Another clutch adventure in my '80 245 DL with a M-46.

This time, the clutch went to the floor with a rather loud "CLUNK." Then the pedal traveled with great ease! Unfortunately, it didn't come back up, or have any effect on anything.

My first thought was the cable pulled through the firewall again. So I looked at the cable entering the firewall, hoping my welding job didn't break off. It hadn't. It's as solid as a rock.

So I looked under the car. This is what I found:



I was able to drive the car home using the slip shifting technique, which tells me that the clutch is fully engaged, despite the position of the return fork.

What am I looking at here?

Thanks as always.
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If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as "Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!"

A lesson for all of you out there: Do not go cheap when buying a clutch cable.

The damn thing broke right at the pedal.

I had been planning on replacing the clutch cable for some time now, but I kept putting it off. Well, thanks to the cable breaking, I'll have to fix this now I suppose.

It was $100.94 for a genuine clutch cable from one of the many dealers around here. They had the best price out of the others I called.

Thanks for your replies all. I didn't even think about the cable being broken until you all mentioned it. I assumed it would be something worse (I have a tendency to do that... heh heh heh...)
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If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as "Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!"

I think you can rule out broken fork (they sure do) and fork fallen off the pivot, by the way the for feels. I mean is it still on the TO bearing or is it really loose and floppy? If you can feel the TO attachment, does it seem like the far end is free to flop? A lot of this is easier to model if you have a spare tranny around. Hope it is the cable.

If the cable all look good.... you might need a new clutch

I really hope the others are right but it looks like the fork if a bit forward, this may mean something's broken in there :-( I've heard of the fork breaking but never had one do it.
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Dave Shannon
Spring Valley, California
'88-240 190K+
'65 1800S ????K
'73 1800ES 117K
'92 745Ti 160K
Jeep Wrangler Sahara 10K
my pages

Dave -

If the fork is the name for the piece that pivots on the right end, and is attached to the clutch cable on the left end, I had one bend !!

couldn't get the clutch to adjust. Set it right, steped on the pedal a few times, and it was out of adjustment again. Finally ran out of adjustment. Took to a Volvo indie shop and they showed me the fork after replacing it. Definitely bent. It was on my 1979 245DL, around 100K miles.

Regards,

Bob

:>)

On my coupe (hydraulic clutch, same trans), the pivot bolt wore through the lever back in '97. Same symptom. I'm not saying that's what happened here, but it has happened to me.
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80 262C Coupe- (FSO black, M46, original) 82 244GLT- (auto)

Bet if you grap hold of that end, you'll be able to pull the cable completly out of it's casing. Cable broke ! Awful sinking feeling when it happens.....still have the one I sent you a pic of.
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84, 242GLTi, 167K, 4+OD, in rehab; 89, 245 DL, 266K, M 47, daily driver; 93, 245, auto, 167K ; and other toys.

Unfortunately, I needed a cable ASAP, but I might end up buying that cable from you for my '76 when I (finally do) get it running.

I'll send you an email.

This makes me wish I wouldn't have waited so long to take care of the cable!

Oh well, lesson learned on my part I suppose. Don't put important things off.
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If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as "Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!"

Well....

I would assume that if you crawl into the driver's foot well that you can still see the other end of the cable still attached to the pedal. If so, cable's busted.

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Happy Bricking!!! - Richard - '87 245 DL , '82 242 GLT - Half a million km between them!!!