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Gemo 240 clutch cables

Volvoist

Active member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Location
Newark, Delaware
As we are all aware by now, since Gemo discontinued the original metal sheathed clutch cables for aftermarket and for Volvo OE, the quality of the 240 clutch cables isn't great nowadays. I am working with Gemo to bring back these 1377669 cables for the 240 gas models. I have been emailing them back and forth and have explained the situation. They had originally discontinued these due to falling sales, which is inevitable. With that said, it appears that they are still making them for older models such as the 1800's. As it stands right now, my contact is going to look into the possibility of bringing these back. I may need some help from anyone interested in them bringing them back in the way of emailing Gemo and explaining (professionally and courteously) why the aftermarket options are terrible and how good the Gemo cables were. If they can see that there is still a market for them, I think we can get them back. I will update as as this progresses.
 
The trick is going to be to get ipd, fcp rockauto, or the like to contact them......A few t-brickers are not likely to make much of a splash.
One call from rockauto and the factory starts pumping them out.
Send your current supplier an email stating "I am forced to buy this ABC low quality part because you have no better. I would buy XYZ part if you carried it. Because you do not have the quality i am looking for I am forced to shop for these parts elsewhere."
 
The trick is going to be to get ipd, fcp rockauto, or the like to contact them......A few t-brickers are not likely to make much of a splash.
One call from rockauto and the factory starts pumping them out.
Send your current supplier an email stating "I am forced to buy this ABC low quality part because you have no better. I would buy XYZ part if you carried it. Because you do not have the quality i am looking for I am forced to shop for these parts elsewhere."

Way ahead of you. I buy from suppliers that sell to the likes of FCP, eeuroparts, IPD, etc. I emailed one of the biggest ones this morning and will see what they say. I have been successful in making some parts come back from the dead in the past. This clutch cable issue is semi-dire at this point. The aftermarket ones are junk. With all of that said, emails from non-wholesale consumers wouldn't hurt either...
 
Way ahead of you. I buy from suppliers that sell to the likes of FCP, eeuroparts, IPD, etc. I emailed one of the biggest ones this morning and will see what they say. I have been successful in making some parts come back from the dead in the past. This clutch cable issue is semi-dire at this point. The aftermarket ones are junk. With all of that said, emails from non-wholesale consumers wouldn't hurt either...
Decent sets of points for early 240s would be good as well. Its such a simple part, but when the tip of the arm breaks off the cheap ones after 500kms and falls down inside the distributor its is a b1tch..... especially if it happens on an uphill on the freeway.
I know pertronix and the like solve this, but some don't want this solution.
Also, I have discovered that the early non-power steering ball joints have dried up, especially the greaseable variety. Most places only have uro/scamtech.
 
Have a pretty good supply of replaced OE, meh.

It'll never happen, it's like getting someone to do the accessory bushings in a quality delrin.
It'd be of great help and much needed, but:
None of the vendors wants to cut their own heads off when the glass ceiling on new price is $3/ea for poly euro trash garbage.
Yeah, it's garbage, but most cheap volvo owners will buy the garbage once before they find out. Guess who will sell more?

Same deal with the clutch cable. :/ '
There's already one in the market, the glass ceiling on price is super low, and cheap volvo owners, like moths to the flame, will buy it once before they find out...
...guess who will sell more clutch cables?

The thing with the 1800 (and the like) is that it isn't a (totally) worthless car (and doesn't necessarily have totally cheap owners...picky losers/weirdos/ :nancy: with a gutless/slow fake sports car that think they've really got something super amazing maybe :rofl:), and there isn't a cheap crap one in the market already. You might actually successfully repop it and be able to sell each low volume unit at a price where you don't totally eat crow as a vendor.

Be happy to tell GEMO that people can buy the crap one for dirt nothing and that 240 owners are cheap and dreadful for the most part. :rofl:
 
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I don't deal with a lot of cheap 240 folks in my business, in fact, I weed out some of those folks. They are the type that want to price shop and want info for free, etc. They keep you on the phone or have you hunt NLA parts and when you find it, they are too costly. I got away from parts sales for that very reason and am dealing with cars instead. I do parts for good customers and friends. The 240's are starting to come up in value and a lot of people are beginning to want better quality. Not the majority of people here on TB's, but they are out there. Shops want quality parts too. Who wants to do the job twice or be liable for damage from a poor quality part? Not me. There is some interest, and with my success rate of getting other NLA parts back into production, I figure I can try. I know I would buy a bunch for inventory purposes. I also would not mind paying more for a quality part- I usually do and just about all of my customers do as well. I have gotten quite a few calls about Gemo or metal sheathed clutch cables in the past year, probably more than any other call interestingly enough. I have one Gemo cable left new in the bag and it got me thinking... so here we are.
 
Even if Gemo does start to make them again, don't be surprised if they change the design like they did with the 1800/140 cables. They used to have fine threads on the adjusting end and the cables were much more flexible than the new production. The forged end of the cables aren't made properly and were causing the cable to break due to binding at the fork. Also, the Teflon liner comes loose and can limit the travel. Good luck.
 
Sailing Into Uncharted Waters...

Even if Gemo does start to make them again, don't be surprised if they change the design like they did with the 1800/140 cables. They used to have fine threads on the adjusting end and the cables were much more flexible than the new production. The forged end of the cables aren't made properly and were causing the cable to break due to binding at the fork. Also, the Teflon liner comes loose and can limit the travel. Good luck.

:nod:

Not to mention they need a 3mm cut washer added at the firewall to get them within the proper working range.
 
I suppose I'm the cheap 240 owner learning. I recently put the Autozone one on my car and it is too short. It was a massive bear to get on and now the clutch pedal is a fair bit higher than my brake at full out adjustment and since I'm tall, my leg won't fit under the wheel while on the clutch so I have to stick my knee out to the side awkwardly. Live and learn.
 
It isn't a Gemo cable though. I inquired about that and they confirmed it was not. FCP showed the same for a while as well. Gemo confirmed this morning that they were discontinued a while ago. Besides, that doesn't look like the metal sheathed cable that Gemo made. FWIW, I have this style cable on my 87 245 and have for probably 7 or 8 years. IIRC it was a OE Volvo cable that was made in Italy. I need to go out and take a look at it to jog my memory. Still works fine. I assumed it was a Gemo but I am not so sure now...
 
Original are made in Germany...

Yes they were. At some point Volvo OE ones went to "Made in Italy" and they (or the one I used) seem OK. I am now thinking that the Italian ones are/were Colfe as I believe they have manufacturing in Italy, or did at one time. But yes, the Gemo ones are/were German made as were the originals for Volvo (same cable).
 
This is what the Gemo cables look like.

1377669GemoClutchCable240.jpg


I have some Pro Parts Sweden cables that look just like the ones IPD has.

ClutchCable.jpg


One of my suppliers is selling this Pex brand cable so there's more than one aftermarket manufacturer.

50450_1.jpg


I'm also hoarding some NOS cables.
 
I suppose I'm the cheap 240 owner learning. I recently put the Autozone one on my car and it is too short. It was a massive bear to get on and now the clutch pedal is a fair bit higher than my brake at full out adjustment and since I'm tall, my leg won't fit under the wheel while on the clutch so I have to stick my knee out to the side awkwardly. Live and learn.
found that with the PPS one as well. Luckily for me right at the very end of the travel on the adjuster was fine for my worn clutch. Don't think it would work with a new clutch.
 
I emailed GEMO a few days ago and they did not reply. Not that I expected them to. I think I have one cable left in my hoard. Hope we can get more quality parts reproduced.

I ordered front fender stays and they were not available. But several months later they became available and I bought them. So at least someone is listening in Sweden for some parts.
 
I literally just posted in wanted about a clutch cable. A lot of the ones people have salvaged seem to be closer to their end than their beginning. Hiper if you get crazy and want to part with one of those, let me know as mine just snapped.
 
As we are all aware by now, since Gemo discontinued the original metal sheathed clutch cables for aftermarket and for Volvo OE, the quality of the 240 clutch cables isn't great nowadays. I am working with Gemo to bring back these 1377669 cables for the 240 gas models. I have been emailing them back and forth and have explained the situation. They had originally discontinued these due to falling sales, which is inevitable. With that said, it appears that they are still making them for older models such as the 1800's. As it stands right now, my contact is going to look into the possibility of bringing these back. I may need some help from anyone interested in them bringing them back in the way of emailing Gemo and explaining (professionally and courteously) why the aftermarket options are terrible and how good the Gemo cables were. If they can see that there is still a market for them, I think we can get them back. I will update as as this progresses.

I really hope you're successful getting Gemo to make theses cables again.

I just finished rebuilding an M45 for a customers '77 242 and the clutch pedal was stiff when the car came in. The clutch is relatively new and so is the cable, but of course it's not a Gemo. I found the tube for the t/o bearing was damaged and attributed the stiff pedal to that, but before installing the trans I wanted to be sure. I put another bell housing, t/o bearing and clutch fork on so I could test it and the pedal was still stiff. Not wanting to give up a Gemo cable (especially for a completely stock car), I installed another new aftermarket cable and the pedal was better, but still stiff and a little notchy. I gave up and installed the Gemo cable and the clutch is now smooth as butter.

Can you post the email address where you contacted Gemo so we can let them know we need these ASAP?
 
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:nono:

$18.95 and they don't have them in stock.

I have 5 of them I'll sell for $10 ea. (aftermarket, not Gemo) and they're in stock ready to ship today.
 
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