emergency clutch cable repair??????

[minimike]

It appears the 1/2 round lug on the pedal side of the clutch cable is gone. any ideas to do a quick field repair so I can get this home?
This is for a 1979 124 spider.
thanks.
mike

[SoFlaFiat]

Do you have a pair of vise grips with you?

[Tobi]

I once drove mine home without the clutch. You can still carefully shift as long as you don't have to stop. I had to ignore stop signs and red lights in order to get home through the city.
I had to stop at one red light because of traffic. Got help from fife girls in the car behind me. They pushed me so I could put it in second gear. They where all dressed up for the clubs, mini skirts and high heels. To bad I could not stop and thank them.
A story I can tell now, for the rest of my life
Good luck getting your car home.

[ITA124]

They pushed me so I could put it in second gear.

I've driven home a couple times without a pedal. With the engine warm, I get the car moving with the starter motor in 2nd gear. Obviously avoid where possible, but in the absence of anything else works well

Always good to practice driving car without using clutch. Its easier than you think.

Paul

[Exit98]

True Story - Dumb Idea

Back in the day I'd read all the stories about how the F1 drivers, and other racers too, could shift up and down without the clutch. So I decided to figure out how to do it, gently - matching rpms and so forth. Well I got pretty good.

So one holiday weekend driving back in my 72 from Baltimore to the Jersey Shore I decided that except when I was fully stopped I'd make the whole trip without using the clutch.

Well with about 10 miles to go, in nearly stop and go traffic i guess I was trying to slip it down into first and I must have broken the syncro or something else because first gear was now gone for good. What a klutz. I drove around for months without it till I finally got enough $ to have it replaced by a dealer. They didn't fix them back then, just swapped them out. At the time I had no idea it was possible to do it myself.

[Tobi]

They pushed me so I could put it in second gear.

I've driven home a couple times without a pedal. With the engine warm, I get the car moving with the starter motor in 2nd gear. Obviously avoid where possible, but in the absence of anything else works well

Always good to practice driving car without using clutch. Its easier than you think.

Paul

Did you read my story Paul?
Fife girls in mini skirts and high heels where pushing me! Why would I abuse my starter when I can get that kind of service?
To that day I thought that kind of thing only happens in porn movies.

[minimike]

OK, I know I can drive it with no clutch. 2nd synchro is weak so I'm not prone to do it. I've ordered a cable and when I swap it out, I'll weld a new barrel nub on to the existing one. Gotta wait till Mon or when it arrives.

[ITA124]

Did you read my story Paul?
Fife girls in mini skirts and high heels where pushing me! Why would I abuse my starter when I can get that kind of service?
To that day I thought that kind of thing only happens in porn movies.

Yes, but I didn't believe you. I recall reading men's forums starting with "I never thought it would happen to me....."

Now I'm going off topic, you got photos?

Cheers,
Paul

[TX82FIAT]

I tried the clutch cable re-routing with vice grips on the cable when my clutch cable broke in the exact same spot. God bless those that can do it. I had the car towed to my garage and ordered two clutch cables so i would have a spare.

[minimike]

it was/is a 20 minute job, replacing the cable even in below freezing weather outside. However 2x I situated the cable in the pedal, and after I jacked the car down the cable popped out of the pedal fork.

I believe the fork is fatigued, and has spread open. Looking to replace the pedal now. More than a 20 min job, and not doing it until the weather warms up.