Clutch cable.

Has anyone out here ever had a problem with breaking clutch cables?
I have a 85 XJ700n with 39k on the odometer. The bike is all original except for the oil changes, tires and clutch lever (kid backed into it in a parking lot) and clutch cables. It has its problems mind you but I drive it daily back and forth to work.Since I bought it last year, I am on my 3rd clutch cable. It keeps breaking them even with the pin in the end that goes in the handle. It cuts it clean. I did notice this last time that it is wearing the button a little around the cable but not the cable itself. These are not easy to come by. Any info would be great.

 

WOWZERS - I'm on the same one for 6 years

Are you lubing it at all? I don't think that explains 3 - but it might explain 1 or 2.

Any sharp bends? How hard is the clutch pull?

 

I am wd 40 every oil change, about 1k miles.Went through everything this last time and can't see or feel anything out of the ordinary. clutch pull isn't that bad, I use 3 fingers while riding. I am at a lost.....Only thing I notice is the wear pattern, almost lookslike the cable end isn;t rotating in the socket. Would replace it with new but have not been able to find one at any of my dealers.

 

WD40 is a penetrant more than a lube - for what it is worth you might be better to get a cable luber and some cable lube. The luber just clamps on the end of the cable - spray the lube into the luber and it will eventually come out the other end - clean up the mess and the clutch cable will thank you.

I think you're onto it when you're looking at how it seats - anyway to get a clearish picture of that? Something doesn't sound right - mine seats nicely and I don't think there are any wear points that I'd be able to point out.

Cheers,
woot.

 

I will see if I can find the end...might have to give me a day or 2.Don't remember what I did with it. I use the wd because it also has a cleaning agent....new cable every 4 months wouldn't think it was a lube problem. Might be though will grease this one now though and see.

 

I snaped my stock Seca clutch cable the same way over the fall, only mine was the original part. You said you replaced the clutch lever, does it have sharp edges or any wear marks on it? www.partwarehouse.com has a new OEM cable for $13.29 and www.denniskirk.com has a parts unlimited cable for $9.95.

 

Capy,

I had a clutch cable break a while back and my mechanic told me the same thing - you gotta lube the end or it will snap off.

Good luck!

 

I think I know what part your looking for the left side lever holder. They sell them for $25.16 at http://yamaha-factoryparts.com/ (parts here are less than bikebandit). I bought one from them earlier this year along with two new levers. The quality is excellent and OEM from factory. For what ever reason they look like they are better built than the originals. I needed to replace my lever holder because the one on the bike is stretched out so the clutch lever would wobble up and down. I guess the last owner had the habit of pulling the clutch lever back and down.

Here is some advice from motorcyclist magazine about lubing cables and control pivots. A small cable oiler will help you shoot proper lube deep into the cable sheath, which will vastly improve lever/ pedal/ throttle feel and make cables last longer. Lubing control pivots can take more time, but the improvement in feel can bike control will be significant. A rider can’t make the sort of delicate, precise inputs sometimes necessary if the controls feel like the rider is trying to break a chicken’s neck. Use a light oil such as Bel-Ray 6-in-1. WD40 is a water displacer and not an ideal lubricant, though is will work in a pinch.

 

I went through the new lever hoping to find somethinbg on it. I found a cobweb and could find no sharp edges or any wear pattern on the lever itself. I have noticed the play in the lever pivot is obvious. The clutch is smooth as butter right now as this is a new cable. I could not find the end that broke off but aqs I mentioned, it is snapping clean at the cable end flush with the end piece each time.....I will take pics when it pops this one for sure.

 

before installing new cable i use regular ole wheel bearing greease. if that pieace of lead does not spin freely when the clutch is pulled in it will break off. Take it from XSperiance...A lot of times new cable comes with that cute little plastic sleeve that goes over the lead end use it and lube it. Hey just my 30 bucks from replacing 3 cables like you did.

 

Same problem here. 35k on the odometer, everything is stock to my knowledge. Just leaving the neighborhood and bam the clutch lever doesnt go back, engine dies, and im left to lug this bike back home. I remove the plastic thing that covers the clutch bar and cable and out pops the pin. sliced it clean off. Now i ordered a new clutch cable that should be here shortly. My thing is, im not sure how to replace it. I understand the part that goes to the clutch handle and the pin, but where the other end goes, im not too sure. From what it looks like it goes to the front wheel? but this cant be correct. when i get the new cable i will take a closer look. Any advice on replacing this would be great.

 

[NOTE: THIS SHOULD BE A NEW TOPIC]

The clutch cable goes from the clutch lever (lefthand grip) to the clutch basket just above the right foot peg.

To replace it - simply route the cable the same way it is now - from the bar, under the tank, and out to the clutch basket onto the clutch lever arm.

There is a tensioner on both ends... back them off - put on new cable - tension to the appropriate tension. Too tight and you'll have a slipping clutch. Too loose and you'll be stuck in gear. Get this set properly - it will cost you more to do this wrong than to take the time to set it properly.

 

Ok so i got the new cable. Removed the old cable, and tried installing the new one. Little bit of difficulty; when i put the pin in the clutch handle and route the cable down to the basket, i need about 1 1/2 more inches for the cable to fit into the clutch basket. The cable itself is big enough and has lots of extra room. Should i put the cable into the clutch basket first and work with it from there?

 

The only reasons the cable will break if it's not overloaded are hitting a sharp edge that cuts it or bending a lot over and over in the same place. If it snaps off at the end that means it's bending when you work the lever because the tab on the end is not able to rotate as the handle moves to keep the cable staight. All you have to do is find out why the end isn't able to swivel and fix it so the cable doesn't bend and it will never break. It probably just needs a little grease.

 

Hi all. I'm new. Great site you've got here!

I've got an 82 Maxim 550 with 20k on it. It runs "alright", but it could use a tune up. My clutch cable seized though. For the past week I tried different solutions/soaking to free it up, but I realized now I need a new one.

How do I tell which cable will fit my bike? I measured the old one: From tip to tip it's 51 1/2", and the housing (from the end near the grip to the threaded part) is 47".

A local shop here in Saskatoon ("Proline") will order me a new cable for $41 ...Umm... Can anyone recommend cheaper alternatives in Canada (online or otherwise)? I've been searching these forums, but this thread was the only one I found which recommended online stores. I saw nothing on eBay.

I couldn't find a cable that fits on http://www.denniskirk.com

The cable that was closest was this, but it doesn't "fit":

Parts Unlimited Clutch Cables
Dennis Kirk Part #: C8036
Manufacturer Part #: K288036
Housing Length: 47 in.
Overall Length: 50 3/4 in.
Type: Cable - Clutch


Thanks in advance for any replies.

**EDIT: See also http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_c ... tid=807914

 

Anyone know of a reputable Canadian website to buy a new clutch cable?

 

motorbiketoronto.com

 

Something you may also want to consider. I don't know about the after market cables but the one I had break on me had the "bullet" on the end made of lead. I don't know if mine was original or not, but with 62,000km on my bike I'm guessing it was not. My dad cut a piece of stainless steel rod off at work and silver soldered it onto the cable. Stainless being a very hard metal will be more likely to turn freely inside the handle and not bind up. That with some added lubrication of course. Making the bullet out of lead however, you have to wonder what they were thinking.

When my cable broke the lead "bullet" was very well jammed inside the handle. It took a hammer and a flat head screwdriver to get it out. Lead being so soft it just took on the shape of the inside of the socket in which it sits, causing it to seize up completely.

I don't have mine put back together and operational yet but I think the stainless will be much better. It turns inside the socket with ease.

 

Thanks so much for the fast replies, guys! the cable itself seems fine on mine, but after tugging so hard on it, the housing started to rip/uncoil, so I'll try the link you gave, Rick.

 

We're trying to get people to rearrange their priorities, here, in XJ Heaven.

First, they get a XJ Bike.

Then, they hook-up with us on the web site and ask a few questions ...

Before ... tugging on something and possibly ruining it!

So, are you going to order a clutch cable ... or, make that one work?

We'll do what we can to help!

 

Thanks, Rick. I just wish I had found this site before doing what I tried. I've had my bike for several years - and never knew this site existed before the cable sezied... and I never had any issues with it worth asking anyone about 'til now. Forums like this are THE best resource for troubleshooting, IMO.

I also wanted to shorten my initial post, so I didn't go into details. Here they are:

1. I first tried just feeding oil into the top/grip-end and letting it run through - 2 days. Nada.
2. Next I removed the cable from the bike and tried penetrating fluid on both ends = 1/2 day. Zippo.
3. Next I removed the rubber parts from the cable and soaked the entire thing in a mixture of diesel (being a mild lubricant) and gas - 1/2 day. There was was some "rustic discharge" from the bottom end. It freed up enough to grip the cable with a "rubberized" vise while clamping a plate onto the threads and tapping with a hammer. ...still unbelievably tight. *At this point, I believed the cable was dead and I'd needd a new cable anyway, so I continued.
4. Clamped from opposite end, and tapped, but...
5. ...the spiral housing seperated from the crimped part. The inner cable is exposed, so I think it'll be a dirt magnet.

So I need a new one.

I saw your post about fine-tuning clutch cables, Rick. What steps would you have done differently to free up the seized cable?


BTW, the motorbiketoronto.com link didn't work. I found this: http://www.saskma.com/component/option, ... Itemid,49/

I'm checking bikebandit.com

...checking other sources...

 

I would have taken two paper-clips and straightened them out ... then, I would have bent the two clips over the large cable-end bullet, on either side of the cable ... and twisted them together ... so I could chuck the twisted together paper-clips into my electric drill.

Then, looking at the cable and seeing which way it twisted tight ... I'd have rotated the cable with the drill and exercised in and out ... adding some solvent to the cable ... every now and then ... to the little plastic funnel I duct-tape to the end.

With the cable attached to a long rod with tie wraps ... it wouldn't spin and whip around ... just the cable spinning inside the sheath ... clearing out the crud and rust while being spun and moved within the sheath.

But, there's a point where you need a new cable ... and, it looks like you needed one ... BAD!

 

al:

My throttle cable broke on Tuesday, and after trying a few temporary fixes (which didn't work), lots of phone calls discovering that nobody locally makes cables anymore, and visiting several web sites getting prices on OEM cables, I had about decided that my only two options were ordering from one of the online dealerships for $17-$19 + $13 shipping for a total of ~$30 and a wait of about 7 - 10 days, or order it through my local dealership for $?? (waiting for them to call back) with a wait of 4-5 days.

I commute on my bike every day, so I wasn't happy about the week out of commission. So while I was waiting for the local dealer to call, I kept browsing the web for techniques to repair my old cable by drilling and soldering the old ball back on the end, when, lo and behold, I discovered that MotionPro makes cables for our bikes. I got on the MotionPro web site and looked up the part number.

I called a local bike shop, thinking he might could get one from his MotionPro distributor faster than the Yamaha dealer could get the OEM one, and wonder of wonders, he had it in stock! for $16.95!

I picked it up yesterday after work and put it on last night. Perfect fit, buttery smooth operation, only one day of downtime, and about half the total cost of OEM. Yes, that's my grin reflecting in your monitor!

I knew MotionPro made tools for odd jobs -- I've got some of their tire irons (that work great) and one of their little things to hold the valve bucket down (which doesn't) -- but I didn't know they had pre-made cables for 25-year old bikes!

You can look up your bike on their web site and order directly from there, or get the part number and call your local shop.

Good luck!

Herb