How hard is it to change a clutch cable?

[Jeremichi]

Damn thing broke a week after fixing my steering stem.  Hopefully I can get it by this weekend.  It doesn't look that hard.

[scratch]

It's not if you have a photographic memory. Don't remove the old cable til you have the new one routed through and in place.

[Ringo]

I'm also in the process of changing my clutch cable. Ordered a new one which will take several weeks because it wasn't in stock. Because I don't have the patience to wait that long, I think I'm just gonna pull the broken wire out and insert a new one. Should work.. right?

[Kerry]

The new clutch cable will come with the fittings attached to either end.  If you could just replace the "cable" part of the cable it seems like they would offer that as an option.

I guess if you have some way to crimp new "cable end thingies" onto the ends of a length of standard cable (?) you should be able to reuse the fittings you already have.

[MarkusN]

The motor end of the clutch cable has a small "axial" type stepped lug that's difficult to do as a "screw on", so best get a cable that has that one already soldered on. The lever end has a transversal type cylindrical lug that you can get as a screw on.

I'd only consider these for a quick fix though, as a clamped on lug is bound to break the cable sooner or later.

About routing: I have read the hint to drag the new cable in by taping it tot the old one, thus making sure you route it the same way. Routing is not too complicated, though.

And you'll have to bend away a small securing nose thingie on the receptacle in the sprocket cover. You can neither remove the old cable nor install the new one if you don't. I have left that bent away; i can not see the clutch cable disengaging, even with that nose not in place, and if you have to bend steel back and forth several times it's bound to break.

Oh, and you'll find lots of muck in the sprocket cover. Better have a bowl of kerosene and a large hard brush ready.

[Kerry]

The motor end of the clutch cable has a small "axial" type stepped lug that's difficult to do as a "screw on", so best get a cable that has that one already soldered on. The lever end has a transversal type cylindrical lug that you can get as a screw on.

I'd forgotten about the "axial type stepped lug".  ("Lug", that's the word I needed.)

To see what MarkusN and I are talking about, see item #17 in this Bike Bandit diagram.