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Technical Desperate Search for urgent clutch cable

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Technical Desperate Search for urgent clutch cable

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Phiz

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Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Messages
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Location
Manchester
So as many of you know we are driving to Russia in our 93 CLX very, very soon. As a precaution I stupidly decided to replace the currently functioning clutch cable. I went to see my local parts man who said there were two possible lengths listed so take the old one off and measure it and he'd order it in, usually there in about 2 hours... The lock nuts were completely stuck so given a new one was on it's way I cut the old cable
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:-( Measured it and parts man says he can't get it... ring around and no one has one, I've taken delivery of one today but the eye at the pedal end is 6mm rather than 8mm and does not look like there is enough metal to drill it out. If anyone has one, knows where there is one etc. please can you let me know as soon as possible. Also posted on Facebook. Phiz.
 
Well so far I've ended up drilling the one with the 6mm eye out to 8mm, it looks pretty delicate but at least I can get the car on the road straight away. Apparently the guy who does clutch cables at Speedy Cables is off on sick so they recon at least three weeks to make a new clutch cable for me, price undisclosed. Ricambio recommended them. I did get a better response from Cable Tec Nottingham, they have a 5 working day turnaround and can make a new one up for £35ish pounds plus £15 delivery or can replace just the inner with a new one with correct eye for £10 plus £15, so if the one I've put on does snap I can get them to make it right (y).
I've ordered one from autodoc, they could not confirm the dimensions of the eye but it's free return if it's wrong so fingers crossed, it should arrive today so then I'll know for sure!
The Ebay one is one of the many I looked at but I think it is the wrong one and the QH part number is different from the one I've been told is right for my car but no longer current.
Fingers crossed the one due to arrive today will be right and I can take it with me on the trip as a spare:)
Thanks for the tips, if anyone has any other ideas in the meantime let me know but hopefully tonight I'll have one which was actually designed for my car, rather than forced into service against its will like the one on the car now!
 
IMG_1506.JPG

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I have also posted on the “PANDA PARTS REQUEST” thread

If you need help for placing an order let me know
 
Well I'm still waiting on the autodoc (not mister-auto got mixed up) one to arrive so hopefully I'll find out tomorrow if that is right or if it is going straight back. The cable type for my car is the second type pictures Lukmek, though I've now seen a couple which look like this but have subtle differences (ie length and the diameter of the eye at the pedal end). Is this one listed for RHD cars? This seems to be the sticking point with a few suppliers as I guess they continued using the design on LHD cars right up to 2003?
 
Phiz said:
Well I'm still waiting on the autodoc (not mister-auto got mixed up) one to arrive so hopefully I'll find out tomorrow if that is right or if it is going straight back. The cable type for my car is the second type pictures Lukmek, though I've now seen a couple which look like this but have subtle differences (ie length and the diameter of the eye at the pedal end). Is this one listed for RHD cars? This seems to be the sticking point with a few suppliers as I guess they continued using the design on LHD cars right up to 2003?
Click to expand...



It’s from Italy so I guess it’s for LHD
Do you have a picture of your old one?
 
PS: I did order some parts from Autodoc for the cinquecento... a bit of a nightmare to return a door handle and get a refund...
hopefully their part will fit your panda!
 
This seems to be the issue I had, I don't think there were that many right hand drive Pandas built after the change of clutch cable, I'm afraid the pics. I've taken are on my work computer but the total length of the cable is 92cm ish. It has to go from the right hand side of the car across to the clutch on the left so will be much longer than a LHD cable.

Re Auto-Doc I emailed them beforehand to check the cable dimensions which they were unable to confirm so I'll be pretty miffed if they are funny about taking it back if it it wrong!
 
Phiz said:
This seems to be the issue I had, I don't think there were that many right hand drive Pandas built after the change of clutch cable, I'm afraid the pics. I've taken are on my work computer but the total length of the cable is 92cm ish. It has to go from the right hand side of the car across to the clutch on the left so will be much longer than a LHD cable.

Re Auto-Doc I emailed them beforehand to check the cable dimensions which they were unable to confirm so I'll be pretty miffed if they are funny about taking it back if it it wrong!
Click to expand...



Well I paid extra £3 or so for their Safe delivery so I could return the part if it didn’t fit
Autodoc still deducted £5 from the refund... 3 weeks after receiving the part back!
Won’t use them again
I can ask the Italian seller the cable dimension for you
 
Well Auto-Docs definition of a 4-5 working day delivery seems a little vague, though apparently it is now out for delivery today (seemed to be working its way around Germany for a while!).
The fact you paid extra for the safe delivery is a worry, I didn't bother as I had emailed them asking specifically about the cable, providing engine and chassis no. and was told this was the correct part... keep your fingers crossed.
Thanks for the offer re asking the Italian suppliers, I suspect at this stage the best option either way would be to get cable tech. to modify one of the wrong cables if this also turns out to be wrong as their turnaround time is quick enough for our trip and their price not unreasonable.
Will report back hopefully in possession of a correct cable:confused:
 
Probably a bit late now but I got one a while back from Oscaro (Belgium /France) but they didn't deliver to UK so it took a bit of organising to get it sent to an address over there & then forwarded, maybe an option depending on your time constraints

Have attached a link for one from there which might be OK for yours, but there seems to be loads of slightly different specs. This one is for RHD

https://www.oscaro.com/cable-d-embrayage-trw-gcc3142-5521836-478-p

PM me if you're still struggling & I'll measure my spare up to see if it matches what you need
 
So it turns out it is not just Autodocs delivery times which are inaccurate. The cable has arrived, it is about half the length of the one off the car and has the round plastic bit where it goes through the bulkhead! So about as wrong as it can get really, this is the part I was advised to buy based on my measurements of the old cable, the reg no., the chassis no. and the engine number?! Currently on their online chat thing trying to get it sorted, trouble is I ordered this 11 days ago, time is running out very quickly :bang:.

On a positive the car passed it's MOT again today with no advisories:D

I've just ordered one from Germany which is a TRW one, same part number as on the Oscaro part and should just about arrive in time (though too close for comfort). If this is the wrong part I've no chance of getting the right one so still looking at other options just for comfort sake, I'd rather end up with four spares than set of to Russia with the wrong one on the car and no spare!
 
So after an hour and a quarter on their online chat and emailing them screenshots of their emails to me confirming the part after I made it VERY clear what I needed auto-doc have agreed to refund the full amount including postage without me even needing to send the incorrect part back... looks like I'm collecting random clutch cables!
I also took delivery of some new exhaust mounting rubbers today (I put a new exhaust on last week and the old mounting rubbers don't look too fresh) and they turned out to be completely wrong too. Still much more impressed with that supplier, they've already got some more out on their way to me first class, again do what I like with the incorrect ones!

John I did ask on Facebook but it didn't really get noticed, I think the way Facebook works if you post something that does not gather likes (so generally not unreasonably ignored by anyone who does not have a clutch cable) then not many people see it. It's a pity things are moving off the forum, as a database of usefull information things remain accessable on here and it's easier to look back at peoples projects when you see what they've recently done.
Anyhow still working on clutch cables, need to update my build thread a bit as I've done a load more since the heater matrix but mad busy getting ready for the big trip, which I'll post about on my return (hopefully successfully!).
 
panda1408 said:
Is this the cable you need?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PANDA-CLUTCH-CABLE-769CC-ENGINE/301879094630?epid=8011353399&hash=item4649656d66:g:HDIAAOSwvflZU4df
Click to expand...

Just had a look and it looks too short. I've searched on the part no. and online carparts list TRW GCC1152 as an equivalent, which I've looked up and is listed as 555/343mm so I'm not sure if that is just shorter due to it being for the smaller engine or if its even a LHD one. That is the type of fitting needed for getting through the bulkhead, though the one I've got on the car now (a Veco VJC871) is a little too short and just about makes it round, though the eye at the pedal end was only 6mm so is now drilled out! Could definitely do with it a little longer and the one I've got does not quite come through the bulkhead at the right angle, so I've had to leave one of the two fixing bolts off to stop the cable rubbing on the top edge of the metal pipe where it comes through.
 
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andyjw0114 said:
Phiz- hopefully a pic of the cable is attached to this post Andy
Click to expand...

Looks good but so does the one that's on it which nearly fits:D. It'd be great to have it so I know I've at least got a fresh one should the existing one snap.

I'm still waiting on the autopartspro one (which seems to be the same company as autodoc etc., just loads of different websites, hardly fills you with confidence! It said 1-2 day delivery as item was in stock, ordered it a couple of days ago, should be here next Wednesday apparently. The other Ebay one Friday next week so again not holding my breath.

I did spend a bit of time in the workshop today with some 3mm thick steel rope that was lying around. I think it's used for garage door counter weights (I was given a load of it by a mate who was emmigrating), I managed to weld the eye from the old cable on one end, fed it through the housing and then welded a 60mm M6 set screw on the other end... it's certainly not pretty but it might get us off a Russian motorway/main road if we're in trouble:confused:.

Andy I'll PM you about the weekend, look forward to meeting you and checking out your Panda(y)
 
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