DIY! Snapped clutch cable remove & replace

[davidricardo86]

I've been meaning to update you guys on my clutch cable orders. So, I've received both OEM and aftermarket cables after what felt like a very short wait time considering these were both coming from overseas according to the sellers. I haven't taken the cables out of their plastic bags but one thing I did notice is that the OEM cable includes a small cotter pin and the aftermarket cable does not. I'll have to take some more detailed photos of the similarities and differences between the two cables at a later time.


OEM
Ordered: 01/10/2022
Delivered: 01/27/2022



Aftermarket
Ordered: 01/11/2022
Delivered: 01/20/2022

[MetroMPG]

Ordered my "just in case" clutch cable today.

$58 CAD shipped to a friend's US address. (Otherwise it would have been around $80 CAD with shipping/import crud.)

Bought this one:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/185396936456...Bk9SR9jsg7nmYQ

[Mark]

Ordered my "just in case" clutch cable today.

$58 CAD shipped to a friend's US address. (Otherwise it would have been around $80 CAD with shipping/import crud.)

Bought this one:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/185396936456...Bk9SR9jsg7nmYQ

As my 2017 Mirage gets older, I feel better having a clutch cable & serpentine belt stored inside my spare tire.

I don't view a clutch cable as being that expensive, considering how important it is.

[MetroMPG]

I've driven a car in Toronto traffic with a broken clutch cable before. It's doable. So I wasn't worrying too much, considering all my driving these days is small city & rural roads.

THAT said, this car has another mystery clutch issue since I got it (pedal effort has always been 2x normal). I don't want to mix the two problems & push my luck.

EDIT: if I'm lucky, the "mystery" issue is related to the clutch cable! Internal friction? Wouldn't that be great if I swap it out and it goes back to normal pedal effort. Not holding my breath though.

[Mark]

I've driven a car in Toronto traffic with a broken clutch cable before. It's doable. So I wasn't worrying too much, considering all my driving these days is small city & rural roads.

THAT said, this car has another mystery clutch issue since I got it (pedal effort has always been 2x normal). I don't want to mix the two problems & push my luck.

EDIT: if I'm lucky, the "mystery" issue is related to the clutch cable! Internal friction? Wouldn't that be great if I swap it out and it goes back to normal pedal effort. Not holding my breath though.

Everyone's situation is surely different. My full size spare tire, clutch cable, & serpentine belt is based on long trips. Visiting my parents is 4 hours one way. I will be doing a 10+ hour trip one way in May. I did an 18 hour trip one way last fall.

If I only used my Mirage like driving an EV locally, I wouldn't sweat that stuff! Plus, I probably wouldn't have a need for an EV clutch cable.

Given your circumstances, I would do the clutch cable replacement sooner rather than later. If that solved your mystery problem, that would be awesome!

[7milesout]

THAT said, this car has another mystery clutch issue since I got it (pedal effort has always been 2x normal).

Metro - I believe I've seen cable mis-routings result in increased force. Maybe it was replaced before and not ran the exact same route?

[defensivetackle88]

Out of curiosity, if mine fails or snaps with-in 5 year of ownership (because new USA MT-Mirage owner gets unlimited miles roadside assistance for free), would I be able to claim a warranty at the dealer?

[7milesout]

Within 5 years, and less than 60k miles, yes. It should be covered.

After that, even including the 10/100 Powertrain coverage, at least by the letter of what I have read, it would not be covered. There's a list that includes all that is covered in the 10/100 Powertrain Coverage (post 5 years or 60k miles), and the cable is not listed there.

I'll read more about it.

[MetroMPG]

Clutch cable replaced!

The new cable's swage fittings/ends look better designed than the OEM part - more meat over the wire. I remember someone else pointing out the same thing about their replacement cable.

Pic coming soon showing the 2 end styles.

Pic...



---

Sadly, while the new cable moves a little smoother/easier than the old one, that was definitely not the cause of the excessive clutch effort of this car. The pedal itself swings free & easy as well. So it's something internal (which I suspected anyway).

[MetroMPG]

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.

My original OEM cable (pedal side) was greased very well, and after 179k km = 111k mi., there was no visible wear to the clevis. Transmission end was a bit dry and the steel pivot lever is a little rusty, but still no appreciable wear.