Stretching clutch cable.

[SGKent]

The optimal is 3/4". I don't know if 1/4" would make all that much difference. As a clutch wears free play goes away. Make sure the 4 engine to trans bolts feel tight and none are way loose. You've probably already done that. .
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[TomWesty]

[Wildthings]

Maybe you have the wrong lever on one end of the cable or the other, could also be slop where the rear lever fits onto the release shaft (the levers are know to split). The welds on the release forks could be failing as well. The system shouldn't be so sensitive that a 1/4" from spec keeps the clutch from fully releasing.

[aeromech]

Bushings and coupler would cause your gear shifter to have a lot of slop. The forward most bushing fails quite commonly. Get a helper to move your shifter around while you watch the coupler.
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[jtauxe]

I had an interesting (and classic) clutch cable failure this week. I noticed that the clutch was not engaging well, and that if I cranked down on the wing nut a bit, it got better. I did that a couple of times before I caught on that the cable was stretching and that I had best check it out at the soonest opportunity. That opportunity came only after I could no longer engage the clutch while at a red light, and I had to do the "start in 1st gear with the starter and then smart shift all the way home", fortunately not hitting another cause to fully stop.

I did make it home, and pulled out the cable to find this:

Down to 5 strands!
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John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
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[Wildthings]

[SGKent]

three possible causes - bad transmission / engine ground, fatigue, or the unhappy clevis pin issue.

Bad ground causes the cable to be used as ground and it causes it to heat up and stretch - break strands

Fatigue speaks for itself

unhappy clevis pin - see below

[jtauxe]

Yes, the damage is entirely consistent with having put on the rotating draw bar backwards, but it actually was on correctly. So ... dunno.
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John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD