For all who have troubles opening Charlie's article above, here it is.
Hi. My name is Charlie Bates. I've been involved with cars all my life and have had a warm spot in my heart for Italian machinery ever since I can remember. Some of you readers may know me but most probably do not so I'll try to fill you in a little on my background. My schooling is as a mechanical engineer with an automotive & power specialty. I've worked (both in the US and Germany) for Robert Bosch Corporation where I did application development for diesel fuel injection systems. Since 1986 I've been part owner of a Bosch Authorized Service Center shop where we do service and repair on European and Asian cars, specializing in Porsche, Mercedes Benz & BMW automobiles. I've worked in the motorsports industry dealing with CART & IRL teams selling parts & doing some shock development. I currently work for Caterpillar in advanced fuel systems R&D as a test engineer.
I have recently purchased 1969 Dino spider 2400 #1186 and would like to share a repair that I performed recently. When I test drove my car prior to purchase, I noticed that the clutch pedal was very hard to push. The clutch seemed to function normally (no slippage, noise, or chatter) so I knew that I would have to look into it in the near future. Since the clutch on my car is cable actuated, I first suspected a cable problem. The fact that it is in very close proximity to the drivers side exhaust headers made me think that perhaps the cable was getting baked in its housing. This spring, a friend of mine was over in the UK on business, and with him being a car guy, he volunteered to visit Superformance and pick me up a cable while he was there. How could I pass up a deal like that? Personalized hand carry service! As I thought about putting in the new cable, I also began to think about how I could improve on the stock installation so I would not cause the new cable to die a premature death.
When I was working in the motorsports business, we sold a product to all of the teams (especially CART & IRL) called Firesleeve. It is a high temperature silicone sleeve lined with insulating material that kind of looks like a terry cloth towel. It is designed especially for insulating control cables and hydraulic lines in high heat areas.
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Well, I thought this clutch cable was a good candidate for a Firesleeve update! It turns out that dash 8 (also known as -8) Firesleeve was a near perfect fit over the clutch cable outer sheath. I had a piece cut to the proper length and slid it over the cable.
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To secure it on the ends, I used a small piece of stainless steel safety wire that I twisted to form a snug fit around the end of the Firesleeve.
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From here on out, it was a pretty straight forward clutch cable replacement. Be certain to disassemble, clean and lubricate the bell crank assembly on the bell housing as there are needle bearings there that tend to get gummed up with age.
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Detaching the clevis end at the pedal took a bit of effort as you almost need to stand on your head under the dash. Replace all the little cotter pins that you come across. They are very cheap and reuse may leave you stranded if they break. Another very important point is to lubricate the new cable prior to installation. I used an aerosol and drizzled lube down the cable until it ran out the other end. Make certain that you have a good chassis ground strap connection as I have seen other cars that have had premature clutch cable failures because the cable was being used as a ground path! Most important is the alignment of the cable in the engine bay. You want it to have a straight shot into the bell crank assembly and where it goes through the firewall. It should also have as big a bend radius as possible. This is not as easy as it sounds! It took me a while to get it routed just the way I wanted it when I did mine. It can be done however! You will notice how close it comes to the headers. That's where the Firesleeve helps out.
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When it's finished, you can rest assured that the clutch cable should no longer be the weak link in the system. I know, some people will say that the Firesleeve detracts from the "original" appearance etc. etc. You know what? I don't find that a problem. I know my cable will work, work properly, and work for a long time. Besides, it's a non destructive repair and if someone ever buys my car and doesn't like it, they can take it off! Firesleeve can be had from most major motorsports supply houses. I just happened to buy mine at Motorsports Spared International in Indianapolis IN. Phone is 317-241-7500. It cost about $35 for the Firesleeve. A small price to pay for extended peace of mind while driving my Dino!