DIY! Snapped clutch cable remove & replace

[Mark]

I grew up with the version Bum F*** Egypt and found it readily understood until recently.

I must live a sheltered life.

Not the first time I've been clueless about something!

[Cobrajet]

Another one bites the dust! Was driving home from work tonight, and when I went to shift into third gear *POP!*

I knew what it was, then I didn't know what it was, then I thought I knew what it was, then I knew what it was.

I pulled over into a parking lot thinking I had snapped another clutch cable. When I popped the hood and looked at the clevis on the clutch release fork it was just fine. This is where they normally break. But there was an awful lot of play on the clutch release fork so I thought this time it might be the pressure plate itself. Back in the day I had this exact thing happen on a '97 Metro. Thought it was a clutch cable, but the pressure plate had fractured.

I carry a spare cable with me, but since I didn't think this was the problem I limped the car home. Even started pricing clutch sets before going out and giving the car another look. Upon removing the cable, this is what I found...





Yep, I wore right straight through the clevis! This is the clevis on the pedal side, and the last little bit finally gave way tonight. Weird..this might be the first time one has failed like this. I got 63,000 miles out of this one. I have to say it: the clutch cable design on these cars is a bit of a weak point.

[MetroMPG]

Thanks for the update, with pics.

There wouldn't have been any increase in pedal effort when it started to chew through, would there?

I'm going to inspect mine.

[Cobrajet]

Thanks for the update, with pics.

There wouldn't have been any increase in pedal effort when it started to chew through, would there?

I'm going to inspect mine.

I'd be surprised if there was. I got no warning. The shift into second was fine, the shift into third...*pop*. These sometimes fail out of the blue...like when the clevis pops off the cable...or they can apparently fail over time, like this one. I recommend people carry spares. All it takes to change it on the side of the road or in a parking lot is a pair of pliers, a Philips screwdriver, a 12mm wrench. Takes ten minutes if you are handy, maybe half an hour if you aren't.

Beats getting stuck or needing to be towed. If you have a manual Mirage and are going to drive it for a long time there is a very high chance this cable WILL fail. Did Steve ever report one breaking? Mine has failed twice over 176,000 miles. One failed at 113,000 and one at 63,000. Both had different modes of failure.

It should be noted, however, that my car is probably shifted 2-3x more than the average Mirage for a given mileage. It should also be noted that we have seen these cables fail at much lower mileage than either of mine did.

Kinda scary. It is the one weak point of the MT cars. I wish somebody made a stronger aftermarket version of this part.

[MetroMPG]

PS: is that red car a SAAB?

[Mark]

Kinda scary. It is the one weak point of the MT cars. I wish somebody made a stronger aftermarket version of this part.

Your second clutch cable breaking has inspired me to order one. I just took care of that. I'll store it around the spare tire. I've been meaning to pick up a serpentine drive belt & do the same.

Belts are no big deal. My local Auto Zone has two types in stock. Something like a clutch cable is another story.

Unless they don't make it that long, I plan on replacing those two items @ 100,000 miles. I would keep the originals as backup spares. In the meantime, the new replacements would serve the same purpose.

[Cobrajet]

Sure is...

[MetroMPG]

FYI: I moved Pryme's topic from this thread to a new one...
Thread: Clutch hard to press. Solved: warranty replaced pivot shaft, seal, release bearing

[Cobrajet]

Your second clutch cable breaking has inspired me to order one. I just took care of that. I'll store it around the spare tire. I've been meaning to pick up a serpentine drive belt & do the same.

Belts are no big deal. My local Auto Zone has two types in stock. Something like a clutch cable is another story.

Unless they don't make it that long, I plan on replacing those two items @ 100,000 miles. I would keep the originals as backup spares. In the meantime, the new replacements would serve the same purpose.

Good idea. This is what I would do with both the serp belt and clutch cable on a lower mileage car, and it is also what I do now. Keep the new ones in the back as spares until you get to 100k miles. Swap them, then keep the old ones in the back as a spares. Miy first one went 113k, second at 63k, but Mitsumi's (OP) only went 36k.

I got lucky...twice...and have found two spare cables in wrecking yards. One I bought a few weeks ago when I bought my replacement shifter.

"Fortune favors the prepared mind." --Louis Pasteur

[foama]

Thanks for the info!

For prevention I put a dab of grease on the clevis.
Also, I have a new replacement in the car. At €12.50 (about $15) it is afforable.