Just Not Long Enough....

[mxp01]

I have been trying to reconnect the heater cable on my 1960 BE. We took it apart before having the car painted, but I'm not sure if it worked or was connected prior to paint, but I can tell you that the cable is just too short.

I have routed it in the shortest possible line and I even ajusted the pipe to move the control as close as possible. I can get the cable to hook to the control, but it pulls the cable as tightly as possible, so tight that the knob doesn't fit on it all the way.

Any suggestions? It it possible to have an extension put on the end of the cable to extend it? Can these things be rebuilt to extend the cable?

Any help would be appreciated.

Mike Pennell

 

[jlaird]

You can put new cables on old heater switches.

 

[mxp01]

Jack:

Can you explain how it is done?

MXP

 

[jlaird]

Oh boy, I could do it faster I think.

Get a new choke cable from your friendly auto parts house. About six feet long.

The old push pull part of the cable is held in the switch with a sodder ball. You can see that if you pull it a bit it can then lift out as the tube on the switch is made that way. Cable out, sheeth then just pulls out of the end of the switch.

New cable in and twist a small circle in it to fix it in place.

About clear as mud I'm afraid. Take a close look but don't damage the switch, they are not available anywhere.

 

[mxp01]

Thanks for the description, Jack. I think I get the picture.

I'll give it a try this weekend.

MXP

 

[Jim_Gruber]

So Jack is there an easy way to fix my choke cable that I'm not aware of. The cable was taking two hands to pull out and twist to lock. Brillant Jim said to himself. ok a little lubrication is in order. One drop of oil on the cable. Now cable works to easily twist lock will not stay on without a clothespin in place.

Brillant logic says I. Pull cable completely out of sheath, squirt brake cleaner down there and wipe of cable and reinsert.

Wrong, can't get cable back in sheath no matter how I try to finagle it in there. So I'll need to disassemble the dash to get at the Choke Cable to replace it. Anyone got a simple tip on how to get the choke cable back in the sheath.

 

[jlaird]

If you bend a bit of a hump in the inter cable about three inchs in from the knob it will provide a tight fit in the sheeth so the cable will not slide in and out without your pushing or pulling it.

This is the way the orginal choke cable wires were made for the ones that did not have the twist lock.

As to reinserting the cable in the sheeth I would expect your best chance is to have the sheeth straight and the end of the cable very smooth. Sodder it on the end and clean up with some sandpaper.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Thanks Jack,

Right now the choke cable is the least of my problems as A-Post is getting all my attention but down the road shortly there will be a matter of paint and engine compartment grease and dirt that I need to clean up especially as I am contemplating going from BRG to Bright Yellow. Gotta think about getting Bugsy started for a trip to get pressue washed under the hood. H'mmm wonder how the local constabulary will think about a two mile trip down the road sans Bugeye bonnet to the car wash. Now that could prove interesting. Better think that one through as I'd need to go right through the center of town.

 

[jlaird]

No law says you have to have a bonnet on the car. Shucks I ran mine for months without. It's called testing. If you do get stoped they will just want to talk.

 

[Glen_B]

With a square body, tell them to re-read the vehicle code and pound sand. With a bugeye,(no headlights or turn signals when bonnet is off), kiss butt, apologize, and hope the cop's a car guy/gal.

Glen