<VV> Broken Clutch cable history

[kevin nash]

> 
> Message: 7
> Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:38:24 -0400
> From: "hank kaczmarek" <kaczmarek at charter.net>
> Subject: Re: <VV> Pressure Plate release distance
> To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Message-ID: <782023896B8E40F88FBFCDCF8FCC491C at OwnerHP>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> 	reply-type=original
> 
> Kevin
> I know Clutch cables can break. I've seen it happen on the road, but not to 
> me.
> Your tag says you have a daily driver, and you "Are tired of breaking clutch 
> cables".   Do you sidestep your clutch?  I've had 2 4 speed Corvairs, 
> including the one I have now.  I've never broken one.  Of course, I've also 
> been accused of driving like an old lady.  Got all of my speed out with my 
> 65 140/PG and police cars.   How many have your broken, and what were the 
> circumstances?  how many miles, Etc??
> 
> 
> Best Regards
> Hank 
> 
  Hank- I've owned my current early turbo since 1998, and since 2001, have put 6000 miles a year on it. I've broken 4 clutch cables since I've owned it. I've broken three original N.O.S. cables, and 1 of the newer style cables. As bestI'm able to determine, the N.O.S. cables were lasting approximately 20000 miles, and the newer style cable only lasted 6000 miles. When I broke the newer style cable after only one year, I had to figure out why. The failure wasat the first pulley leaving the clutch pedal, so that implies some sort of bending fatigue problem, which should NOThappen if the cable design is correct for the pulley radius. Anyways, I went ahead and counted up the number of wires on the one that broke and found a chart that gave the minimum recommended pulley radius versus the number of strands for a given cable diameter, and found that the newer style cable wasn't even CLOSE to havingenough strands for the pulley radius. After that, I started using N.O.S. cables. Three years ago, when I replacedthe cable, I decided that I was going to convert to hydraulic actuation, before it broke- and it didn't happen! Nowit's not going to be driven until I do the conversion! My car has a heavy duty pressure plate, early 1980's Camaro throw-out bearing and 99% of my driving is not on the highways, so I probably do more shifting and clutching than normal, and the throw out bearing and pressure  plate combination has to be some sort of contributing factor. I never sidestep the clutch!Kevin Nash