VW Clutch Cable Upgrade

greg mgm

Explorer
Recently I found an excellent upgrade for a VW clutch cable-
http://cma-vw.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2&zenid=335bff02c30b36d2642c0491f070c330

The stock VW cable attachment point (at the pedal end) always bugged me, and when I saw this new upgraded cable system advertised on Thesamba.com, I bought one. Here's what the old connection looks like-
IMG_0762.jpg

It works fine for a while, but the arm where the cable end slips over will wear, possibly breaking....at the worst time. (That happened to me many years ago)

The new system is MUCH more HD-
IMG_0756.jpg


My 65 baja is extended front and rear, so a stock length cable is too short for my car. I first removed and took apart the pedal assembly, then removed and measured the old cable. Mine was 2330mm. (stock 65 Type 1 is 2260) There's a chart on the Cma-vw site showing what is needed. I ordered the new cable system from their website, and a few days later the package arrived. :wings: BTW, customer service is top notch....emails were promptly replied to, and phone calls were answered immediately. Very helpful.
Today I had time to install the new parts. First thing I did was to reassemble the pedals, adding a little grease where needed. Here's the pedal assembly with the new parts installed-
IMG_0759.jpg


Getting the new cable in isn't too hard. The clutch tube is inside, up and to the right of the pedal hole. Once you get the threaded rod into the hole, you apply grease to the cable as it goes in. You can forget about getting the rod through the bowden tube (at the rear of the car)....pull the tube off, and work on the pedal end first. Here's the pedal assembly ready to go in-
IMG_0761.jpg


I fought for a while trying to get the cable end and arm into the hole but after removing the throttle pedal, it went in a bit easier. After securing the pedals, I fed the rod end through the bowden tube (a bit of a fight) then secured the cable end to the clutch arm.

The clutch pedal feels smoother with the new cable set up, but the best part is knowing I've eliminated a weak point on the clutch system.
 

nemoaz

Observer
That's great looking mod but in my experience, the clutch cable stretches then breaks as it ages. All the breaks I've seen on an aircooled VW were on the clutch end of the cable. I don't know why. You should still keep several spare quality cables (german over mexican/brazilian over chinese) AND several of the little wing nuts that connect to that end of the clutch cable.

Don't forget to replace the seals on the clutch cable tools. If you get dirt/sand/water then rust in there, you can end up with an tube that cannot be used.
 

greg mgm

Explorer
Pretty common to have that little arm that the cable attaches to break off. It happened to me once and several times to friends vw's. Definitely a weak point.
 

Ozarker

Pontoon Admiral
LOL, that's a new version of an old mod for formula Vs and Super Vs as well as autocross. A race bearing was used with a cable bolt (a bolt that has a hole throught it) and some threaded rod. A turn buckle could make adjustments or threaded tubing.

That's basically the same thing but much more civilized. :smiley_drive:
 

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