Clutch Cable Clogged arteries.

vwdriverfoundvw · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:59 am Post subject: Clutch Cable Clogged arteries.

My clutch cable finally broke yesterday. This should be a quick easy fix. I cut the two remaining strands off the pedal end and went to pull the cable through from the back. It slid through just fine until, about 2/3 of the way, it gets stuck. I had to wrap the cable around a sledge hammer and use its weight to get enough force to pull it through. After this the threaded end of the new cable obviously won't go through. As I investigate, I find that the metal tube is full of some sort of grease that has hardened and is clogging the tube. It took me four hours and a whole can of degreaser to get the pipe clean with a long piece of bailing wire used like a plumbers snake.

Has anyone run into this problem? What did they fill this tube with at the factory?

stevem49090 · Samba Member Joined: June 09, 2004 Posts: 203

The best way to clean it out is to get 2, 35" 8 gauge welding rod and weld two together. Take a ball peen hammer and flatten one end and then grind the end a bit to round the sharp edges. Throw it on the ned of a dril and proceed to clean out the clog. Go slowly if you hit a snag. It may take a bit to get through. Try it from both directions.
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Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

99 New Beetle
72 Ghia convert.
73 Westy

MarkWard · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:40 pm Post subject:

Make sure the clutch cable conduit is removed and replaced. This part runs between the body and the transmission. If I recall, most of the cable is exposed to the elements on a bay. The hangup may have been at the conduit. Just a guess.
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volksterii · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:06 pm Post subject:

How coincidental, my clutch cable just broke last Friday. I will be replacing it tomorrow. I am hoping that I don't run into too many snags.
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71 Westy Hardtop, 1915
2005 Touareg V8 air susp.

vwdriverfoundvw · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:29 pm Post subject:

Volksterii: there must be something in the SD air making these things snap. Laughing

Luckily, I was able to get it cleaned out and fish the new cable through so I could get to my 7am meeting on time.

old DKP driver · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:08 pm Post subject: clutch cable

It is much easier to remove the cable with the Boden tube removed at the transmission,then regrease the new cable before installing and put the rubber ends on the tube if you have them...to keep the moisture out .
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V.W.owner since 1967

vwdriverfoundvw · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

The bowden tube came off easily this stuff was in the long steel tube.

Desertbusman · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:53 am Post subject:

Glad you finally got it cleaned out. Mine wern't that bad but I had to go thru them with swabs and solvent. Not just the clutch cable tube, but we have all the other cable tubes to deal with. Heaters, parking brakes, accelerator, etc. I think that repacking them with good lube and replacing the rubber seals at the ends should make them last another 35 years.
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71 Superbug
71 Westy


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