Clutch cable keeps breaking

What would cause my clutch cable to keep breaking? Could it be the pully sysem? It breaks where it goes around the pully that is mounted on the trans. I'm only getting around 3,000 miles on them and I notice the cluth is out of adjustment, I get under and it is fraying around the pully. This is the third cable since I put the Kennedy in.

Maybe there is a reason VW never put a pulley system on their transaxles? are there any burrs on the pulley? I've never seen the pulley system installed. If it creates an excessive angle in the cable that the cable was never intended to reach, this might create excessive wear and breakage from metal fatigue? Just guessing...

If you need to come by and use my lift, call me 714-376-5634

Dude, with your recent turn of events, we should change your name to Schleprock! Wowzee, wowzee, woo, woo!

Not sure of the need for the second "woo" Bob.

What pulley system, Mark? Is this something you added? I gotta say, I'm real fan of hydraulic now that I got mine working.

OK, that is a new one on me. Is this something unique to CMC? I have never even heard of a pulley being on the clutch cable back at the transmission end. Either that or I just can't remember sh*t anymore (and that explanation is highly probable). Anybody got a picture?

There is a vendor on the Samba that sells a pulley set up to make the clutch pedal easier....I can see why it breaks and would go back to the stock set up unless upgrading to a hyd unit.

It sounds like you have a design problem or a materials problem.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a pulley system if it is engineered correctly. Many airplanes and boats use them for controls. I would check the size of the wire sheave vs. the size of the cable to make sure they mate correctly. It could also be that the pulley diameter is too small forcing the cable to make too sharp of a bend. A larger diameter pulley or, if no room for that, 2 pulleys to decrease apparent angle of bend, may work. Galvanized cable will outlast stainless cable by a long shot also. You may need a cable with more, but finer, strands that can withstand the angle of bend. A local machine shop may be a good bet. The fit of the sheave and cable are critical. Good luck, and please let others know the outcome.

Got pic's??

I'd like to see this one. It's a new one on me. My first gut feeling is to get some 3/8 steel pipe from a hardware store like ACE, and plumb it like a bug.

The way Alan said.. If you can get into the tunnel to spot wield it in correctly?

Cheapest BEST FIX!!

Yeah Bob, I REEAALLLY need to get in my car again and blow off some steam.... This is going to be an interesting year.
It's kind of like this picture I found, but mines a little cleaner....... I'm just sayin...Roland....You out there?...

I assume that the cable is broken in that picture. Looks like it might make it easier, at the expense of longer travel. My vote is for hydraulic or stock, in that order.

Some early Spyders used a pulley system to get the required action reversal...... As stated, check the pulley for burrs or other damage, including bushing/bearing wear....Make sure the cable is entering and exiting the groove without trying to climb over either side ( critical ).....Pulley diameter should be over 7 inches to keep from stressing the cable. ( on a Spyder.)
Spyders used a half wrap around the pulley.....

914's use a pulley. It works fine. I would say there is something wrong with THIS pulley system in particular (either the design or the materials/execution). Pulley systems in general work just fine.

If you can't find an obvious fault in the system (big ugly burr etc), then I would say as suggested above - ditch it.

angela

That pulley looks to be less than 2" in diameter.

Mark, I think that's probably too tight of a loop around the pulley. The diagram seems to show the pulley isn't anchored to a fixed object, yet the cable is. You're asking to pulley to do what convention asks of the cable, which is to move the lever.
If I were in the same position as you, I would suggest scrapping that system entirely and reverting to the Speedster-standard shortened cable. Otherwise, it seems to me you could re-engineer that pulley so that IT was mounted to the side cover plate, and the cable would travel under the roller and then travel to the clutch fork.
Another alternative, and I did this to a mild degree last time, is to put a Phillips screwdriver into the cable's guide tube and bend it just so slightly upward -- or to whatever angle it needs to be at in order to aim right at the fork in its halfway position, then use a brake-line flaring tool to widen out the mouth of the tube to further reduce friction.
It worked like a champ for me.

I'm with Lane. I've only owned my Speedster for 1 year and already on my second cable. When it comes out if cold storage, a hydraulic clutch is going in.

Mark give me a call we should be able to figure something out I'm around the corner from you now Roland

had the same problem. got rid of the pulley.....problem solved !