#MT52

Making a BSA Bantam B175 Clutch Cable
I hope this video helps others contemplating replacing their clutch cable.
If you can offer me any help or advice, please leave a comment.
I hope some of my videos help inspire others to venture into model engineering.
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Cheers!
Backing track credits......
Music: (intro) Water Lily by the 126ers - KZbin Audio Library
WARNING: Metal turning can be dangerous! I am not sure whether the methods I use are established ones, and I do not recommend them.
Please do not copy me without doing your own risk assessments!
You are responsible for your safety - not me!

[@tosselton291]

Nice we use to repair ours on the stove! Watch our for those people turning in front of you from oncoming traffic.

[@petergodfrey3439]

Very nice, what a gem. I wish I had bought one new. It’s worth having just to look at.

[@tonypike5785]

Good job you have a nice little bike. Thanks for the video show. I need to make a cable for my golf cart soon.

[@be007]

nice done mr whale, i always enjoy oldtimer cars, mopeds and motorbike,s ! cheers ben.

[@learningturningmetal]

Thanks Ben. I messed around with motorcycles as a kid, so the Bantam brings back some good memories. The bike needs to be run occasionally. No point in just storing it in the garage for someone to sell when I cop it! Cheers Andrew

[@Engineerd3d]

Lovely bike. Enjoyed this very much.

[@learningturningmetal]

Thanks mate!

[@mrc1539]

Over the years I have repaired many cables by soldering the ends on and have never had a problem . At 78 I still carry a commercial license with a motorcycle endorsement and still ride occasionally. Have fun with your bike and watch out for the 4 wheelers . 😉 !

[@learningturningmetal]

Many thanks for the encouragement. Yeah, poor car drivers are of some concern. I'll have to see how the CBT goes. Take care. Andrew

[@mchiodox69]

Nicely done!

[@daveticehurst4191]

Hi Andrew, wasted the cash on the solder pot. Just use a small gas torch or large soldering iron. Nice big countersink in the part and a decent splaying of the cable end. Works well, I was surprised with the rosin flux, usually no good on steel, needs Bakers fluid and a good dip in boiling water to kill off the acid. Regards from Australia.

[@learningturningmetal]

Hi Dave. Thanks for the advice. I'm not 100% convinced that the solder pot is the best option either. My gas torches are a bit on the large side so I thought I would give the pot a try. I've since ordered a smaller torch, so I will experiment with that. I see venhill sell a tool called bird caging, for a mere £160!!!! I think I will have a go at making one. I will look into the flux issue. All good fun! All the best. Andrew

[@alanremington8500]

Nice bike..., and cable replaced !!

[@learningturningmetal]

Thanks Alan 👍

[@Steviegtr52]

Nice old Bantam Andrew. Many years back i had quite a few of them. Though we paid around a fiver for then. It was something most folk had sat in the shed. How times have changed. CBT a breeze. Regards. Steve.

[@georgeclements2742]

Hello Andrew, I don't think that you'll have ant trouble with the cbt. Back in the day I made plenty of cables for my motor bikes. I managed o.k. with a small gas torch or large soldering iron. Splaying the cable is the most portant

[@georgeclements2742]

important thing and the solder prevents the cable from pulling through the ferrule. You should try to avoid the flux and solder travelling too far along the cable, especially with throttle cables at the twist grip end. The solder stops the cable from being flexible and introduces a stress point and the cable eventually fractures where the solder has crept through capillary action. One used to be able to buy straight pull twist grips that overcame the problem. Not such a difficulty with clutch and brake cables, but you should always make sure that the ferrule rotates freely in the levers.

[@learningturningmetal]

Hi George. Many thanks for the advice. I'm not 100% convinced that the solder pot is the best option. My gas torches are a bit on the large side so I thought I would give the pot a try. I've since ordered a smaller torch, so I will experiment with that. I see venhill sell a tool called bird caging, for a mere £160!!!! I think I will have a go at making one. All good fun! All the best. Andrew

[@RB-yq7qv]

I would recommend joining the BSA club and taking the bike to a abandon airstrip. Making the cables brings back many a time I replaced them with old wire and tube laying around the shed.

[@learningturningmetal]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did join the BSA Bantam Club with that in mind but I've not found any local events. I think I will explore the general BSA club to see if they use any local private land. Cheers Andrew

[@johnvaluk1401]

Well done Andrew. I believe you will do fine with the cbt. Cheers

[@learningturningmetal]

Hi John, fingers crossed. The CBT should at least help inform me as to whether to try to go for a full license. Cheers Andrew

[@simonbirt6121]

Solder pot? You don’t need one just a big iron or a blow lamp.

[@learningturningmetal]

Hi Simon Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately my soldering irons weren't up to it and my blowtorch is probably too aggressive. The solder pot will come in useful for desoldering components too. Cheers Andrew

[@chrisstephens6673]

Thumbs up for trying but I fear you are doomed to having a nipple come off in the near future. Just splaying the inner is not enough, solder is not strong enoughby itself to hold things in place. Dare I suggest it but take a look at my video of the tool you need to make a successful job. One of my colleagues designed it 30 or 40 years ago when we used to make cables on a production basis for older British bikes, and we also copied cables on a turn up with a broken one footing. There were also books listing inner, outer, adjuster and nipple types by make and model for almost any bike if we didn't have one to copy. Curiously the only British Standard for brake cables said something to the effect that it mustn't break under extreme load, so I made a test rig and tested to something like 400 pounds, about as much pull as the Hulk could manage on a bad day one handed. A late now but the way we did it was fit correct nipple, splay the end using the tool in the video, pull the nipple to the end, dip in Baker's soldering fluid (the best flux for this application) and then dip in molten solder(tinman's if I remember right, but it's been 20 plus years since). Once the solder has flowed nicely brush off excess solder with a small brush dipped in Baker's. Remove all trace of fluid as it is corrosive being " killed" hydrochloric acid. Hope the above is of some help and feel free to ask if you have a question.

[@chrisstephens6673]

PS. Those levers came in 7/8 or 1 inch, with or without adjusters and plain or ball ended lever. People often changed levers in the old days ( that makes me sound old but the i supposei I am) to the newer ball end type. Ball ended levers came in after somebody got injured in some race or other event, if popular myth is to be believed.

[@learningturningmetal]

Hi Chris. Many thanks for the advice. I checked out your video too - very interesting. I see venhill sell a toot called bird caging, for a mere £160!!!! I think I will have a go at making one. I'll get some Bakers fluid too and experiment. A good opportunity to replace my brake cable too. All the best. Andrew All good fun! All the best. Andrew

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@learningturningmetal when you make one you will only need to do it for a single size, which makes life easier. I made that multi size for a friend, who has a motorcycle shop, so he could do any size cable. Although the smaller sizes like throttle cables don't always need, or want, to be flaired due to size constraints. If you make one, a couple of pieces of printer paper between the two pieces gives the right sort of grip on the wire when you drill the hole and counter bore. There is no need to harden the blocks and for one off home use the punch could just be mild steel, although I used hardened and tempered silver steel for mine.

[@learningturningmetal]

@@chrisstephens6673 thanks for the advice. I never thought of using printer paper. I'll give it a try.

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@learningturningmetal don't forget to film when you make one.

[@2WHEELSor2WINGS]

Good job. Why is nothing in life straight forward??? You'd brake leaver is too hight. To operate it you are having to lift your fingers far too much and in a emergency this will make you very slow and weak on the pull. Rotate it downward on the handle bars till it is below level, so it is in a more natural position. 👍😎

[@learningturningmetal]

Hi Graham. Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll look into adjusting it. Cheers Andrew