Throttle Cable too Long?
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From: Unreconstructed
Throttle Cable too Long?
Okay, try to be nice to me since I feel like this is a dumb question. Got new cables for my new bars, 19" total height including the risers, the LA Choppers cable kit is for my bike and a bar height of 18-20" but I can't get the throttle adjusted without a ton of slop in it! I did the factory adjustment procedure by the book and I have probably over an inch of travel before the cable starts pulling. With the throttle sitting at idle, there is slack in the cable at the TB, like enough to be worrisome. With the throttle side adjusted properly, I am showing probably 1/3 of the threads, the idle side can't go far enough, I am showing 100% of the threads.
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From: Unreconstructed
Went out to the garage and checked again. The throttle side cable had slipped out of the retainer by the TB. Got it back in and now both cables are 100% exposed and about a 1/2" of play at the throttle tube. The internal cables must be too long.
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From: Unreconstructed
Called Dennis Kirk. I guess the kit from LA Choppers was packed wrong so the clutch, throttle, and idle cables are all wrong for my bike. Good thing the brake cable that I already installed and bleed is the correct one. They're sending me new ones. I like Dennis Kirk, plus they're local so it's fast!
Sorry to waste everyone's time.
Sorry to waste everyone's time.
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From: Unreconstructed
To recap, I can't adjust the slop out of my new cables. The throttle and idle cables have their adjustments maxed out and there is still nearly an inch of slop in the throttle tube.
Okay, so I am starting to think I'm stupid. Turns out the cables were the correct ones. I worked with Dennis Kirk and they say the travel length on the cables is just about 5" on each cable. So, assuming that I ordered shorter cables if the travel length is still 5" it's still going to be too long, right?
Adjusting the cables isn't rocket surgery either so WTF? Am I doing something wrong? It's not the first set of cables I've done so I'm kind of at a loss.
Okay, so I am starting to think I'm stupid. Turns out the cables were the correct ones. I worked with Dennis Kirk and they say the travel length on the cables is just about 5" on each cable. So, assuming that I ordered shorter cables if the travel length is still 5" it's still going to be too long, right?
Adjusting the cables isn't rocket surgery either so WTF? Am I doing something wrong? It's not the first set of cables I've done so I'm kind of at a loss.
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From: Unreconstructed
Thanks for the tip on Flanders. Are those ball ends soldered on?
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From: NW Ohio
As far as I'm aware, all the Flanders ends are, yes. Ive seen some that use set screws but I wouldn't trust that myself. 'Course I don't have an idle cable so what do I know! LOL!
The soldering is really quite simple. I used plumbing solder and paste flux, a torch, and a used (cleaned) 45 brass cartridge as a pot. You can get electric pots but I didn't want to spend the money for a tool I'd use just a few times in my life. Also didn't want to melt $50 worth of solder only to use $0.01 worth.
Poke the cable thru the end piece, fray and flare the wires so the end won't fall off, flux. The wires, dip the end in melted solder puddle for a second or two, remove, grind/file smooth. I do have a lot of experience brazing and soldering but
I had never done this before and used one piece for practice. Worked out fine and cost maybe $20 for a nice custom cable, including practice bits.
Only real trick is keeping the solder from creeping up the core wires above the end piece. That can make the cable brittle. Some folks just use a torch or high wattage iron to heat the end amd wire directly but it's harder to keep the wires cool above the end.
The soldering is really quite simple. I used plumbing solder and paste flux, a torch, and a used (cleaned) 45 brass cartridge as a pot. You can get electric pots but I didn't want to spend the money for a tool I'd use just a few times in my life. Also didn't want to melt $50 worth of solder only to use $0.01 worth.
Poke the cable thru the end piece, fray and flare the wires so the end won't fall off, flux. The wires, dip the end in melted solder puddle for a second or two, remove, grind/file smooth. I do have a lot of experience brazing and soldering but
I had never done this before and used one piece for practice. Worked out fine and cost maybe $20 for a nice custom cable, including practice bits.
Only real trick is keeping the solder from creeping up the core wires above the end piece. That can make the cable brittle. Some folks just use a torch or high wattage iron to heat the end amd wire directly but it's harder to keep the wires cool above the end.
Last edited by cggorman; Feb 26, 2020 at 07:27 PM.
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From: Unreconstructed
As far as I'm aware, all the Flanders ends are, yes. Ive seen some that use set screws but I wouldn't trust that myself. 'Course I don't have an idle cable so what do I know! LOL!
The soldering is really quite simple. I used plumbing solder and paste flux, a torch, and a used (cleaned) 45 brass cartridge as a pot. You can get electric pots but I didn't want to spend the money for a tool I'd use just a few times in my life. Also didn't want to melt $50 worth of solder only to use $0.01 worth.
Poke the cable thru the end piece, fray and flare the wires so the end won't fall off, flux. The wires, dip the end in melted solder puddle for a second or two, remove, grind/file smooth. I do have a lot of experience brazing and soldering but
I had never done this before and used one piece for practice. Worked out fine and cost maybe $20 for a nice custom cable, including practice bits.
Only real trick is keeping the solder from creeping up the core wires above the end piece. That can make the cable brittle. Some folks just use a torch or high wattage iron to heat the end amd wire directly but it's harder to keep the wires cool above the end.
The soldering is really quite simple. I used plumbing solder and paste flux, a torch, and a used (cleaned) 45 brass cartridge as a pot. You can get electric pots but I didn't want to spend the money for a tool I'd use just a few times in my life. Also didn't want to melt $50 worth of solder only to use $0.01 worth.
Poke the cable thru the end piece, fray and flare the wires so the end won't fall off, flux. The wires, dip the end in melted solder puddle for a second or two, remove, grind/file smooth. I do have a lot of experience brazing and soldering but
I had never done this before and used one piece for practice. Worked out fine and cost maybe $20 for a nice custom cable, including practice bits.
Only real trick is keeping the solder from creeping up the core wires above the end piece. That can make the cable brittle. Some folks just use a torch or high wattage iron to heat the end amd wire directly but it's harder to keep the wires cool above the end.
I reached out directly to LA Choppers, their customer service is top-notch. Spoke to a tech and it turns out that they actually make "adapters" that slip over the cables on the throttle body side and decrease the cable travel by a 1/4" on each. They're sending me a pair, priority mail for free and that should take care of my issue. Man, I'm excited to get my bike put back together!
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