Home clutch cable swaging with hydraulic crimps?

[RIP]

The closest replacement clutch cable I could find for my restoration is too long, but otherwise an exact match. I can't find any steel cable sleeves online. I was thinking of making a sleeve on my lathe from mild steel, shortening the cable and crimping the new swage on with a 10 tonne hydraulic cable crimp tool I have. The tool was designed for crimps on thick electrical wire, and is a low cost Chinese item, so hope it's up to the job.

Do you see any issues with this idea?

 

[RonA]

Don’t know if you’re anyway near any boat shops. The mainmast on yachts are usually supported by stainless steel cables with eyes crimped onto the ends. A lot of ships chandlers/boating merchants offer a crimping service if you get stuck.
RonA

 

[colnerov]

Hi, The AA vans used to carry an emergency clutch cable repair kit, They would feed a replacement length of cable through and affix new ends with an Allen grubscrews. Try sneaking up on a parked AA van with a packet of biscuits and speak to the driver.

Colin

 

[zzr1200]

Search fleabay for "Solder less motorcycle nipples"

 

[8ob]

Venhills in dorking are good for all cable control spares. https://www.venhill.co.uk/

Bob

 

[8ob]

The closest replacement clutch cable I could find for my restoration is too long, but otherwise an exact match. I can't find any steel cable sleeves online. I was thinking of making a sleeve on my lathe from mild steel, shortening the cable and crimping the new swage on with a 10 tonne hydraulic cable crimp tool I have. The tool was designed for crimps on thick electrical wire, and is a low cost Chinese item, so hope it's up to the job.

Do you see any issues with this idea?

Show us a pic of what you want, I may well have one here.

Bob

 

[RIP]

Show us a pic of what you want, I may well have one here.

Bob

Hey Bob, I need to fit a new crimp , pic attached, once I've shortened the cable.

 

[frank horton]

rcx
Venhill will actually make u a cable as a direct match.....
most are st steel now but the outer has asuper slipery inner core...
when both my m/cycle are ready they will make all of mine.....
they are happy to quote......

 

[8ob]

Hey Bob, I need to fit a new crimp , pic attached, once I've shortened the cable.

In the kit I have it will be either a grub screw retainer or a soldered on end, I will have a dig about.

 

[merryman]

That hexagonal crimp is the type used on steel construction bracing wires and wire ropes for load carrying. if it needs that strength I wouldn't be using a soldered nipple even if properly "birdcaged." There will be a local sling makers/lifting equipment suppliers near you, who have the correct crimps and tools to crimp them. As a one off, best to get them to crimp a new nipple on, probably cheaper than buying a pack of nipples too.

 

[gaz1]

 

[RIP]

Some good ideas here. I think I'll give it a go to crimp a lathe made ferrule using my hydraulic crimp tool.

 

[8ob]

Some good ideas here. I think I'll give it a go to crimp a lathe made ferrule using my hydraulic crimp tool.

If that fails soldered or silver soldered will be ok for a clutch, I have never had one fail.

Bob

 

[KemppiFrog]

Some good ideas here. I think I'll give it a go to crimp a lathe made ferrule using my hydraulic crimp tool.

I do this all the time, mostly for boat rigging, as above.
My 'press' is a 20 chinoise bottle jack in a frame. The swage tooling I make from two bits of 16 sq bar, clamped together and drilled for the final size. Buy the ferrules at a marine suppler. For you, look at S3i if you have the time to get them by post, they send them quickly.
If DIYing the ferrule, copper is good.

10ton should be good for the size you are using, I go a bit bigger sometimes and had the 20ton one.
Here: https://www.s3i.co.uk/ferrule.php

 

[RIP]

Hi @KemppiFrog that sounds reassuring.
@8ob silver soldering would be my second choice as a cold applied solution sounds safer, all sorts of weird things happen when metal is heated.

I appreciate that I could get this done professionally, though with postage and minimum charge it's still £30, which doesn't sound like a lot of money but when you consider that a restoration has hundreds of such parts to sort out, it all adds up. It's also good to know how to do these things yourself.

 

[gaz1]

braizing is the better choice than silver solder

also remember we also braize lathe tools as well

 

[RIP]

I went ahead and machined a ferrule to fit my hydraulic crimps. Here's a test fit on some scrap cable It looks good. I'd like to test it... can you think of some way to test it?

 

[qwakers]

Attach to roof and swing from it, binky style.

 

[Screwdriver]

Tie a weight to one end and drop it so the crimp is caught by vice jaws, just hold the cable loosely by friction in almost closed jaws.

Can't think of any circumstance when you should be able to pull off a crimp with human levels of force. 10-20kg dropped say 200mm ought to prove it. If it can be shocked off with a dropped weight, eventually such a join will fail

Looks like that one might slip off tbh. I generally solder mine but then I don't ave a powerful crimp tool. Heat is not an issue at soldering temps. Just needs to be cleaned and fluxed (and the end fluffed up a bit).

I think a successful crimp depends almost entirely on having the correct dimensions for the cable/nipple and of course the crimp head. If all of the parameters are "by the book", once the crimp tool is shut, the job is done. Same cannot be said if the cable is a bit too thin, hole too big or incorrect size head etc.

<edit> and looking at the above plus the fact this is a non critical part, given the option I might even do both. Solder the nipple on then crimp it!

 

[Seadog]

I agree. Swaging is used in many critical applications. Yacht rigging being the one that I'm most familiar with. Dimensions are critical. Looking closely at the photo I agree that that crimp does not look to be fit for purpose.