R19 16v - Clutch Cable Snapped - HELP!

Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 6

Hi,

I am sure that many of you must of had this problem and replaced the clutch cable at some point, how do you do it?

I have read and carried out the haynes manual approach, disconnect both ends, pull old cable out and replace etc. But my old cable seems to be stuck somewhere behind the exhaust manifold heat shield and I can't seem to get to the hole through the bulkhead from inside the engine bay. Infact I can't even see where this hole is. Is the hole in the bulkhead for the cable to pass through behind that heat shield? If so, how are you supposed to get at it with that being secured with push fasteners that are not meant to come off?

I have spent several hours over the weekend trying to do this "simple" job, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Wayne

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

Ahh wayne my good man, welcome to this enjoyable world of 16V clutch cable changes.

Make it easy on yourself. Remove the top heat shiled, remove the bulkhead earth lead and loosen the left nut on the ignition mopdule and pull the top shield off. Then with a small 11mm socket and ratchet remove the 3 nuts that hold the heatshield on.

With that out of the way you now have a fighting chance.

As for the bulkhead hole this is behind the brake servo. Even with the engine out you can't see it easily. String before pulling the cable through the bulkhead makes this a lot eaiser but with carefull jiggling you can get the inner to poke through into the cabin.

Its an awkward job but when you have done a couple you can fit them easily enough.

Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 6

Chris,

Thanks for your quick response, I thought that the top shield may come off by removing the earth strap and the nuts at the other end. However, I looked at the fasteners on the lower heat shield and to me they seemed to be round, with no flats on them for sockets.

I have also had a response from someone on the Network 54 R19 forum, who has had the same problem and he says he ripped the shield off "carefully" and used silicon to refit it! Obviously I would rather do it your way if possible.

I would have thought that the heat shields should be able to come off easily as you suggest, but it is hard to see any flats for the 11mm socket. Are they a funny shape nut with a dome type head, or could mine be different? Also the string idea would have worked, but when it got stuck I used the string to try to pull it back into the footwell to start again and it came off.

Thanks

Wayne

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

the nuts are domed hollow efforts, the flats are very small. Because I am such a hero I dug mine out, I need to get some more anyway but the part number on dialogioes is wrong so I'll need to go to ren and sift through stuff.

The picture is not the best as usual (only have camera phone) but it lets you see them.

They are a pain in the arse to get to but get to them you must.

Level 8 User Joined: 07 Sep 2004 Posts: 328

Hi

Ive done done my clutch cable and a pain it is!!.

The cable it self goes behind the back of the heat shield and up through the bulk head through a hole that even a surgeon couldnt find!!.

I ended up on my back with my legs over my head and my arms under my knee's under the car!!!.

Its in a crevice under the batter compartment about 12 inches down. The hole points up so you might be able to find it if you feed it from under the engine or if your incredibly supple!

It will then come into the foot well where the end should lap over the quadrant and into a forked housing.

Attach the clutch end first as the quadrant i the footwell is self adjusting and should take up the slack.

Hope this helps.

col

Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 6

It took a while and it is a pig of a job, but I think I have cracked it. I say "think" because the battery has gone flat on me, so I can't take it for a test drive till tomorrow now.

Anyway, I removed both heat shields as suggested and managed to use a stiff wire to feed string and then the new cable through the bulkhead. The tensioner seems to have taken up the slack, the pedal operates alright and everything has been put back in place.

One last QUESTION, on this subject anyway. In the haynes manual (which is pretty useless on this subject) it says at the pedal end after hooking the cable into the forked housing, you should replace the cable end stop. This looks like some sort of rubber or plastic thing that just pushes into the forked end after the cable. I don't seem to have one, is this a problem? What does it do and is it safe to drive without it for now?

Thanks for all your help, I would have been stuck without your advice and would have probably damaged something. If I ever bump into either of you at a show (Ripspeed Donny perhaps), remind me that I owe you a pint.

Cheers

Wayne

Level 8 User Joined: 07 Sep 2004 Posts: 328

use some Wrigleys chewing gum Laughing

never had one one mine.

col

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

I have yet to see any 19 with the plastic end stop thingy.

Level 6 User Joined: 20 Jun 2004 Posts: 155

Just thought I'd throw this tip in, since the garage I had mine done at did it wrong! There is a little plastic guide hole on the back of the pedal mechanism and the cable HAS to go through this hole before you put the pedal end of the cable into its retainer on the pedal mech. It forces the cable to sit in between the two rows of ratchet teeth on the pedal mechanism.

The garage which did mine thought it was a clip, so tried to push the cable into it after fitting the cable, and after about 3 weeks the cable was fraying and stretching cause the lack of guide hole usage meant the cable was getting chewed by the pedal ratchet teeth every time I used the clutch. Meant a new cable was required, so worth checking its done right I would say Smile

Cheers
Alex

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

yup thats happened to me too alex

Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 6

Thanks all.

I did figure out the importance of the guide at the back of the pedal, so mine is done correctly.

It's all back together and has been running/operating perfect again since last Wednesday, so job done.

Thanks again, cheers

Wayne