Fresh Air Control Cables

[tsuter]

So while I'm mucking around in here in the trunk fixing the fan screeching (don't want any electrical fires do we now!) how can you lubricate these fresh air cables? The baffles move easily but the cables are very stiff to move. No kinks or pinches - just don't move too easy anymore with the levers up front.
78SC

[tsuter]

Got the fresh air fan out and noticed two small wires crimped around two blades. Could this be "factory balancing"?
First time out in 25 years so no PO was in there hacking.

[pbs911]

Don't know. But keep posting the pics, especially on the lube of the fan. This is a project I have to get done one of these days.

[david914]

Well... The best way is to completely remove the cable assemblies and pull the wire out of the jacket. I clean the wire with some fine emery cloth and shoot some good oil down the jacket while the wire is out. Reassemble and work the wire back and forth. That and straightening out any kinks will do wonders for the action.

[Paul Crowther]

Screeching fan, eh? It's amazing how familiar some of these problems are if you follow this forum long enough!

Paul

[david914]

Oh, and by the way, those little wires on the fan blades ARE from the factory balancing. Don't move or lose them!

[tsuter]

Gotcha - won't lose the balancingwires on fan blades. Definitely will try and lube the control cable/wires.

Here is one for you. The bad picture attached shows the foam baffles inside the fresh air fan. They are very dry rotted. Obviously not getting a clean seal anymore. In fact they will easily break apart if I touch them much.
Has anyone replaced the foam seals? Easy to disassemble just what kind of foam? Household sponge??

[david914]

As a matter of fact I have replaced those seals in both my 911 and my 914. I used foam weatherstripping that you can get at the home store. I'm sorry that I don't recall the exact size that I used, but it's in the neighborhood of 1/4"x1/2". Remove the bolt in the center of the "butterfly" flap and you can fit the weatherstripping around the perimeter, then reassemble the butterfly. It'll be apparent once you have it apart. Worked like a charm for me!

[Glasgow 911SC]

You can buy a cable oiler that would lubricate those lines.

[tsuter]

I ended up using 3/16 in. high density foam weather stripping (peel and stick type) to make new baffles. Turns out they were the cause of the wire/cable sticking. In the middle Ok, at the ends where the baffles close not OK - sticking. Not no more. Clean oil bearing, shaft fan check brushes put power to it- checked all three speeds all OK no screech.

One thing I learned is the fan can be removed from the cowl ductwork with two bolts. Or the entire duct with fan attached can be removed. I removed the entire section with fan attached.



There is a large seal on the duct that sits behind the cowl vent. When putting back in place this seal must sit in place and be tightened down securely to prevent a flood into your trunk. Check the drain line just for kicks. I can't see it getting clogged as the debris would have to get through the cowl screen and its a big drain.

Also made sense to replace the old windshield washer nozzles while everything was out. Much easier to access. I destroyed the old ones coming out but they had 25 years worth of pin pricks so they were as big as a garden hose.




Reassembly was fairly easy. I attached the fan first to the duct then shoved it all back in place. The cables hookups were all readjusted. Set them all full left then all full right and check that they close or open fully without binding.

[tsuter]

All done. Cardboard back in.




Trunk liner back in. Easy days work. Would be faster if I did not have to trim new baffles for the blower. Didn't need to pull the cables as the binding was caused by poor adjustment and dry rotted baffles.



No more screech!!