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Bowden Cables, possible improvement or not?

N82VM

Well Known Member
I have read several threads about Bowden cables and replacement. Temperature seems to be a large factor in regards to longevity. It appears the McFarlane cables seem to have better results than the supplied cables that come with the kit. The difference I’m seeing is the resistance of the liner to high temperature. More temp resistance seems to equal more longevity and smooth operation.

In my search for alternatives the brick wall is finding any with an equal or higher temp rating than the McFarlane.

I have found this
https://www.carlstahl-technocables.com/gb/en/products/bowden-cable/konkavex-system/

Instead of being a spiral outer it’s a series of linked connections.
They have a liner with a +260C temp rating which is 500F

These type cables are used on high end bicycles and are very smooth.

If a high temp version like the one in the link above were used would that be a good alternative to the status quo?
 

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I personally have never had to replace a stock Vans control cable, nor have I replaced any on the 50+ RVs I've worked on while I was in business.
Only complaint I have with the stock A-740 type ones is I'd like more positive locking resistance on the friction lock knobs.
 
I"ve had good results with California PushPull, if I remember the name correctly. The mixture control on the RV-8 was so stiff as to be almost unusable. (Or maybe it was the -8A). Don't know what the original cable was...
 
My 8A is still in process. I read it’s not fun removing and replacing in the 8. I wanted to avoid that by putting in the best I could during the build.
 
One thought I had is that the cable you show with the segmented outer sleeve is that it is primarily used only to pull. Common on bicycle brake cables. It may not be well-suited to an application that requires both pushing and pulling. You won't find those used on bicycle derailleur systems, for example. I don't think they would be a good choice for a throttle, mixture, or prop control.

The McFarlane cables are time-tested, smooth, well worth the 3x price over the green-jacketed Vans-supplied cables.
 
If a high temp version like the one in the link above were used would that be a good alternative to the status quo?


If you are using it as a throttle cable on a Formula One racer I'd say "yes".

At the end of one of my very first heat races at Reno and at the top of the zoom I went to ease the throttle back from where it had been for the entire time - WOT - and it wouldn't budge. I eased it back again with more force and still nothing so finally I yanked on it. It unstuck then! :eek: but the carbon fiber prop unloaded so dramatically I thought it was going to shed a blade.

Turns out the under cowl temps were so high during the race it melted the inner liner of the cable. A quick trip to Napa airplane parts and a small heat shield and we were back in the racing business but I would have liked one of these high temp cables that day. :cool:
 
...
I have found this
https://www.carlstahl-technocables.com/gb/en/products/bowden-cable/konkavex-system/

Instead of being a spiral outer it’s a series of linked connections.
They have a liner with a +260C temp rating which is 500F

These type cables are used on high end bicycles and are very smooth.

If a high temp version like the one in the link above were used would that be a good alternative to the status quo?
They look very good, and the company seems to know what they are doing. Any info on the price? My guess is probably higher than the mcfarlane cables. I've got the "custom" mcfarlane cables, with heat shield on the exhaust pipes anywhere they might radiate to the cable, and they seem to be holding up well over the last year.
 
Don't have a plane.............

Wouldn't lubing the cable be a maintenance item?


I know I feel a big difference after lubing my motorcycle clutch cable.......
 
Lubing

Someone jump in here if I’m wrong. Lubing won’t fix a melted liner. The object of this discussion was to see if there are other push pull cables with high temp liners which have better tolerance to the melting issue and resulting gummed up controls
 
Someone jump in here if I’m wrong. Lubing won’t fix a melted liner. The object of this discussion was to see if there are other push pull cables with high temp liners which have better tolerance to the melting issue and resulting gummed up controls

You are correct, it is not a lubrication problem, it is a temperature problem. The McFarlane cables solve the problem.
 
Derailleur

One thought I had is that the cable you show with the segmented outer sleeve is that it is primarily used only to pull. Common on bicycle brake cables. It may not be well-suited to an application that requires both pushing and pulling. You won't find those used on bicycle derailleur systems, for example. I don't think they would be a good choice for a throttle, mixture, or prop control.

The McFarlane cables are time-tested, smooth, well worth the 3x price over the green-jacketed Vans-supplied cables.

Did some digging. Nokon is a brand name of the Carl Stahl Konkavex system. The Nokon is used on both brakes and derailleurs. It’s used in the push-pull application.
 
The Nokon is used on both brakes and derailleurs. It’s used in the push-pull application.
No brakes or derailleurs use a push-pull application. They are all pull-only, against a spring pulling the other way.
 
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