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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ A Frayed Clutch Cable Screwed Up My Day
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 13 2016, 05:58 PM
Right after I bought my latest '73 914, I went to adjust the clutch and I noticed the cable was a bit frayed. I ordered the stuff from Pelican, it's not here and I tempted fate. Well, it broke on the way home today from cars 'n coffee and it made for an interesting and frustrating afternoon. Of course, all the cable end parts are gone too, and I couldn't find anything in the street. More to order from Pelican.
Moral of the story: inspect your clutch cable routinely, and if it is AT ALL coming apart, it's GOING to break.
Posted by: The Cabinetmaker Feb 13 2016, 06:25 PM
Happened more that once. Just drive it home with no clutch. Not that hard.
Posted by: ndfrigi Feb 13 2016, 06:39 PM
I'm IN Lawrence!
This morning heading home from Cars and Coffee!
Less than 3 miles away to home, from stop light my Tach was bouncing between 3,500 and 4,000 rpm but the actual rev is just on idle. When the light turn green and about to roll, engine died. Scary i was at the middle lane of 7 lines and good after all cars from stop made the road clear and I was able to push the car to the right corner by the bus stop. It cranks well but wont engage the engine. Maybe fuel pump or relay?
Posted by: BeatNavy Feb 13 2016, 06:41 PM
Wow, it's a cars and coffee flatbed thread. Bad luck, fellas 
Posted by: r_towle Feb 13 2016, 06:43 PM
Thou shall never ignore a frayed clutch cable.
Buy two, keep a spare.
Also buy an acceleration cable.
Posted by: Mikey914 Feb 13 2016, 07:25 PM
Frayed clutch cable can be an indicator that the ground may need to be replaced. If the ground is bad at the transmission, the next shortest path is the clutch cable. Well worth checking. Especially if you have a re occurring theme.
Posted by: colingreene Feb 13 2016, 07:48 PM
Lawrence, I told you i have one at home.
Noel your problem is electrical. Likely in the ignition circuit.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Feb 13 2016, 09:52 PM
Larmo, a couple of zip ties can hold the end of the cable onto the throwout arm. That should (in theory) keep it from going anywhere if the cable breaks.
Ndfrigi, your problem is in the ignition circuit, the tach going crazy indicates that. It may be as simple as the points getting unplugged! Time to check in your distributor. You can also unplug the tach signal wire (black/purple) from the coil's (-) terminal to see if there's a short there causing a lack of spark.
--DD
Posted by: ndfrigi Feb 13 2016, 09:55 PM
Lawrence, I told you i have one at home.
Noel your problem is electrical. Likely in the ignition circuit.
Thanks Colin! I will check on that too!
Posted by: ndfrigi Feb 13 2016, 09:57 PM
Larmo, a couple of zip ties can hold the end of the cable onto the throwout arm. That should (in theory) keep it from going anywhere if the cable breaks.
Ndfrigi, your problem is in the ignition circuit, the tach going crazy indicates that. It may be as simple as the points getting unplugged! Time to check in your distributor. You can also unplug the tach signal wire (black/purple) from the coil's (-) terminal to see if there's a short there causing a lack of spark.
--DD
Thank you too Dave!
Posted by: Tom_T Feb 14 2016, 12:51 AM
ndfrigi - they've got you covered on what to check. If you get stymied, call Bill Brewster in San Clemente - IIRC he's close to you..
Lawrence, like Curt said - you can drive it clutchless - just shut down at the lights/stops, put into 2nd or 3rd & start the motor in gear - erump, erump, erump ... then it goes - but no shifting - so it's slow.
Check that you've got a good contact & solid ground wire from the transaxle to the underside of the trunk & make sure there's not paint on that ground post impeding the ground strap's continuity. If it's impeded, then the next pat is the clutch cable & it fries/frays. It could've also been the wear, but worth checking the ground in any case.
I hear they've ordered a flotilla of flatbeds to be on standby for the next Aliso C&C! 
Good Luck Guys! 
Tom
///////
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 14 2016, 07:54 PM
Mark and Tom, you're right!!!
There is NO ground strap. Where does it attach on the transmission and where should I attach it to the body?
Posted by: Mikey914 Feb 14 2016, 08:05 PM
Top of the trans. To the body right above.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Feb 14 2016, 08:22 PM
There is a stud on the bottom of the rear trunk floor. One end of the strap bolts there. The other end goes on one of the upper studs that hold the rear cover onto the transmission.
--DD
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 15 2016, 08:48 AM
Anybody have a decent spare transmission strap available?
Posted by: jim_hoyland Feb 15 2016, 09:01 AM
A short battery ground cable will work; I may have one in my big wiring box
Posted by: 76-914 Feb 15 2016, 09:10 AM
I've got one if your in need. Put your pic's in the Flatbed Thread. And 
Gentlemen, this could have been avoided had you just converted to a modern day drivetrain. 
Posted by: JRust Feb 15 2016, 09:17 AM
A short battery ground cable will work; I may have one in my big wiring box
Yep just grab one at the local parts house. Doesn't need to be that long. 6-8" should cover you
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 15 2016, 09:51 AM
I don't recall O' Reilly's having that small one…..?
Posted by: jimkelly Feb 15 2016, 11:40 AM
brilliant use of 6x6 es.
Attached thumbnail(s)
Posted by: Steve Feb 15 2016, 11:49 AM
I don't recall O' Reilly's having that small one…..?
I have seen them at O' Reilly's before. They are a flat copper braided looking thing. It's been awhile though. There's an O' Reilly's store in San Juan Capistrano.
Posted by: mountainroads Feb 15 2016, 12:15 PM
Right after I bought my latest '73 914, I went to adjust the clutch and I noticed the cable was a bit frayed. I ordered the stuff from Pelican, it's not here and I tempted fate. Well, it broke on the way home today from cars 'n coffee and it made for an interesting and frustrating afternoon. Of course, all the cable end parts are gone too, and I couldn't find anything in the street. More to order from Pelican.
Moral of the story: inspect your clutch cable routinely, and if it is AT ALL coming apart, it's GOING to break.
Yup. Happened to me too, once. Broke right at the pulley, go figure. Big bang as I downshifted to 3rd and clutch pedal went to the floor. Roughly 80 miles and several small towns with red lights between me and home. Luck and careful timing got me all the way. Third was the only gear that offered a prayer of making it without stopping. Fun story now, including California-stopping a red in front of a police station , but left a lasting impression. One of the first things I asked about when I PPI'd my current Fourteener.
- MR
Posted by: ThePaintedMan Feb 15 2016, 11:17 PM
These are high quality and work GREAT. For the price, it can't be beat either.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tay-20308/overview/
I still recommend everyone change theirs whenever they have any kind of electrical issue, or in this case, the clutch cable issue. After 40 years, most of them are corroded and need to be replaced.
Posted by: colingreene Feb 16 2016, 12:27 AM
F'ing board software.
Posted by: colingreene Feb 16 2016, 12:33 AM
I've got one if your in need. Put your pic's in the Flatbed Thread. And
Gentlemen, this could have been avoided had you just converted to a modern day drivetrain. Upgrade to a modern drivetrain, Whats the point in owning a old car, why not just buy a boxster.
I have a firm theory that anyone who buys a old car and puts a new powertrain in it just proves the neither have the skill or desire to maintain the vintage aspect of the car nor the ability to properly convert a older car to a newer drivetrain.
Thats why you find things like home depot copper pipe in cooling systems in these "Conversions"
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 16 2016, 04:48 PM
What is the process for taking out the center console? I see the two big phillips screws, what else is there holding it in?
I assume this needs to come out to access the pedal end of the clutch cable…….
Posted by: r_towle Feb 16 2016, 05:17 PM
Take off the face panel.
Two screws up top to bottom of dash
Take off bottom plate at shifter, screws holding unit down to tunnel
Up and out towards rear
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 16 2016, 08:35 PM
Yeah, I got it out, I had never done it, pretty easy, thank you.
New question, How far do you run the FRONT threads into the front yoke/clevis?
It seems as if I can't get the right adjustment in the back, I think I need to loosen the setscrew on theta yoke and run the cabe FORWARD into that a little bit more.
Also, It seems as if the pedal doesn't want to come all the way back to its full disengaged position.
Anybody have a pic of the proper place the front of the cable should be in the front clevis? All the way?
Thanks for the help.
Posted by: r_towle Feb 16 2016, 08:43 PM
No pic, but go are far in as you can without restricting the movement.
It's about 20 turns or so.
It's really best to put it in as far as you can because you have loads (lots and lots) of adjustment under the car, and you really won't want to stick your head down there again any time soon once you put the whole console etc back together....then take your aleve and beer.
Posted by: rgalla9146 Feb 16 2016, 09:10 PM
Larmo, a couple of zip ties can hold the end of the cable onto the throwout arm. That should (in theory) keep it from going anywhere if the cable breaks.
Ndfrigi, your problem is in the ignition circuit, the tach going crazy indicates that. It may be as simple as the points getting unplugged! Time to check in your distributor. You can also unplug the tach signal wire (black/purple) from the coil's (-) terminal to see if there's a short there causing a lack of spark.
--DD
As I read about Larmos broken clutch cable I thought the same thing as you Dave.
The problem is not just the broken cable but also the missing trunion and special nuts.
We need some kind of loose safety wire devise to keep the parts from scattering.
Or maybe a short, soft rubber leash attached to the pulley side of the adjustment end.
Posted by: Larmo63 Feb 16 2016, 09:55 PM
Threading the pedal end of the cable farther in. Thank you.
Posted by: Dave_Darling Feb 16 2016, 10:26 PM
Haynes has a measurement for how far you thread the cable into the pedal-side clevis. I figure it has to be just far enough to double-nut, and maybe a thread past. You can take up the rest of the slack at the transmission end. A couple of oversize nuts, or a short piece of pipe, make a decent spacer.
--DD
Posted by: 914_teener Feb 16 2016, 11:13 PM
Larmo, a couple of zip ties can hold the end of the cable onto the throwout arm. That should (in theory) keep it from going anywhere if the cable breaks.
Ndfrigi, your problem is in the ignition circuit, the tach going crazy indicates that. It may be as simple as the points getting unplugged! Time to check in your distributor. You can also unplug the tach signal wire (black/purple) from the coil's (-) terminal to see if there's a short there causing a lack of spark.
--DD
As I read about Larmos broken clutch cable I thought the same thing as you Dave.
The problem is not just the broken cable but also the missing trunion and special nuts.
We need some kind of loose safety wire devise to keep the parts from scattering.
Or maybe a short, soft rubber leash attached to the pulley side of the adjustment end.
You could use a broken surf leash Lawrence.
Glad you got it sorted.
Posted by: Mikey914 Feb 17 2016, 10:29 AM
Larmo, a couple of zip ties can hold the end of the cable onto the throwout arm. That should (in theory) keep it from going anywhere if the cable breaks.
Ndfrigi, your problem is in the ignition circuit, the tach going crazy indicates that. It may be as simple as the points getting unplugged! Time to check in your distributor. You can also unplug the tach signal wire (black/purple) from the coil's (-) terminal to see if there's a short there causing a lack of spark.
--DD
As I read about Larmos broken clutch cable I thought the same thing as you Dave.
The problem is not just the broken cable but also the missing trunion and special nuts.
We need some kind of loose safety wire devise to keep the parts from scattering.
Or maybe a short, soft rubber leash attached to the pulley side of the adjustment end.
Got those pretty inexpensively
http://www.shop.914rubber.com/Clutch-cable-trunion-91142320503-91142320503.htm?categoryId=-1
http://www.shop.914rubber.com/7mm-Nut-for-clutch-cable-1-7mm1.htm?categoryId=-1
For $6.40 worth of hardware may not be worth the effort
Complete set up
http://www.shop.914rubber.com/Clutch-cable-end-trunion-bellows-2-nuts-pulley-and-bushing-GB-CCBP.htm
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