Hidden brake cable replacement

[breakwellmz]

I`ve got to change a`hidden`top tube brake cable.Before i pull out the current one, am i right in assuming there is a steel sleeve in the frame tube that the cable runs in to make replacement easy?
I came across a steel sleeve joining up two lengths of outer which i haven't seen before, this is an original fitting on a 90s(?)Dawes-

[gaz]

I've seen the steel sleeve joining two lengths of outer before. AFAICT it's to allow outer cable under bar tape to be left in place whilst the rest is changed.

As for the internal cable routing on the top tube, no experience but it's come up before: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=88755

[Edwards]

When I replaced the cables on my new to me Galaxy I flicked the plastic frame fittings out of the tube.
I then used the inner cable as a guide in the new outer and pushed both old inner and outer out together using the new outer.
I hope this makes sense.

[breakwellmz]

Thanks chaps.

I've got a tandem rear inner cable that i can pull the new one in behind the outgoing old one.
I wonder how much moisture has got into the top tube via these holes over the years?

I`ve just looked at another(Bare) frame and the holes only take the inner cable into the frame, now that looks a challenge!

[Cunobelin]

Take a new inner cable

Lubricate well

Slide through the old housing

Then remove the old housing, leaving the new cable in situ

Now slide new housing over cable and you are sorted

[Redvee]

When I had a bare frame to build up like the OP with similar openings on the top tube I bent a spoke double and threaded a gear cable through the top tube and after a few attempts hooked it up with the spoke then taped the cable to the to tube so it didn't go adrift then threaded outer through the frame on the gear cable. Gear cable was used as it is slightly thinner than brake cable and easier to hook up.

[ndmbike]

I was worrying about this when replacing cables this summer.
Fortunately there was a built in tube that made things easy to thread. The welded bead on the end of the cable made life much easier.

However I had the vacuum cleaner and a length of cotton ready! Feed the cotton thread into the inlet hole... vacuum the other... Then you get a link though which you can connect the inner and outer cables.

[breakwellmz]

Less of a problem if you already have a cable there, you could use a piece of heatshrink to join the two pieces of inner cable together.
Good idea with the hoover!
I don`t think my orange frame has an internal tube, just a hole big enough for the inner to enter the top tube.

Oh yes it does!
Just ran an inner cable through it.

[martin biggs]

some frames seem to have a built in channel as you can feed complete cable in one end and it pops out the other end .

I replaced the rr brake cable on my Hardisty a few weeks back and that just takes the normal cable ends in the inlet and outlet with just the inner going through the frame

they look worse than actually doing so in my experience so far

[breakwellmz]

Yes.
A sign of far more effort and skill put into such a frame i feel.