What have you done with your bike/s today?

[Worty]

worty does it smell like victory , 

 

[Worty]

Pulled out the soldering irons, flux and solder today from the depths of the garage/shed.  I've got the following:

1.  Both soldering irons are 30w.  I have a butane blowtorch and a pretty powerful heat gun.  Don't want to overheat the cable, so which would you use?

2.  I think my flux is 'fluxed'.  It must be 40 years old (from my old dad) and, although it's still soft, I'm not sure.  As such, what would be the best flux for .........

3.  ...... 40/60 tin/lead solder (which I think should be ideal)?  I also have some 'alloy' multicore solder (with flux)?, and some really thick stuff with no info on it.

Also, does anyone have any good tips on how to 'birdsnest' the end of the cable without crushing it in a vice and without the fancy tools?  I have seen someone make the tool (seems straightforward), but I'm thinking I wouldn't be doing this job very often.

[Bsareg]

I just put the nipple in the vice with the enlarged cavity uppermost, pass the cable up and just poking out the top, with a small screwdriver or similar spread the separated strands and then tap a centre punch in the middle to get as much separation as possible. Dip the whole lot in the flux (I use Fry's liquid but have had success with paste) then coat the whole lot with solder ensuring it flows out and is not just a plob. I don't think a 30watt iron is man enough, before I bought the pot I used a minimun of a 70watt iron with a large copper tip. Dad used to use a large plumbers iron heated over the gas stove with great success. You often see these iron at boot fairs for buttons but well worth having around.

[muskrat]

G'day Worty.
I do as Bsareg but also jam a cut down pin (raid the wife's sowing tin) into the birds nest. The blow torch would be my weapon.
Cheers

[Worty]

Cheers all!

What about flux?  I take it the cable is stainless so would require a more aggressive, specialist flux (so I understand).  I'm 'told' this is especially so if you're attaching a brass nipple to the cable?  I don't need a massive amount, and there's some small containers on Ebay for around a £5 (it has Chinese writing on the side?).

There's also online talk about silver solder, but 40/60 or 60/40 tin/lead seems to be the thing to go for.

Like everything else, this thing can be like a can of worms with so many fluxes and solders about.

Although the blowtorch seems the tool of choice, I was thinking about the solder pot to control the temp going into the wire.  What about getting a metal cap off a bottle and heating the solder up in that with a torch before dipping?

Just curious about options - as you can tell, I've never done this job before.

[Triton Thrasher]

A metal cap off a bottle is too small.

The mass of spelter should be significantly bigger than the item you dip in it, so you don’t cool the solder down before it penetrates.

[chaterlea25]

Hi Worty,
 Agree with TT,
A small ladle is ideal
60/ 40 tin,lead solder is the stuff to use.

Check the cable with a magnet to see if its stainless. 
If stainless then you need the correct flux.

I assemble the nipple onto the cable, then tin the end of the cable, then squeez the end so the nipple won't slide off. I then dip the cable and nipple into flux and then into the solder
Shake off any excess solder and position the nipple with about 1/8 in. poking through. Let it solidify. Then hammer and punch the end to fill the countersink in the nipple.
Reheat and pull the nipple to sink the " birds nest " into the nipple. Let it hang with the nipple downwards until it sets, then file off any excess.
Back in the day I used my mother's gas rings as a heat source

John

[Greybeard]

I assemble the nipple onto the cable, then tin the end of the cable, then squeez the end so the nipple won't slide off. I then dip the cable and nipple into flux and then into the solder
Shake off any excess solder and position the nipple with about 1/8 in. poking through. Let it solidify. Then hammer and punch the end to fill the countersink in the nipple.
Reheat and pull the nipple to sink the " birds nest " into the nipple. Let it hang with the nipple downwards until it sets, then file off any excess.
Back in the day I used my mother's gas rings as a heat source

John

As they say in Cornwall, "Proper job"

[Worty]

Thanks fellas.

I presume you can tin by fluxing the cable and dipping it into the solder? 

I also presume that, when reheating the nipple, no more flux is needed?

Incidentally.  When I was experimenting with my (very old) 40/60 solder, it seemed to separate into silver and brown, with the brown stuff actually igniting.  Is this because the solder is ancient?  The pack doesn't say it contains flux, but I'm guessing that's what the brown stuff is.  Never seen that happen on the vids I've seen.

[Worty]

Lots on the bike today.

For the leaky return at the oil tank, I've tried putting a rubber seal between the return pipe and banjo nut - not leaking so far.

The cable saga is going well.  As I'm measuring it up, I discovered that the original cable has a large nipple just behind the gearbox boss.  As my kit doesn't have one of these, I found a spare cable adjuster, tapped out the boss and screwed it in.  This means I have a bit of adjustment at both the gearbox and lever ends.  One issue I do have though is that the 'nipple' on the gearbox lever isn't a nipple as such but a soldered on 'ball'.  None of my ferrules/nipples are anything like this.  I have seen people make a 'mould' out of wood, put the cable in and pour molten solder into it.  Any other ideas on how to replicate the 'ball end' (ooerrrr).  Cutting the outer cable is a b*****d, was cleaner doing it with an angle grinder with thin metal cutting disc.  To finish off before soldering, I put a non solder nipple on the end to mark where the soldered on item should be (and to test clutch action which is fine)

Put a new air filter in (new old stock).  On the box it looked like it came from the 50s (but did have Wassell on it).  What a friggin faff that was.  Ended up removing the whole caboodle from the carb to get it right.

Next was another friggin faff, putting a piece of rubber behind the feed and return bosses on the oil tank.  Top bolt refused to go in with the rubber in place, but was fine without it.  After much battling, I finally succeeded.

Discovered that my 10 year old handlebar grips are falling apart - new ones on way.

Bar's open

[berger]

derrr Worty the clutch end of the cable has a trumpet nipple and the BLOB of solder is in the end of the trumpet , good luck with stopping the oil leak and go steady on the  just an after thought why don't you attack the old cable with a live flame and get the clutch end nipple off of that clean it out and solder it on your new cable 

[Worty]

derrr Worty the clutch end of the cable has a trumpet nipple and the BLOB of solder is in the end of the trumpet , good luck with stopping the oil leak and go steady on the  just an after thought why don't you attack the old cable with a live flame and get the clutch end nipple off of that clean it out and solder it on your new cable 

Now then Bergs.  So mine is a bit weird.  It has a large cable stop (sorry, I called it a nipple but it looks like a BIG nipple) at the gearbox boss (larger than normal ones as normal ones pass straight through the boss).  It's this one that I don't have in my kit and was solved by tapping out the boss.

At the gearbox lever end, there is no nipple just a round blob of what I think is solder - this fits perfectly into the lever whereas the nipples I have don't really fit (I'll see if I can get a picture).

Not sure I want to butcher a perfectly good cable for standard bars - think I'll put my thinking cap on for a suitable solution - watch this space.

Enjoyed my beers last night - first one after a hot, oily day in the garage goes down in two glugs

[berger]

ok worty don't butcher the cable google trumpet nipples ----[ sounds naughty ] and they are what you need and the hole size for your new cable.

[Worty]

ok worty don't butcher the cable google trumpet nipples ----[ sounds naughty ] and they are what you need and the hole size for your new cable.

Mine has a ball nipple, like this (last picture):

https://www.feked.com/triumph-clutch-cable-with-barrel-nipple-pre-unit-500-650cc-models-from-1953-54-with-uk-bars.html?srsltid=AfmBOop32hl4PpocdyVK-dYauNzjGSfe8jj0nRvxr-hzp3Sh3q4xwKXkhGY

[berger]

worty ooerrr strange to me