some grease on the locating pin (and a spare cable in the boot!).

 

 

[Lawrence_Z]

check you don't have too much threaded adjuster in the pedal box...this can cause a more acute angle for the inner cable, to the pedal.

 

If you do, then loosen off as much as possible, and take up the play with the bellhousing adjuster.

 

Lawrence

[agbucks]

lawrence,

 

i think that could well be the cause of the problem.

 

i will adjust and minimise the length of thread inside the pedal box (so long as it doesnt cause a problem at the bell housing end of the cable....).

 

cheers, andy

 

 

[Tarek]

Out of interest, could this (or similar) explain why my clutch seems to be getting heavier by the week? Any worse and I'm going to need a run-up to depress the clutch! I onlt ask cos I mentioned it in passing to a mate who "knows a bit" about cars and he said it might be the clutch cable - but wouldn't elaborate.

[F355GTS]

Tarek

 

the cable has a nylon coating that runs in the outer sleeve, this wears through and causes friction on the cable. I'd be pretty sure a change of cable will see you back to a nice easy clutch operation

 

Mark

[Tarek]

Thanks Mark. I'll be buying one of them then!

[Jason Plato]

Another common problem is that at the top of the clutch pedal the on full depression the metal of the pedal can chaff away at the cable . This is at the point just under the cable where it attaches to the pedal with the R clip .

The cure is to file away the section so that it no longer makes conatact .

 

I had this problem for a while a few years back and got through 3 cables in 2 years . Never happened since .

 

Dave

[agbucks]

thanks dave - that looks like the problem.

 

cheers, andy.