Making up cables

[Steve H]

I'm putting straight bars on my SV and need to make up longer cables. Being a cheapskate I'm planning to re-use some cables I have knocking around, shorten then to suit, and then solder on new nipples. In the past when I've tried this I have found it difficult to get the inner cable clean enough to take the solder. I'm planning to use flux but the grease tends to get fairly well embedded in old cables. Does anyone have a good technique for getting rid of the old grease ?

[guest146]

Try some brake cleaner You can get this in a spray. I would advice giving it a soak in liquid flux first to get in all the corners. I am always a little weary of making cables espacally a front brake. I dread to think what it would be like in an emergency to hve no front brake.

Ken

[guest7]

I dread to think what it would be like in an emergency to hve no front brake.

You've obviously never ridden a Jawa! Nor a BMW Boxer in the wet 

GC

[Richard]

Nor a BMW Boxer in the dry................

[Mark]

Nor a BMW Boxer in the dry................

That must be the ATE calipers you mentioned.

[guest24]

Removing old grease? Fire!!! Burn it all off, that's what I say.

On a serious note, I too am a chicken and wouldn't like to make the new cables even though I'm a cheapskate as well. When I converted my CBR600 to have flat bars instead of the clip-ons, I found that CB250N SuperDream ones fitted perfectly!! Never told anyone, 'till now, that my CBR was being controlled by SuperDream parts...oh the shame if they had known. Incidentally, the CBR went 10 years ago, so this confession is 'safe'.

[Mark]

Steve, are you familiar with these guys http://www.venhill.co.uk/Motorbike_brake_lines,_clutch_lines_&_cables

they are helpful, can build custom cables and not expensive.

Mark

[themoudie]

Aye Steve,

I'm with Ken with using the brake cleaner after removing the nipple and shortening the inner cable. You can also buy brake cleaner in a 5 litre (1 gallon ) can and pour some into a tray and give it a reet scrubbing with a tooth brush, afore using the aerosol to flush.

Burning off the grease can affect the tensile strength of the wire making up the cable and if you don't rinse off the flux residues with hot soap and water the salts can be corrosive.

A big copper solder iron heated with a parrafin blow lamp is always good value (Eh, GC!  ) But a gas blowlamp with the copper soldering tip is also good. Tin the cable afore trying to solder the nipple and if the cable won't tin then clean it again.

As with all these jobs, take your time, be methodical and you should be fine. A bit more blacksmith engineering (Fred Dibnah  ) design, is good for thumpers!

Toodle pip, Bill.

[002]

I agree with Bill.
Having a couple of the old copper irons lying around they are great to use !

Did have a couple of paraffin blow lamps too.Cant find the buggers now.
And Venhill are very good.
Jethro

[guest146]

I guess you know this but in the days when I have made cables the end through the nipple or the lever end isn't just soldered its sort of spread like a flat diamond shape so when its full of solder  it cant just slide through it would have to change the shape of the cable first and I think the cable end was countersunk a little as well.  Never done a brake though just clutch and throttle.

Ken

[bobby554]

I do make up front brake cables, I degrease the inner with MEK and make the nipples from brass and drill them through and then counter bore about 2 thirds through with a larger drill.
The inner should be frayed out and the strands bent back to resemble a palm tree and tinned.
When the solder has filled the "tree" it will not pull through even if there were not a bond between the inner and the nipple.
I use a small gas blowlamp and have once or twice used silver solder on cables for fast (!) bikes.
PS do not use electrical solder it's too soft.
regards Bob.

[guest288]

Rick P did a bit on cables in one of the recent Classic Bike editions, can't remember what issue though.

[Steve H]

PS do not use electrical solder it's too soft.

I was planning on using household plumbing solder, is this suitable or is there a better alternative ?

[Steve Lake]

i use battery acid to clean the cable end.. (make sure its washed off)....a nice countersink in the outer end of the nipple to splay the inner into, then silver solder (preferably flux cored)

[Steve H]

i use battery acid to clean the cable end.. (make sure its washed off)....a nice countersink in the outer end of the nipple to splay the inner into, then silver solder (preferably flux cored)

Steve, how long do you leave the cable in acid to clean it. I struggled to tin the cable last night, a short length of new cable was fairly straightforward though. Maybe I should just invest in new cable.