Was just driving my buggy back from engineering check today when I broke the clutch cable (pedal to the floor). Of course, being a SWB I have a shortened bug cable. While trying to reef the stick into gear to get off the road, I cracked the gearstick near the base.

So, I want to try and make a temporary cable tonight and fit it. The idea I have is some cable and cable clamps from Bunnings. I am hoping to get it happening tonight and nurse the stick tomorrow as I have its rego check and hopefully it passes and it becomes rego'd.

Advice please:

- clutch workings go straight into side of tunnel, not out front of car (like brakes), correct?

- possibility of getting in there (there's an inspection plate there) and rigging a temporary cable? Advice?

- I can see at the back that I should be OK to rig something there.

- Gearstick - do I need to pull the box out to replace this? I notice it is bolted in, am I able to unbolt that and maybe retract it? Or, should I get someone to weld the crack up? Will that hold?

All advice appreciated.......the car is ready for final rego tomorrow and I can't believe that I have just killed it, after it spent 3 weeks with the engine out....

Thanks!

it must be the day for doing this.. i just turned onto the Pac H'way in Chatswood this morning and "SNAP" pedal to the floor..

It was booked to get a new cable tomorrow (with service).. On Tuesday I had the slack adjusted out and was told I would need to replace soon.. I said "how about Friday".. The cable snapped Thursday.. Funny..

Mate.. with gear stick.. If beetle pan etc.. should unbolt the two bolts on the plate and lift it straight out.. Seat a new one in (be careful to make sure it is snug and selects properly.. Do it up and away you go!

Are most of the sticks / assemblies the same? This is a 61 pan but unsure what the stick, etc is out of. I have a 60 which is the next patient into the garage, thinking or raiding its stick tonight. Repair the other one and go from there.

Is a later bug stick assy (eg 70, etc) the same basically as an earlier bug? As this stick might be out of god knows what model, it'd be great if they all interchange.

I have no idea.. Every beetle (rack my memory bank) I've seen, works on a plate wiith ball mechanism on the end of the stick

I'm pretty sure they're all the same - remember to grease it up good too! and install the plate under the shifter base correctly - otherwise you'll find it difficult, if not impossible to select reverse.

Temporary cable?
You'll have to access it through the side (bitch of a job i've heard)

I've had 2 clutch cables snap on my previously owned 64 bug - a year between snaps and both near the wingnut end! Strange, coz there was not rubbing or anything.. drove it home by matching the engine speed to the gearbox speed (changing gears real early) and starting it off the line with the starter motor! --not that much fun i can tell you...

Hi Phantom,

Gear levers between 60 and 61 cars are the same, but sounds like you dont know what you have. It should have a bend in the stick back towards you. The later model gear sticks (68 onwards I think) are straight.
Early model gear sticks have a pin in the ball (you will see what I mean when you pull it out) that stops the gear lever from twisting around.
Can you twist your gear lever around that you have in the buggy now ?

Where has the clutch cable broken ? If it is at the rear then you can fairly easily just clamp it back togather using small wire clamps from the hardware store. If it has broken somewhere in the tunnel or up the front then it is a much harder job. If you have an inspection plate it will make it easier but I think you will need a new cable if it has broken anywhere except at the back.

Mark.

[Edited on 9-6-2005 by J&SBlue]

It's always a nuisance not being able to declutch. I drove my beetle over 1000kms without a clutch. That was bad. The time before the clutch lever fell off the transmission.

The kombi snapped a cable only 2 weeks after it was converted to manual. No rubbing there either. The cable looked like it had been cut most of the way through. Very weird. Because of the nature of failure and the short time after the conversion, my mechanic fixed it for free At least i only had to drive it about 80 or so kms without clutch. There were roadworks on the way and I had to go up vic pass too. Not fun.

Well, here's the latest. I bought the bits to make a temporary cable, got home, tried to pull the cable through from the wingnut end. No dice.

Struggled to get the nose off the buggy and got the small inspection plate off. I can see what I assume is the front of the cable (round piece on the end?), but.....

From what I can see, I think I have broken a piece off the clutch pedal end!

I have looked through my Gregory's manual and can't find a picture of what the pedal assy looks like on the inside of the tunnel...that is, the bit that actually attaches to the cable. Is it like a large hook or something? If it is, I don't have one anymore:

Some very bad pics attached. So, if this is broken, I assume this needs a replacement pedal assembly? Do I have to replace the lot, or just one section? How hard? Argh!

Maybe a better pic.....

Phantom, you are probably right about the hook. I have seen a few like this the cable starts to wear into the bottom of the hook and then ot finally snaps off.

You will need to either get it welded back on to the pedal assy or replace the whole pedal assy with a good one. Either way the whole thing (pedals)will have to come out. Not too bad a job only a few bolts just in a shite of a place. Getting the clutch cable attached and staying on when refitting the pedal assy can be a challenge. Either drill a small hole in the top of the hook and secure the cable in place with a small split pin. Or use rubber bands to hold it.

Why me?!

So that hook is cactus? As long as I can make a similar setup on there, it should work?

Like the idea of something on top to hold it, can't believe it doesn't physically attach, just sit over........

There goes rego tomorrow....sigh.....

Ouch! That's nasty. You should be able to weld up a nice replacement bit.
Just hope it's not made out of the same stuff as the accelerator linkage lever bar thing in my kombi. It wore out so I decided to fix the worn hole with a bit of weld. Turned out that it was melt-o-riffic alloy! It now has some steel plate awkwardly welded to the melted stump.
Just check it before you weld. You don't want to be caught out.

Why you? Try replacing a fuel line!

I found that replacing the cable's loop onto the hook was the difficult part and that it didn't come off too easy.. perhaps I'm lucky for once?

Plus Felco, with the $$ blowout on this project I am way out of money to get it back to him. Especially when the missus finds out what it has been costing......

I'm afraid I will have to go with the cheap fix option, whatever that ends up to be.

Hey Phantom, the easiest thing is to get another pedal cluster. They aren't that hard to fit, especially in a buggy. Plus you have a hole in the top of the tunnel I am guessing, which makes it pretty easy to keep the clutch cable on. Should only take you a couple of hours at the most to get it fixed.
Shame you are in Canberra as I have an early model pedal cluster you could have used.

Mark.

I am pulling a 66 beetle apart on Monday.. If you need the assembly, let me know

I hope to pull this one out tomorrow (Saturday) and have a good look at it. If it looks bad enough I'll enquire on here and see what $$ we're looking at for any those that have sets they would get rid of. Would have to get it mailed...grrr.....cars...