1985 240. I just replaced the clutch cable with a dealer part. Even with the cable adjusted out fully, it engages close to the floor...makes shifting really difficult because the clutch is partially (if only very slightly) engaged when the pedal is on the floor.

I rigged up a spacer on the clutch fork - added about 3/4" or so of thickness.

Shifts and drives SO MUCH better with this rig job. I'm OK to leave the rig job in place, but I have to wonder...What is the real problem? Could the fork be bent or something like that?

The last time I bought a clutch cable was in 2012 from Carquest and it was a Gemo #wpc I402017353GEM $29.00.If you call them just ask if it's a Gemo cable because they have to order it from warehouse.

For the first time I am trying to show 2 images here of clutch fork failure and resulting damage on pressure plate fingers.





Hope this is working good.

Trying again,

I see that some text info added with images did not show.

Pressure plate (on the left) was severely damaged by dis-aligned release bearing due to clutch fork failure. I could hardly stop the car at every signal light.

As I mentioned above, if you feel this is the problem it is better if you get hold of a replacement fork.

Good luck

hi roland- when that piece which looks like abearing or a bushing broke through the end of the fork did the resulting misalignment cause the throwout bearing to grind away at the spinning diaphragm fingers? must have made one hell of a racket.thanks tons oldduke

Most of all the cable re-adjustments I had done made the clutch pedal very hard to hold down at street corners. There was little more noise as I can remember. This took place during let say about 6 months.

I remember very well when the ball joint passed through the clutch fork. I hardly made it home because the clutch would not dis-engage.

Yes, the throw out bearing made that wear on the diaphragm fingers. That bearing looked still good though but I put in a new one anyway.

I blame this on my mechanic who did not add some lubricant each time over two clutch changes. Metal on metal friction is highway for failure.

Sorry for being late in this post but it reminds me the exact problem I had less than a year ago.

I assume this is M-46 transmission.

The problem in my car was the small ball joint at the far end of the fork had worn through the fork metal structure. This gave the pedal more play which had to be re-adjusted. I was also looking at ways to get that clutch dis-engage completely with no avail.

Be ready with a spare fork on hand in case everything collapses.

Make sure you reply about what was the problem, I am interested.

Check the firewall where the cable goes through for tearing of the surrounding metal.
Dan

I looked at the hole in the firewall when I put the cable in...no obvious damage there. Could be a better place to put my spacer, though.

I had also thought about getting a thicker rubber grommet that fits into the clutch fork. I recall some VW transmissions having a thin rubber piece, and others having a significantly thicker piece...one of the thicker ones may do the trick.

What is the part number of the new cable and who made it?
Dan

It's a Volvo part, no obvious markings for manufacturer, part number: 1377669

I bought it from Tasca

hi pageed- good tip. forgot about that cause. remember here the repair for that was a bolt on collar holding a mending plate(thick square washer) firmly against the firewall with the clutch cable held fast by the collar. oldduke

hi sages- have a question about an item in this thread. swebb suggests the fork may be bent which would in effect lengthen the cable and lower the clutch friction point on the pedal swing making it harder to shift. pulling back the rubber boot on the bellhousingand looking in closely with a good light may disclose the condition of the fork(straightness, cracking etc.) . i doubt this is the problem since the fork is pretty rigid machined steel. i have suspected this on a few of the many clutch jobs i have done, but never actually saw it. have any of you actually seen this on a volvo 240? my prior experience was with american cars which dont have a cable clutch but rather a z bar and push rod actuating the fork. in those the slacking out was caused by worn z bar bushings or a crack in the zbar. more analysis needed. one said here that cracking or bending of the fork is common. hope thats not true since if it is replacement or reinforcement of the fork should be part of a volvo clutch job. what think you- am i on the right track or a dollar short? thanks tons oldduke

"...Even with the cable adjusted out fully..."

Does that mean you tightened the cable all the way or loosened it all the way?

"... Could the fork be bent or something like that..."

Yes - somewhat common. Sometimes they develop a crack, hidden inside the boot, and then start to bend. They can act kind of "springy" such that the free play feels OK, but when you press on the pedal the fork just bends instead of disengaging the clutch. Then when you let off on the pedal the fork springs back to give the appearance of proper free play.

Thanks for the input.

So far my added spacer trick is working - does not feel spongy and the clutch engagement is fantastic now. I suppose I will know after driving it for a while if my "fix" will hold up, but it sounds like I shouldn't count on it.

There is no external fix for the fork issue, I presume, so I should be planning for a clutch job at this point.

-Steve

Gemo was the OEM provider made in Italy. Metal sheethed. Repalcement ones have been too short as some have reported here. You can search here for more info. It appears Gemo is still making the cable but with alot more plastic these days. Why did you replace it in the 1st place?

Replaced the old one because:

a) it felt a bit stiff - from my VW days stiff cable = ruined pedal cluster, so I wanted to avoid that mess.
b) Clutch was engaging too close to the floor and was hard to engage into 1st gear. It appears that the old cable had been rigged in a similar way already (it was at the end of the adjustment and a spacer had been added to take up even more slack)


SO...I wrongly concluded that a new cable would fix my problem and went with the official part from the dealer.

Mine may have the "pay phone cable corrugated metal sheath" but if so it is encased in plastic (it does not look like the one I pulled off the car in that way)

Drives great right now, but I have a 13mm socket in place of the rubber spacer at the clutch fork.

Heavy clutch feel can be a worn out diaphragm, clutch doesn't pop in and out like when its new. You lose that lighter feel you get when the pedal gets near the floor. Will work but might need adjustment. However when its like this it does put more strain on the cable, which in turn shortens its life.

hi kid and swebb- find this a very interesting discussion. i have two spare clutch cables for my 92 245. figured it was a good idea to keep a spare in the car for when the current cable snaps going down a dark desert highway near stinking creek. could not find a recommended gemo anywhere. volvo wouldnt or couldnt tell me if it was a gemo. the one i have is a professional parts of sweden part and the other is a pioneer from italy. both look exactly the same and are the exact length called for in the volvo specs. neither is too short nor too long . each has a corrugated metal sheeth with a black vinyl cover. interestingly the cable is much like the old armored cable on pay telephone receivers. both look good but i remain concerned with much of the advice here to only use a gemo. i did call a tech rep at FCP who told me the cable they sell as volvo oe is a gemo. do not want to buy a volvo where it is about $60 or fcp where it is about $40 and find out it is not a gemo. of the two cables i have one was was about $12 and the other about $25. where would you go for truth and justice? thanks tons oldduke

What brand of clutch cable did you use?

I couldn't find a manufacturer name or identifying mark on the cable itself, but I bought it from a Volvo dealer and it came in a sealed bag with Volvo printed on it.