C 15 front brake cable

[limeyrob]

I have always pulled the inner through by about 3/16" and folded a few strands back on themselves, then pulled it back before soldering.

[V500]

I like to splay the cable end using a scriber and then a centre-pop, then flux and solder using an iron.
Saves all the issues with non-fitting cables..

[Derek996]

As an electrical engineer, I wouldn't expect soft solder to adhere to a steel cable.

With a suitable flux, it does. Never yet seen a copper Bowden cable....

Agreed. I've been soldering them for years and recently successfully soldered a split seam in my ZB32 mild steel tank. It's all about the flux.

[Kev D]

Okay, so it sounds like the lever is correct.  Yes, I had the cable correctly seated at the handlebar end, and the adjust wound to the end stop.  Maybe I need to think about looking for stock handlebar levers.
I did think about taking a file to the handlebar lever, but it would be tricky to get the notch right.

I recall that my 67 C15 had very basic levers welded to the bars as standard .
    During the rebuild following a crash l used  " universal" levers and l vaguely  recall a glitch similar to yours. I worked at a jewellers so had no problem making and altering cables though.

   Kinda makes sense that a cable made to original spec  for a specific bike might not work if the fittings for the cable aren't also to original spec.
My money is on a non standard handle bar lever ,not whether the brake arm has a kink or offset hole   .

[Barnsey]

Okay, I have been experimenting with soldering brass cable ends, and it has been a bit hit and miss so far.  I am curious as to what solder you use?  Electrical or plumbers? 

Anyway, the binding of the brake was niggling at me, so I stripped the brake down a second time and took a file to the shoe, removing just a few thou from the hinge end and the end which rests on the cam, and that made a big difference.  The wheel now spins freely.  The casting quality of the shoes wasn't great and the critical surfaces hadn't been machined. 

The screws on the brake lever had been mashed up so I have also taken the opportunity to order a new brake lever.

I have to say that the feel of the brake is horrible to someone who has only ridden bikes with hydraulic brakes.   Rather more Raleigh Grifter than motorcycle I think.  Ironically my modern mountain bike has hydraulic brakes which are superb.   

[Barnsey]

After updating this thread, I went out to the garage and tried the brakes on my No 2 bike.  There is a world of difference.  The brake is positive and it is obvious when the slack is taken up and the shoe engages. 
It isn't possible to pull the bar back until it hits the handle bar, like the one on the project bike. 

  So, more work needed I think.  Any thoughts appreciated. 

[Barnsey]

Just an update, but I have done a fair bit. 

A new brake lever helped a lot, some of the wooly feel was down to the insulation tape the previous owner had bound around the handlebar ( he had a thing for tape!).

 The new lever incorporated a screw adjuster, so I had to cut the adjuster off of the cable, using my Dremel, before it would fit.  This saved having to cut off the lead ferrule. 

 I have bought a 100W Draper soldering iron,which does a good job of soldering a brass ferrule, but there is a definite skill to this, and I am on the learning curve.

  With the new brake lever on the handlebar, I was able to connect up the other end of the cable to the actuator lever on the brake, no problem.  However, I found that I was running out of adjustment on the adjuster, so I put the original straight actuator lever back on and everything came together.

[scifi]

Quote...  Okay, I have been experimenting with soldering brass cable ends, and it has been a bit hit and miss so far.  I am curious as to what solder you use?  Electrical or plumbers?

There are a few different types of solder..  The Plumbers Solder remains malleable over a large heat range, so it can be shaped by a Mole-Skin.  It's not really any good for cables.   There is also the Politically correct Tin Based Solder, which is also poor for cables.

What is best is the ( Electrical.) 60/40 resin cored solder.   The most important part is the Flux core, which should be applied directly to the joint.   Don't apply to the Iron then wait several seconds, as it will be burnt off by the time the iron reaches the cable.

Also for the large lever nipples, you need a strong iron, maybe 60 Watts, or even a small blowtorch.   The flux conducts the heat from the nipple to the cable so they are both at the same temperature.

[iansoady]

Just to add..... There's nothing "politically correct" about tin based solder which has been used for decades if not centuries. The right solder for control cables is 60/40 tin/lead which as said has a sudden transition from liquid to solid. Multicore is fine.

The real important thing to remember is splaying out the cable in the countersink of the nipple. If carefully done this will stop he nipple from ever pulling off.

[idie]

I have used multicore solder for years never had problems.Just remember to splay the cable to stop it pulling through the nipple, you also need a large wattage soldering iron. I personally never use an iron just a blow lamp.

[Derek996]

I use a solder bath.

[V500]

I personally never use an iron just a blow lamp.

The opposite of me, then. Too easy to literally burn off the flux and overheat the cable strands leading to de-tempering of the inner and oxidation.
I've always used what's in the soldering draw; years ago it was ancient electrical solder and brown flux, now it's plumber's solder on a reel and green flux. Proper cleanliness and splaying the strands is the key rather than the composition of the solder.

[iansoady]

I use one of those tiny blowlamps picked up at an autojumble years ago. Just the right amount of heat for me. I also use fluxite paste from a tin I've had for decades although it's getting a bit low now. A thin smear on the cable helps the solder to penetrate.

[limeyrob]

I got caught out by a choke cable recently, I warmed the nipple with a small blowlamp to slide it along the cable and it turned into a blob and fell on the floor. Turns out some throttle, choke and A/R cable use cast alloy nipples, who knew?  I got some 3/16 copper pipe, cut a 3/16 ring off, cross drilled it 1/16 and soldered that on.

[Derek996]

Old 15 amp round pin mains plugs were great for making cable nipples. The earth pin was 3/8", perfect for brake and clutch levers. Unfortunately these old plugs are getting thin on the ground.