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Bowden Cables - soldered nipples
gregs - 19/12/15 at 11:03 PM

Spent the evening modding a mini choke cable to a fast idle cable on my GSXR bodies.

I used the following to solder a nipple onto the cable and was really chuffed with the outcome - so thought i'd share.

For info I used carb cleaner to clean the cable and I didn't try to boil the solder - and I used plumbers (lead) solder.

May be useful for someone else - apologies if it's been done before!

linky

redturner - 20/12/15 at 09:48 AM

Did you use any kind of flux..?.....

gregs - 20/12/15 at 10:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by redturner
Did you use any kind of flux..?.....


Yup - as in the video - Used plumbing flux paste.

redturner - 20/12/15 at 11:01 AM

Just seen the link, what a load of old tosh. I wouldnt trust that on anything but a mower. I would have a lot more faith in a solderless nipple if a soldered type wasnt available........

gregs - 20/12/15 at 12:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by redturner
Just seen the link, what a load of old tosh. I wouldnt trust that on anything but a mower. I would have a lot more faith in a solderless nipple if a soldered type wasnt available........


You're welcome - glad you've tried it out and you're quoting from direct experience....

redturner - 20/12/15 at 01:14 PM

If you were to put that on a motorbike brake system it would pull through at first serious attempt at stopping. I have been solder repairing bike brake and throttle cables all my long life and would never use solder as the nipple, it is far too soft.....

David Jenkins - 20/12/15 at 01:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gregs
quote:
Originally posted by redturner
Did you use any kind of flux..?.....


Yup - as in the video - Used plumbing flux paste.


I hope that was the non-corrosive non-acid type - or you really washed it well - otherwise you will have problems in a while...

[Edited on 20/12/15 by David Jenkins]

gregs - 20/12/15 at 06:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by redturner
If you were to put that on a motorbike brake system it would pull through at first serious attempt at stopping. I have been solder repairing bike brake and throttle cables all my long life and would never use solder as the nipple, it is far too soft.....


Absolutely right - neither would I use it for a brake system... but for a non safety related system it's pretty effective - and in my installation a solderless wouldn't work. This method allowed me to make the nipple to exactly the right diameter & width (both critical) - and it holds more force than I can pull so is well 'integrated'. Yes it may wear over time at which point I'll do it again.

Apologies for reacting in prior post - but 'tosh' ain't the way to reply to somebody trying to help others...... a comment to say 'I wouldn't use this for a brake system' might have suited more.

Greg

redturner - 20/12/15 at 07:09 PM

If you re read my post you will see that I refered to the link being 'tosh' and I did say that it would be ok on a mower. However, if you enjoyed the project, then fine. Most of the nipples on pre made cables are white metal/aluminium type material and usually crimped on. A proper solder nipple will have a countersink into which the wires should be bent back on themselves and the solder used to form a wedge.I have done this on 'wires' up to 3/4" thick, never pull through......

LBMEFM - 21/12/15 at 05:25 AM

There is another post on here related to the numbers of members dropping off, Is the the reason, Greg's put on a perfectly good post relating to his experience and immediately someone jumped down his throat. If you don't agree with a post or have a better idea just politely reply. I noticed this on other posts, why are some members becoming so aggressive. Maybe this is why Locost numbers are falling.

r1_pete - 21/12/15 at 08:19 AM

quote:
Originally posted by LBMEFM
There is another post on here related to the numbers of members dropping off, Is the the reason, Greg's put on a perfectly good post relating to his experience and immediately someone jumped down his throat. If you don't agree with a post or have a better idea just politely reply. I noticed this on other posts, why are some members becoming so aggressive. Maybe this is why Locost numbers are falling.


I think that is a contributory factor, when I 1st joined, ideas were shared, discussed, improved upon, suggestions made etc. etc. Now I think twice before offering help or suggestion.....

russbost - 21/12/15 at 09:04 AM

quote:
Originally posted by LBMEFM
There is another post on here related to the numbers of members dropping off, Is the the reason, Greg's put on a perfectly good post relating to his experience and immediately someone jumped down his throat. If you don't agree with a post or have a better idea just politely reply. I noticed this on other posts, why are some members becoming so aggressive. Maybe this is why Locost numbers are falling.


I've commented on this a couple of times on other threads, this has been, & still continues to be, a brilliant forum where people from all walks of life from engineers to accounts, plumbers to surveyors, & electricians to brain surgeons can all chip in with their opinion on a topic &, particularly, & I think this is the bit many people miss, where someone has a an excellent area of knowledge they may be able to pretty much give a definitive answer to something. Where I see that someone has already answered something adequately then, if the topic is still fairly fresh I'm inclined to put "what he said ^^^^" or similar & if I feel anything else needs adding then just add my two penn'orth in addition to that of the poster who's answered. If the thread's a bit older then just leave it alone as a "job already done"

Some people apparently feel the need to have their voice heard above everyone else & even tho' they may not have intimate knowledge of the subject still find it necessary to air their views or nitpick & try to pull other peoples posts apart or make them say something they actually were ever intended to say - this can only ever be counter constructive & I would urge people that don't have anything valid or helpful to add to a discussion (it's not meant to be an argument, or even an arument! - something else many appear to miss!) to keep the gob firmly zipped!

With reference to the OP, I found the link interesting & I'm fairly sure it would be quite useful for lower stress, lower criticallity type situations; would I want it as the main means of stopping a vehicle doing a couple of hundred miles an hour - well, no thanks, but most cables don't get used for highly critical things such as this, as a throttle cable that you may find hard or expensive to replace it would probably be fine, would Mercedes be using it on their F1 car, no, but then they would probably be able to afford something better!

Come on guys, let's all just try to rub along without getting angered & stressed - 'tis the season of goodwill don'tcha know?

russbost - 21/12/15 at 09:05 AM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
quote:
Originally posted by LBMEFM
There is another post on here related to the numbers of members dropping off, Is the the reason, Greg's put on a perfectly good post relating to his experience and immediately someone jumped down his throat. If you don't agree with a post or have a better idea just politely reply. I noticed this on other posts, why are some members becoming so aggressive. Maybe this is why Locost numbers are falling.


I think that is a contributory factor, when I 1st joined, ideas were shared, discussed, improved upon, suggestions made etc. etc. Now I think twice before offering help or suggestion.....


What he said ^^^^^ - see, it's not hard

redturner - 21/12/15 at 09:58 AM

No way was I aiming my comments at the Op. but lets be fair, it is a terrible idea to go to all that trouble for something that will not last. If you are looking for a 'get you home' answer then fit a solderless nipple. These work as good as a proper soldered up nipple and far better than a blob of lead at the end of the cable, which I wouldnt fit to the end of my grand childs bike brake cable. I always thought the idea of these forums was to put the best ideas forward as has been said, then let some one else pick the faults out of it. Not a great deal of good would come of any ideas if they were thought to be bad and no-one commented.....