Reverse gear lever and cable set-up

[x-bird]

I'm picking up where T3 and I left off in distilled's thread. Looks like I have a cable from one forward/reverse shifter and a shifter from another.

I think the cable is from the carter and the reverse box and lever is from the Sunl. The connector is definitely MIA. I can get maybe 1/2 inch more cable length by threading the housing elbow at the gearbox in deeper. The free length of inner cable is the issue. the tube on the handle end of the cable housing threads in about as deep as i'm holding it.

On e-bay, there is a 106 inch long reverse cable that looks like it has enough inner cable free length. problem is, it's way too long. The one i have is about 60", and i could use on about 36 long in total. All the others that I can find have very little inner cable free length and cause the same problem as the one i have.

If i can't find one I could carefully cut and unwind the extra housing and remove it, (it'd shorten it and give me enough free inner to make it through the shifter barrel) but I've done stuff like that before and it's tedious and one little slip and it's "game over."

If anyone has pics of the shift lever connection to the cable, and can post them, i'd appreciate it. I'll likely cut the housing, but i have to figure out how much. From what i understand, these are "touchy" as to adjustment. If i remove to much housing, i'll be in the same boat as if i accidentally cut the inner.

Also, can you "test" shift it into reverse without the engine running, or will that jsut break the cable if the gears aren't lined up inside?

[T3beatz]

Here ya go I finally went out and snapped a couple pics of the yerf. You can see how I have mine rigged up with the lever I have. The cable is tandem bike cable (because it is longer than standard). It is a tad thinner but it works!

Also you can see my reverse gearbox, it's older and dirty right now, but it's made pretty much like all the planetary ones on ebay.

And, I've shift into reverse plenty of times without the engine running, I think it's made to be able to do it, the cable shouldn't break. And as far as adjustment goes Id say if your within 1/4-1/2 you should be fine. That's another reason I liked having longer cable then I needed I had a little more leeway for error.

[x-bird]

Thanks T.
After 25+ years of building and racing bmx and mtn. bikes I said to myself, "why the H&% am I even having this issue--it's a stinking cable for cripes sake!" So I managed to get a clevis made out of a piece of 1/2 or 5/8 rod stock from my bitsa box. Drilled a few holes, ground a couple slots etc ... fits the cable end nicely. I'll pop a pic in here later. Going to cut the outer housing down tonight--real pita--been there, done that. Gotta pull the gearbox off--ugh-- the ball end just won't come out even with the clip off and the box clamped together. Got greasy last night repairing bent seat sliders, now this ....

[x-bird]

Well, got it pretty well sorted and a lot easier than i thought with zero wallet damage. Drilled the cable hole first, about 3/8ths deep, then drilled teh through bolt hole. Followed that with the hole the ball end will seat into, then the main slot for the lever. after it was slotted, i went back and angle drilled the hole for the ball end, giving it a cup to seat down into. Last item was cutting the slot for the cable itself.

After that, it was on to the housing trim. Turns out it's easier to work with than the smaller bicycle cable-- thicker metal to grab hold of. Heated the end to pull the barrel--which was so thin it just crushed flat in the pliers the second it slid off. Only kept about 2 loops of the housing winding exposed out of the vise as i unwrapped. kept it from expanding out 3-4-5 coils down.

btw, Used vice grips very gently on the end of the fork shaft and managed to pull the cable out and get it back in without separating the gearbox--yay no stinky grease tonight.

Got it all back together .... and I still need to trim about 3/8ths

Instead of pulling it all apart, I'm going to run a die down the thread-in barrel at the lever end of the cable and just run it in deeper.

[T3beatz]

good stuff, once you get started there is no turning back... then you find out it's not that hard after all. In the end you'll be so much happier with the reverse!

[x-bird]

heh, jinxed myself --twice! Die wouldn't fit over the cable ball. So I took the cable out again, undid my duct tape and trimmed an inch off. figured why chance it, right? Wellllllllllllll .... lol, too much free length! Luckily i had an extra slotted barrel end with a slotted lock nut. I put that between the long straight housing barrel end and the spring tube and got back enough housing length to tighten the cable up to the point that the Forward position has no slop and the front and rear barrel adjusters are in deep enough.

Good lesson on the differences in these. If you use the spring loaded barrel lever, you have to get a cable with enough free length. The other type is more for your style of lever. I notice that none of the e-bay brake or lever kits have the cable to lever connector either.

Link to a 61 inch cable that works with the spring loaded barrel type lever
http://www.chineseatvonline.com/gear...t-p-12850.html