Clutch Cables?

Hi All,

I just brought home a kit that I purchased on ebay a couple of months ago. I'm been starting to play around with getting it running and I noticed that the clutch cable seems to be an original length VW cable looped and shortened with a couple of cable clamps. This definitely seems a to be to primitive of a patch for my taste. So what does one do? Does a standard 356 cable work or do I need to get a custom cable from one of the replica mfgrs? It is an older CMC.

Thanks,

Tony

Tony ..
This patchwork was the method prescribed by Fiberfab and CMC
(Classis Motor Carriages)in earlier replica speedsters. You have a stock cable that has been shortened and clamped back together ...In time, it breakes where it is looped.

Order a clutch cable from Vintage Speedsters "Kirk" has them pre-shortened to the proper length......Alan M

Thanks Alan,

I'll give Kirk a call.

Cosider putting a CNC hydraulic clutch in.

Mike

If it still has the threaded end on it cut it a couple of inches below the thread and attach with 2-3 clamps.

Jerome

Mine was wrapped/clamped like yours when I bought it. Kirk sell shortned cables for $15?? or so. A bargan.
ed

For $15 bucks I like the idea of a shortened cable. Hydraulic! I hadn't thought of that! I guess I still like the idea of a shortened cable, seemd clean and simple.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

While you're messing around in that area, check the Bowdin Tube. If it's worn or old, replace it ($6)
ed

Boden tube ........ also be sure that it has the correct bend to it or the clutch will chatter ! FYI to increase the bend, just install washers on the one end , this will cause the tube to bend / arch

Alan, why is that? I know when I put a new bodin tube on mine it took a couple of tries to get the right # of washers in there. I've had cars with cable clutches before and don't remember any kind of tensioning tube on them.
ed

Ed,

Should the cable be left straight, under acceleration it would "pull" on the clutch arm and release the clutch a bit, it will will chatter . When the Boden tube is installed properly with the arch in place( washers added to the one end of the tube) this allows for movement and reduces the chance of the cable /clutch chatter. Another example of this, if... a front trans mount is loose and or broken under acdceleration the clutch will chatter and slip.

The remaining question is it Bodin tube or Boden tube :~> ?

I was a VDub mechanic for around 5 years in my late teens and early twenties. Remember Rveeco Oil Coolers? I worked for those guys. I must have built dozens and dozens of motors for them. I'm 45 now and had forgotten all about the bend in the bodin tube and the washer/spacers. I think we used to use the real thick washers off the crankcase main bearing studs. I also remember using a hole saw on the pan tunnel to go in and clamp down the metal clutch tube when its welds inside the tunnel broke. I remember the the same kind of clutch chattering happening from that as well.I also remember what a miserable job it was, having to try and reach inside the tunnel and getting my hands all cut up right were the hole saw was used.... Reading stuff on this site is sometimes like an LSD flashback, all the memories come flooding back.

Hole saw "hole" will do that!
What I do is cut a three sided "flapped" opening , then bend it up and out of the way ,take a piece of duct tape and line the rough edges to protect your hands from getting cut and scraped, do the necessary repair, remove the tape and bend the flap back to it's original position and weld it back in place.....Alan

Thanks Alan.
The Chirco VW catalogue spells it "bodin" so I'll go with them. Don't have my J. Muir book at work so I can't check it.

I found a flap cut in my tunnel by some previous owner. It really came in handy. The clutch tube in mine is adrift fore and aft in the tunnel. I put a new cable in and its working fine, no noise and no wear yet. My last shortened cable only lasted about 4k miles as it was fouling the back of the clutch tube where the bodin tube attaches. I had to adjust the clutch every 400 miles or so as the cable lost another strand and stretched more. It was sawing thru the clutch cable tube because the bodin tube was mis-aligned.
ed

When installing a new Bowden tube , be sure the "curve" is per the manual. If it curves the wrong way (can't remember if it was up or down), then the cable exits the tube rubbing on the sleeve and you will be walking home soon. Also, a little grease on the entire cable does wonders for lightening up the clutch. I cut my clutch pedal effort about in half after greasing my new cable. I've had good success with triple cable clamps connecting the original threaded clutch arm end to a new stock length VW cable (well, a little over 5000 miles) with no sign of deterioration.