Any particular reason the clutch cable would unravel at the top of the roller ? Should the roller spin freely when reasembled ?

A few pics of what I'm looking at...

Cause thats where it makes a U-turn. Yes, the roller should be free. 914 rubber makes new delrin ones.

Yep, that's where the most load is on the cable.

.....Defective cable(clutch) & yes it should roll with freedom!

Metal fatigue . . . .

I bought my 914 in 1975. Within 2 years after that, my clutch cable failed at the cable pulley. I thought that keeping it clean would prevent a build-up of grime, which would abrade the cable and pulley. After that failure, with a new cable in place, I coated the pulley, cable and mounting point with a liberal application of white grease. Every year or two, I clean the old grease off, run a few pipe cleaners around the pulley groove and slather the assembly with another coat of white grease. I have not had a cable failure since 1977.

Paul

You can go to Fatzer Cable and download Guidelines for Rope Maintenance. It is for ski lift cables but the same holds true for smaller cables.

Great suggestion ! And easy enought to do. Went to the Fatzer Cable web site and it backs up what you stated. Thanks to both Pauls for the heads up.


Wish there was a little more room in the forward inspection hole to grab that Clevis pin...

Jim - Unless you set it aside before snapping the pic, it looks like you're missing the metal sleeve the goes in between the roller and the stud in the console

I bought one of those '914 Rubber.com' Delrin rollers from Glenn Sager at the most recent All Porsche Swap Meet ... it's nice

Thanks Mark, I had the bushing set aside at the time of the pic. Upon closer inspection of the wire where it partially broke and unraveled; it appears that there was a serious amount of grit between the wires and around the roller. Seems like the assembly would benefit from being enclosed in a rubber boot of some type.

Went over and looked at another 914's roller this am and found serious build up of oily dirt. This is definately a part to regulary inspect and clean.

Yup, good diagnosis and suggestions by all. I'd like to point out that braided brake lines can suffer the same end although slower. Bunch of wires all braided up catching dirt. Check them regularly.

I just replaced my clutch cable after seeing the frayed bits sticking out at the roller. When I took it off, it was actually WORSE at the end just inside the housing. The cable bits broke at the friction point where the housing ends in a metal circle and were lumped up inside the housing, out of sight completely.
So, if you see any cable fray at all it is worth a closer look or quick replacement. I went with the Terry Cable version.

Exactly same place where mine frayed and broke. Did you find foreign material in the wire too ?

Seems like a boot could really protect this area----anyone seen one ?

Maybe you should try cleaning that car once in awhile. Sheesh!!

Originally there was a boot that goes on the end of the clutch cable where it mounts to the pulley bracket. It is seals the cable to the housing to keep dirt from inside the cable housing. A PITA to get over the threaded end of the cable.

Jim

Anyone have a picture ?

[/quote]
Did you find foreign material in the wire too ?
[/quote]
Yes, but then again, my entire 914 is composed of foreign material.

I need das boot! Show us the proof. I could use an upgrade over the zip-tie on there now. The zip tie holds the cable onto the metal mount due to my "extreme" driving!

[quote name='ChrisNPDrider' date='Sep 22 2011, 11:36 AM' post='1542795']
[/quote]
Did you find foreign material in the wire too ?
[/quote]
Yes, but then again, my entire 914 is composed of foreign material.

I need das boot! Show us the proof. [/quote]


Is this the boot to which you are referring? If it is, it will hardly protect/lubricate the cable that is routed around the white pulley. BTW, ignore the lack of white grease in this photo. Rest assured, there IS grease smothering that area now.

Paul

No, I was thinking of a boot that would cover the entire assembly; from what I can tell, none was made. But, one could be made....

The http://www.fatzer.com/contento/enUS/Home/D...US/Default.aspx web site has some good tips on lubricating wire rope.

In addition to a boot (bellows) being a good idea, while I was helping Kapt Kaos inspect and reinstall a clutch cable last Tuesday evening, I noticed that he had a retaining ring that secures the cable sheath to the pulley housing (a washer with a tab sticking out on one side that bends into the hole on the side of the housing). I had never seen one of those before.

They go on the inside and act as a keeper so the clutch cable doesn't slide out. Still have my original one.

Euro, that is a stock part. Part number 914 423 283 00, "tab washer".

--DD

I referred to the boot/bellows since it would keep dirt and grit out of the end of the cable housing where you seem to indicate the cable failed. This is where I see them tend to fail.
There was never a boot that covered the roller and maybe if there was only dry lube (like used on high end bicycle chains) on the exposed cable and roller there would not be a bunch of grit stuck to your cable and roller.
Me, I make sure the cable is lubed and the bellows in place and then wipe the exposed cable and the roller clean.
The failure rate of cables never seemed excessive to me and they are not too tough or expensive to replace so doing anymore did not seem necessary.

Jim

Also called a Cable Stop Plate as shown in the PP catalog. Still available

I've encountered(bought) so many 914's that are missing this part?(it helps)

Thanks Dave & Jim ... I'll be ordering a couple of them (and a couple of bellows) in the near future

DAMN ... PP wants $9.00 for it

Does anyone out here have a (cheap) used one laying around that they could pop into an envelope?

That helps explain why so few 914's still have it....

Cable stop plate 914-423-283-00 $9.00 from Pelican (the first place I looked.)

Part # 914 423 283 00 supposed to be replaced with new cable but most often reused with no down side.