Author Topic: Clutch Cable, Broken  (Read 9266 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
on: August 19, 2007, 05:58:55 pm
  The heavy duty clutch cable broke yesterday.  It had been on since May 2006 and lasted a bit over 6,000 miles.  The original cable starting fraying and I was able to change it before it broke but this one showed none of the typical sign and as you can see it broke off just below the top of the ball (sorry I don't know the technical name).
  I believe the problem to be the poor fit of the ball to the clutch operating arm.  The heavy duty cable requires custom fitting to the arm and I need to do a better job with the next one.

Leonard

[old attachment deleted by admin]
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


Thumper

  • Psalm 23
  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,066
  • Karma: 1
  • Classic Wannabe
Reply #1 on: August 19, 2007, 06:19:50 pm
  The heavy duty clutch cable broke yesterday.  It had been on since May 2006 and lasted a bit over 6,000 miles.  The original cable starting fraying and I was able to change it before it broke but this one showed none of the typical sign and as you can see it broke off just below the top of the ball (sorry I don't know the technical name).
  I believe the problem to be the poor fit of the ball to the clutch operating arm.  The heavy duty cable requires custom fitting to the arm and I need to do a better job with the next one.

Leonard

Ferrule.

There has been a lot of discussion on the Hitchcock's board about broken clutch cables. And much of that discussion has to do with the best routing - to relieve stress.

Watsonian offers several clutch lever conversion kits that seem to address a design weakness.

(Page 32 of http://www.royal-enfield.com/Enfield_C_A_07.PDF  )

Matt


Kevin Mahoney

  • Gotten my hands dirty on bikes more than once -
  • Global Moderator
  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,584
  • Karma: 0
  • Cozy Sidecar distributor/former Royal Enfield dist
Reply #2 on: August 19, 2007, 07:58:53 pm
While this may not be a factor in this case, it is good practice to frequently spray the cable endws with WD-40. They corrode from the inside out
Best Regards,
Kevin Mahoney
www.cyclesidecar.com


Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
Reply #3 on: August 19, 2007, 09:05:27 pm
While this may not be a factor in this case, it is good practice to frequently spray the cable endws with WD-40. They corrode from the inside out

You would think with all that 90wt gear oil sloshing around in there that corrosion wouldn't be a problem.
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


dewjantim

  • Grease Monkey
  • ****
  • Posts: 430
  • Karma: 0
Reply #4 on: August 19, 2007, 11:25:28 pm
While this may not be a factor in this case, it is good practice to frequently spray the cable endws with WD-40. They corrode from the inside out
Yeah, I think that cable looks a little dry. Liquid wrench will work pretty good as a cable lube also, it contains a little graphite for that extra lubrication.....Dew.
If it hurts, you're not dead yet!!!!!


Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
Reply #5 on: August 20, 2007, 02:09:50 am
Yeah, I think that cable looks a little dry. Liquid wrench will work pretty good as a cable lube also, it contains a little graphite for that extra lubrication.....Dew.

It looks dry because I wiped it off before I took the photo.  I assure you it had been frequently lubricated and inspected and was quite wet when I removed it.
--Leonard
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


justin_o_guy

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 112
  • Karma: 0
Reply #6 on: August 20, 2007, 09:02:17 am
The cable end is located inside the tranny? Naaah, surely not, cuz Kevin suggested spraying with WD 40. Owell, I will toss this out. If it won't work because the installation isnt what I was thinking, you guys can still get something out of it.

There is a product called Ospho, available thru Kelley Moore paint stores. We used it on a drill ship during an overhaul. It is a dilute phosphoric acid & turns iron oxide into iron phosphate, a black, hard material. It isnt a primer or a paint, it causes a chemical reaction, not a fast, exothermic type, just a mild reaction & the rust is no longer rust, but a harmless phosphate. The quart I have is over a year old. It is handy to have around the house. As long as rust isnt allowed to develop into flakes it requires no prep work to treat it. Once treated,it can be left alone, no paint needed any more after the treatment than before. It can rust again in the places the steel isnt changed to phosphate, & I guess the phosphate can oxidize, but I dont know what its called if it does.. Anyway, that kills rust. Cheap, too.

Ohh, BTW, I used WD40 to pickle a transmission, all taken apart, pieces laying on pallets , sprayed a ton of WD40 on it. Went up & looked at it, in storage, a few months later. Rusted to pieces. WD40 evaporates. It is solely a Water Displacement thing, Not a long term lubricant, But, I suspect about everyone knew that already. I was shocked thew day I learned it. Glad I was TOLD to use WD40 & it wasnt my idea.


Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
Reply #7 on: August 20, 2007, 12:53:49 pm
The cable end is located inside the tranny? Naaah, surely not, cuz Kevin suggested spraying with WD 40.

Well I might have a little problem with identifying the correct names of stuff but I bet anyone that has ever adjusted the clutch know what I'm talking about.  That end of the cable actually hooks to the arm that is located on the inside of the "End Cover".  The other side of the kick starter.  See attached photo.
--Leonard

[old attachment deleted by admin]
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


justin_o_guy

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 112
  • Karma: 0
Reply #8 on: August 20, 2007, 02:26:34 pm
Not only have I never done this adjustment, I have never even stood next to a Royal Enfield. I appologize if my response seemd antagonistic. I am guessing the main cause of stress then is that the ferrule rocks in realtion to the cable centerline slightly everytime the cable pulls that lever. There may be a way to reshape the ferrule to keep that from hapening. OHH, wait, I think reshaping the lever would be easier. IF thats the cause. At first glance, that is what it looks like. It looks like the thing is always soaked in oil. Is it?


deejay

  • Guest
Reply #9 on: August 20, 2007, 02:50:58 pm
Not only have I never done this adjustment, I have never even stood next to a Royal Enfield.

You need to hurry up and get one fast.


baird4444

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,167
  • Karma: 0
  • 2003 ES 500... 38,416 miles, I'm done
Reply #10 on: August 20, 2007, 03:02:20 pm
Leonard-
over on the yahoo group DWM  re-engineered  his.  Seems that when the cable is pulled it puts the arm at the wrong angle causing undo stress on the end and braking the cable at the ball end. A good search might yield the fix or I'm sure that he'd be glad to share his "fix"  if you e-mail him. He is also here but less active I think as he has sold his Bullet.
- Mike
'My dear you are ugly,
 but tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be ugly'
 - Winston Churchill


Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
Reply #11 on: August 20, 2007, 03:14:45 pm
Not only have I never done this adjustment, I have never even stood next to a Royal Enfield. I appologize if my response seemd antagonistic. I am guessing the main cause of stress then is that the ferrule rocks in realtion to the cable centerline slightly everytime the cable pulls that lever. There may be a way to reshape the ferrule to keep that from hapening. OHH, wait, I think reshaping the lever would be easier. IF thats the cause. At first glance, that is what it looks like. It looks like the thing is always soaked in oil. Is it?

No offense taken,  no apology necessary, tone is a hard thing to convey in this type of forum.  Yes, the rocking of the ferrule was most likely the problem.  I will work on fit a little more this time around.  Not soaked in oil but splashed some for sure.
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
Reply #12 on: August 20, 2007, 03:17:33 pm
Leonard-
over on the yahoo group DWM  re-engineered  his.  Seems that when the cable is pulled it puts the arm at the wrong angle causing undo stress on the end and braking the cable at the ball end. A good search might yield the fix or I'm sure that he'd be glad to share his "fix"  if you e-mail him. He is also here but less active I think as he has sold his Bullet.
- Mike

Yes Mike, I've seen Dave's file and need to look at it again before I fire up the dremel.
--Leonard
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


Leonard

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,287
  • Karma: 0
  • I loved this bike!!
Reply #13 on: August 23, 2007, 02:25:24 am
  My premium clutch cable arrived today from CMW. Ordered Monday received Wednesday, can't beat that.  I took a couple of photos of a little trick I used to route the new cable through the headlight casing.  Some folks route around the headlight but I like the neatness of the original location.  What I did is tape the new cable to the old cable casing and use the old casing to pull the new cable through the maze of wires in the headlight casing.  Works pretty slick.
  I intended to take a third shot of the new cable peeking through the hole in the casing but as I was swinging the camera around I bumped into something and dropped the camera smashing it to bits

[old attachment deleted by admin]
2009 Triumph Bonneville T100
2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5 (RIP)
2001 Kawasaki W650 (going, going...gone)
http://www.romeoriders.com


DaveG297

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 171
  • Karma: 0
Reply #14 on: October 03, 2007, 02:35:33 am
Hey Leonard, thats about what I'd do.  I am actually dreading the first clutch cable replacement.  These old bones don't like getting into some of the positions you got to to change the dang thing.   My 02 has about 5000 miles on it and the clutch cable is still holding.  Those pics are really neat thing to post.   Some technology huh.........dg