Clutch pedal play increased big time

Campy

I was driving my 1963 camper, today, when it felt like something slipped and the clutch pedal play went from a fair amount of play to the clutch not disengaging until the pedal is about to the floor. I am assuming that it was caused by the clutch cable (stretched or frayed) and I have a new one I will install. I hope that is what caused it. Give me some opinions on what may have caused it.
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fig · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 1:02 pm Post subject:

Probably the cable started fraying at one end or the other where the cable clamps into the ferrules.
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TinCanFab · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 1:07 pm Post subject:

Cable fraying or popped weld on the clutch tube running along the chassis are my guesses.
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OVIEDOAV · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 1:13 pm Post subject:

I agree with above. Most likely frayed, will break soon if you use it.
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1963 Single Cab
1967 SO42
1965 Barn find Caravelle

Campy · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 1:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the information.
I have a ROCKY MOUNTAIN MOTORWORKS clutch cable still sealed in plastic. Coming from that company you know that it is old. It is 211 721 335B and, according to my AIRHEAD PARTS catologue, it is good for buses from 1950 to 1959 1/2 and 1962 1/2 to 1967. My camper is a 1963 model year so it should work.
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NAES · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 2:05 pm Post subject:

Going.....going......
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Box On Wheels
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otis_bartleh · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 3:09 pm Post subject:

When I replaced mine, I cut the end off at the rear and frayed the cable, chucked it in a drill, and used it to route out a bunch of old gunk built up in there. Greased the new cable on the way in, and my clutch was MUCH smoother after. Was a great trick from someone here on the samba...

I replaced it as a preventative measure since my bus had sat for so long, not cause it was fraying or anything, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
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'59 Mango Bus - getting buried in it
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C.Moore · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 4:03 pm Post subject:

If you find its not he clutch cable (which it most likely is) pull motor and check the T.O. bearing fork. I've replaced a few forks that were starting to bend and break where welded to the shaft.

Campy · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 4:40 pm Post subject:

It has been so long since I replaced a clutch cable I forgot that there is a short little plastic moveable tube that the cable goes through. I cannot see any purpose for it; it looks like it is just allowed to slide anywhere on the cable.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

Campy · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 6:26 pm Post subject:

Where the cable came out of the bowden tube, it was so frayed I was, with some effort, able to cut through the cable with a wire cutter. That saved me from the tedious task of removing the wing nut.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

BarryL · Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 6:55 pm Post subject:

CHASINGJR · Samba Member Joined: May 03, 2007 Posts: 98

Mine acted up a while back and it ended up being the clutch pedal arm breaking loose from the pivot bolt. Welded and all was good.

Campy · Posted: Thu May 16, 2013 7:19 pm Post subject:

She's working good now. I now need to buy a new clutch cable for a spare. Does W.W. sell any good ones and would the best one be made in Germany or is there a comparable one made in another country?
I had but replacement outer front floor sections in the bus and the lower clutch pedal arm had been hitting the bottom of the floor when I let up on the pedal. I fixed it by cutting out a cross-section from a cruiser bike inner tube, folding it over, and holding it onto the bottom of the floor with a double layer of sticky duct tape. It is nice to not hear that sound, any longer.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

Mortimer Bondurant · Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:37 pm Post subject:

Same problemo. 1967. In this case, the clutch cable was adjusted just fine until we loosened it to reroute brake lines for a dual reservoir master cylinder retro. When we retightened the wing nut, the clutch cable didn't have near enough tension and the clutch drags. The cable is not frayed and is in near-new condish. I am noticing that the Bowden tube doesn't have any flex in it. Maybe it did prior to the loosen-re-tighten but I don't really know. How does one tighten a clutch cable when the Bowden tube is straight, not flexed?

mightymouse · Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:00 pm Post subject:

mortimer... go to home depot and buy about 6 12mm washers. That is what you use to shim the bowden tube and put some deviation/deflection in it. THEN you can adjust your clutch properly and it will feel/work right again.
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Note to EVERYONE.
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BarryL · Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:15 am Post subject:

Campy · Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:54 pm Post subject:

If the bowden tube were straight, it could not have been curved before you loosened the wing nut.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

Mortimer Bondurant · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 6:02 pm Post subject:

OK. It wasn't the Bowden tube (which was flexed enough, just not noticeably so). When we loosened the cable and banged it around for the MC retrofit, somehow the retaining clips came off the throw-out bearing. With no other apparent problems, we had to pull the engine to discover the clips there in the bottom of the bell housing (probably not clipped in correctly to begin with). So, that's another reason why one's clutch pedal play might increase suddenly (Big Time!) for the record. Thanks all.


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