Can I Solder Parking Brake Cable In Place?

[solidgranite]

2012 Spyder RT SE5...parking brake cable pops out of position rendering it useless. I have to pull some Tupperware and put it back in the notch on the rotating "wheel". QUESTION: Can I solder the cable end and barrel shaped end piece to the rotating wheel? I can't afford to replace the entire cable, but need to keep it in place. Tried "superglue"...didn't work. I don't know if the solder would adhere to the wheel and the cable end, but am willing to try. Any thoughts?

2nd issue...my auto shift mechanism slipped off the splined hub. I managed to get it back in place, but the bike will not shift up or down. Is there a specific fuse that feeds the auto shifting mechanism on my SE5?

 

[Hypurone]

Not gonna work! It is a pivoting item and will break anything trying to resist it because it moves slightly in that spot. Anything that stops it from moving completely will eventually cause the cable to break at the barrel... If it is popping out then the carrier for the cable barrel may have deformed or worn to allow this and would need to be restored to its original shape to correct the issue. I know that is easier said than done. I would first check the junk yards & NOS at the dealers etc to see if you can source the part the cable anchors in to. Can you post up some pics of it and maybe we can come up with an idea?

 

[jcthorne]

No, you need to adjust the parking brake mech and cable length at the rear wheel. It will not pop out when properly adjusted.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Second issue first. That shifter arm has a notorious history of having the splines inside of it strip out and the arm comes off. It’s toast. Not gripping the shaft anymore. Plus you have to put it back on properly. Fuse F2, under the seat is for your TCM valves. Refer to your owners guide. Probably not a fuse problem, anyway. Replace the arm with a new one. Search the forum for your problem. All kinds of history here.

I’ll assume that you don’t know how to adjust your parking brake cable. Otherwise, you would have known to do it already.

- pull off the right side panels so that you can see the front parking brake pulley. Disengage the parking brake. You’ll see a large bow in the cable between where it leaves the outer sheath and where it attaches to the pulley. That needs to disappear. That’s why it’s popping out. The cable needs to be straight.

- leave the brake disengaged and go back to the rear caliper. Find where the cable support is. There are two nuts holding the cable that function just like any bike cable adjuster. Adjust the cable with the two nuts until the bow in the cable up front is gone.

- continue to adjust the cable, JUST A SMIDGE, until the rear parking brake pulley just starts to turn. This applies a slight spring pressure to the cable when it is disengaged. Can’t pop out now. Tighten the nuts.

- cycle the parking brake a couple of times to make sure it engages and disengages properly and doesn’t drag. There, that was easy.

Now go order the new shifter arm and search the forum for the history on that. Good luck.

 

[solidgranite]

Not gonna work! It is a pivoting item and will break anything trying to resist it because it moves slightly in that spot. Anything that stops it from moving completely will eventually cause the cable to break at the barrel... If it is popping out then the carrier for the cable barrel may have deformed or worn to allow this and would need to be restored to its original shape to correct the issue. I know that is easier said than done. I would first check the junk yards & NOS at the dealers etc to see if you can source the part the cable anchors in to. Can you post up some pics of it and maybe we can come up with an idea?

Here are a couple of pics of the EB mechanism... one off and one on. I live in the country, and there aren't many/any junkyards around, and zero who would even know what a Spyder is! Taking it to the dealer in Chesapeake, VA is out because I'd have to trailer it, and because they charge an arm and a leg, and I'm not sure they'll work on a 2012 model.

I'm also trying to find out why the shifter won't shift. I put the mechanism back on the spline, but no shifting. Is there a specific fuse I should check? Thanks for any and all your advice!

 

[Hypurone]

Yeah, this is a problem that a lot of owners with the older models face, Dealers refusing to work on them and no parts. BUT there is a chance that some of the dealers have what we call NOS (New Old Stock) parts laying around... It will just take a lot of calling around and web surfing...

The pulley "saddle" is diff than I expected. If as JCThorne states, if you have adjusted the "play" correctly on the cable at the caliper to reduce the travel the pulley makes, then all I can think of is to find a replacement part. OR, if you want to MacGyver it, you could drill a hole at least 1/4 inch down from the edge of the pulley and as close to where the cable meets the barrel as possible and use some safety wire (better used with the specific tool for it) to run a loop over the cable and thru the hole you drilled to hold the barrel down in its "cradle"...

This is all dependent on sufficient room on the both sides of the pulley so as not to hang up on anything.... Best of luck to you!

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Hey Solid, you need to help me/us help you. Your second picture clearly shows what I was describing as being excessive slack in the cable. I laid out the process to adjust that, and to put some spring tension on the cable as required. Once you do that, the cable will travel in a straight line and can’t pop out. So, what’s the status? You can’t do it, or you disagree about it? Because your follow-up post was as if I was writing with invisible ink. What gives? It only takes 5 minutes to adjust.

I already told you which fuse to check, and you asked again. So, I have the same question for about that, also.

Once that little shifter arm strips out and falls off, the inside splines are so worn that it can’t grip the shaft enough to turn it and shift the gearbox. You can confirm this. Have a friend sit on the bike and shift the transmission neutral, to first, to reverse, etc. You stand off to the side and watch the shift linkage rod and the arm to see if it is moving. Or, you do it and bend way over to watch it yourself. My money is on that it is moving, and just doesn’t have enough grip anymore to turn the shaft.

Also, remember that you have an SE5 that is sensitive to oil level. Make sure the oil level is correct.

 

[solidgranite]

Hey Solid, you need to help me/us help you. Your second picture clearly shows what I was describing as being excessive slack in the cable. I laid out the process to adjust that, and to put some spring tension on the cable as required. Once you do that, the cable will travel in a straight line and can’t pop out. So, what’s the status? You can’t do it, or you disagree about it? Because your follow-up post was as if I was writing with invisible ink. What gives? It only takes 5 minutes to adjust.

I already told you which fuse to check, and you asked again. So, I have the same question for about that, also.

Once that little shifter arm strips out and falls off, the inside splines are so worn that it can’t grip the shaft enough to turn it and shift the gearbox. You can confirm this. Have a friend sit on the bike and shift the transmission neutral, to first, to reverse, etc. You stand off to the side and watch the shift linkage rod and the arm to see if it is moving. Or, you do it and bend way over to watch it yourself. My money is on that it is moving, and just doesn’t have enough grip anymore to turn the shaft.

Also, remember that you have an SE5 that is sensitive to oil level. Make sure the oil level is correct.

I apologize if it appears that I've been ignoring you. I've been in and out of the hospital several times during the Sept-Dec timeframe, and may have to go back in. I'm trying to get things done between "medical demands", which can't be deferred. The parking brake issue is at the bottom of my list right now. I need to remove, inspect/clean, and re-install the splined hub on the shifter mechanism. I need to know the size of the Torx bit indicated in the attached pic. I'm hopeful that I will be able to remove the outer piece by removing this Torx bolt/screw.