Topic: Help me Obi Wan, CB500 clutch cable replacement

[Zissou]

Hello all. First of all let me say thank you for all the awesome tech and advise on here, I'm trying to soak up as much as I can.

So, with a Clymer's manual and all the power of the internet I can't find what I'm looking for when it comes to replacing my K2 CB500's clutch cable. I have a lot of car experience but zero motorcycle experience, so maybe I'm just blinding myself to the obvious.

I've gotten as far as removing the side cover, and through the threads I've been able to find, separating the clutch cable and clutch sled lifter is where I'm stuck. From looking at it and the replacement part it looks as though the cable end has a bit of a shoulder on it, and to remove it from the sled you have to slide it down to where the thinner exposed wire can slide through the slot, and you're home free. When I attempt this the end of the cable bottoms out in the sled before the cable can pass through the slot. Not a problem, I'll route the end of the cable out the side, and use the slack to manuver the cable through. No dice. I've also seen some photos of mangled clutch sled lifters which leads me to believe only impatient monkeys start prying and bending these things to make it work.

Maybe I'm using the wrong key words, maybe I've somehow missed an obvious write up, and in that case I'm sorry for the duplicate thread, but any helps appreciated, you're my only hope. 

[Stev-o]

Hey Ziss....I recently changed a cable on a '71 CB500 and you accurately described it above.  I had a little trouble getting the old cable disconnected, I believe I used a set of needle nose pliers to grab the cable and slip it out. 

You know the basic job, just need to execute it now.  The NOS cable was hard to find, but got one off eBay, you?

[Zissou]

At least I'm on the right track, haha.

Which route did you take Steve? Straight down and the cable going out first, bottom of cable out of the window with cable following through slot? Bottom out the side?

The impatient part of me is tempted to cut out the old one and install the new one, but experience has taught me that if you can't get it out or off the propper way you can't reinstall it.

[Stev-o]

Honestly,  I don't remember the method, I just did it.  Cable down and then out the side?

[sammermpc]

I know the exact problem you're describing — I think I probably fell into the 'impatient monkey' category, but I don't recall the exact details of how it popped out eventually. A lot of fiddling.