Clutch Cables

[leobailey]

I am confused by variations in the dimensions on the clutch cables I have purchased to suit my 1959 350 heavyweight.

I purchased two cables six months apart from the club, and found they differ in lengths noticeably, overall length by 35mm and the length of the gearbox end adjuster by 6mm.

Oh! And neither agreed with the one I obtained previously from AMC Classic Spares.

Does anyone know the original factory dimensions?

Leo

[G15 Roy]

There seems to be no consistently from any cable makers these days. The club and AMC classics use different suppliers. Buy or make a solder pot then buy a kit and make you own never wrong and half the price.

[Rob Harknett]

Original dimensions may not even fit OK, you would still need original bars, levers, gearbox, clutch and clutch trust rod length. I believe there were two types of cable for your bike, depending on handlebar type fitted.

[leobailey]

AMC Gearbox end.jpg

Please see the attached sketch, the dimensions shown are typical (average) of what I found over 3 different cables.

The free length 36.5 makes it a struggle to fit even with the adjuster fully screwed into the gearbox shell.

I can manage it but I have to fit the G/Box end first then lever the actuator up to give me enough free cable at the handlebar end to get the cable in position.
All the parts I have, push rod etc.. are standard. It just feels like the 36.5 dim should be more.

Leo

[LynP]

Hi, I may be wrong but I think the thread on the gearbox adjuster is BSF, in line with all other threads used into alloy cases on our machines. However, due to the closeness of the two thread forms they will thread together.

[kernow kid]

It's worth asking a local bike shop..Ace Motorcycles in Bude still keep a reel of teflon lined Venhill outer cable , a reel of inner and a box of nipples and will make up any length you want , if you don't fancy trying it yourself. There are still some bike shops who will make cables .
Regards kk

[leobailey]

Hi,
I found in my box of bits, a Venhill Clutch repair kit, It already came with a barrel nipple soldered on the handlebar end.

Using all the old cables as a guide I came up with a set of AVERAGED dimensions which I hoped would suit.

I cut the outer to my dimension and soldered the gearbox end nipple in place making sure a splayed out the wires to get a good grip on the nipple ferrule. I used lead free solder and Bakers Soldering Fluid.

The job was achieved using a tiny little stainless pot ( I think it was the wife's dainty milk jug ), I melted about 15mm of solder in the pot using my butane torch, and having given the end a good dunk in Bakers Soldering Fluid I plunged the nipple end into the molten solder and then cooled it in a cup of water. Once I'd removed the excess wire and smoothed the soldered end it fitted the bike.

Hopefully being a Teflon lined Venhill cable it should last longer and smoother, but I'll still carry my old clutch cable as a spare.

Leo
See the attached sketch

My Built Clutch Cable sketch.jpg

[Rob Harknett]

I manage to make my cables or re solder nipples, as has been advised. But I only use a soldering iron to solder the nipples on. It is important to make sure the old or sometimes even new, countersink on the nipple is clean and big enough to fan out the wire strands. I then twin stick blocks of wood of a depth less than the bare wire on my vice jaws. This will help stop heat conducting away from the nipple. The wire is lightly trapped in the vice below the nipple. It may take quite some time to heat up the wire/nipple. Hot enough to touch the fanned out wire with multi core solder, to run in the solder. Not melt on the iron itself as the nipple and wire may still be cold. I only recall having one failure after many years use. That was on a very small mag A/R lever end Nipple. I had to shorten a standard brought cable.

[56G80S]

Personally, although I've read differently on this Forum about how it was done more like Leo's method at the factory, I prefer Rob's approach although I use a very small gas soldering torch as no electricity at the lock up. With that care needs to be taken not to get everything too hot and adversely affect the nature of the inner cable.

Johnny B

[Harry44]

The clutch cable I bought had too short an inner cable so I couldn't get it to hook on the lever inside the gearbox. But I managed to cut half an inch out of the outer cable so it would fit.

I remember doing this with broken throttle cables when doing roadside repairs, I was always amazed at people who could not understand how shortening the outer cable (as long as there is enough of it left to reach) gives you more inner cable to make a repair.