choke cable length

[jvandyke]

I ordered a bunch of stuff from VB. One was a choke cable. It is way too short. Part 6-8200. It is supposed to reach from the passenger side over to the carbs, not even close, needs another 8 inches or so to reach it comfortably I would say.
What gives? Am I wrong is this part simply not right? VB cateloge says 35" same as later cars but later cars had the pull nearer the driver and could be shorter. Dang it.
PS I also ordered a starter pull knob/cable and it is way way too long. I can cut that down but you wouldn't think you would have to.
VB part

 

[jvandyke]

If the knobs were removable (I don't think they are?) I'd swap the two around as the starter is super long and could easily act as a choke and the choke one can make the starter run, although I seem to remember one is a solid wire and the other a stranded cable so they might not work with the opposite attachment points. Heck if I wanted to cobble stuff together I would have kept all my old cable pulls. Frustrating.

 

[Whitephrog]

I measured two choke cable on OEM from a 59 Bugeye and the other a NOS never installed. Both were 36" from the top of the knob to the tip of the cable. The choke on a LHD car was located on the drivers side, the starter on the passenger side.

 

[jvandyke]

On a MK1 Midget the starter is right next to the tach and the choke is way over in front of the passenger. 35" or 36" won't make it. Looks like I'm making my own parts again. I hate wasting money. In VB's defense it says 35" but in my defense it says it fits a 10CG 58-64. It may fit in BE location spot just fine, but BE and MK1 Midget/MK2 Sprites are different. I can move the choke to the "wrong" spot to accommodate the cable (which will do because the quest to be "proper" is to daunting when suppliers don't do their homework, yes I'll call them. FWIW

 

[jvandyke]

We've discussed this before, I don't know where a BE choke is but according to Moss (who will get all subsequent business BTW). BE and MK2 Sprite, MK1 Midgets are the same, choke way off to the right side. Cable I got is way too short.
Moss diagrams

 

[Whitephrog]

I believe the Moss diagram is incorrect for both cars. Starter is farside and choke is nearside.

 

[abarth69]

Good catch Ray

Yes the diagram is wrong

Cheers

Mark

 

[jvandyke]

Bently has the starter near the tach too (Moss could have gotten from Bently to I suppose). This was covered a while back and diagrams all agree (that I've seen) Starter pull next to tach, choke out by passenger. But the right hand drive diagram shows the "sensible" way.
I think they messed up the diagram, flipped it but didn't account for keeping the choke and starter in the same spite despite the other flips.
How did the cars have it? Any "remember?"
Here is a scan from Bently

We beat up the issue here:
Older thread

Surely we can concur on where the controls were on these things no?
Putting the choke by the tach and the starter by the passenger lines things up much nicer but is it "correct?"
I could put the starter by the tach and the choke next to it (where the heater control is "supposed" to be) and the heater control where the starter is "supposed to be" (out by passenger). I'm tired of cable games. Should not have tried to "make this right".
I'd rather put the starter out there as it is a direct line and works nice. I could but the choke by the tach....put the heater cable up my ......
Seems a little weird this is such an issue. Or is just me?

 

[Whitephrog]

Choke cable for both LHD and RHD MK I(Bugeye) and MK II were the same length 36". The MK I P/N was 2A2086. The MK II P/N was AHA6203. Moss Europe refers you to 2A2086 when you search for AHA6203.

Starter cable for both LHD and RHD on both cars was 24" long. P/N was 2A2086 for the MK I and AHA6202.

The starter cable needs to align with the starter switch which in on the passenger side. The choke cable need to align with the carbs on the drivers side.

The Originality Guide for Restoration and Registry Inspections published by the Austin Healey Concours Registry says that for AN5, HAN6 and HAN7 series Sprites the choke pull knob was "located between the tachometer and the oil/temperature gauge" and that the starter pull knob was "located on the far right top of the dash panel".

 

[jvandyke]

Interesting. Then the diagrams are all wrong. Starter cable from VB must be a cut to length item then, that or you're supposed to mount it in the TRUNK. I think I'll put the choke by the tach where the starter is "pictured" and the starter where the choke is "pictured" (as per BE) and go from there, so much for diagrams I guess. Bryan you reading this?

 

[scoutll]

MK1 Midgets and Bugeye dashes are not the same. On a MK1 Midget, the choke is always to the far side of the driver and the starter pull is to the nearside, next to the tach.
But, that said, if it works for you Jeff... That's all that counts.. If you think about it logically, the way they did it on the Bugeye would have been smarter anyway. The starter pull should have been on the right side of the car no matter, and the choke on the left side. A more direct and shorter path for both cables.
The MK1 Midget way works on the RHD cars (home country designers made it their way). It is just strange on the LHD cars, but they just turned the negative around, so to speak..

 

[jvandyke]

Okay, to do it "right" would be a huge pain and not work as well, I'll probably make it work well at the expense of "correctness" This car ain't head'n for any judg'n anyway.