Heater control cable wires

[Mitch Leland]

Howdy,

My heater control wires were stuck so before I fried the heater control module on the console I decided to replace the piano wire cables. The old cables were really OK, so I'm thinking that the grease in the cable housing was just gunk up.

Anyone have any recommendations on how to clean up the interior of the cable housing and what lubricant you would use for the new cables?

Thanks,

[Howard M]

I think it may be more likely that your heater valves need lube. If you climb under the car and carefully disconnect the control cables at the valves you will be able to determine if the binding is in the cable or the valve.

[Mitch Leland]

Howard,

No, the heater valves were free... The piano wire was just stuck, I had the console off of the E-brake and was able to finally pivot the bell crank on the side of the E-brake. When I extracted the cables they came out with some tugging, but were sluggish.

I'm thinking I might get some gun cleaner in an aerosol can and squirt down the housing before installing the new cables.

Thanks,

[RWebb]

Swepco makes a cable/chain lube and Pelican carries it -- spray can

[3.2 CAB]

I would first spray a cleaner of your choice down through the cable guides. I have found that after many years, all of the dead, sludge lube has harden and will make it almost impossible for the new cores to slide in them smoothly. When I refurbished my heater control lever cables, I found some stainless steel core material here locally, something like $0.40 a foot. I even made up a new way for the cables to be attached to the levers, the pics are in some of the other threads about this. It sounds like you are on a good start. Good luck!! Tony.

[fred cook]

When I replaced the wire heater cables on my SC, I took 2 vacuum caps, cut an x slot on the end, packed them with grease and put them on the ends of the cable housings. Now the inside of the housings are protected from road water/trash and the cables get a little "lube job" each time the levers are opened. Just a thought.

[Mitch Leland]

Cab and Cook,

Great information... and I thought I was the only one with this problem. :-)

Thanks,

[kodioneill]

i was a porsche mechanic in the 70's. on the 70 era cars we would use a old clutch cable attached to a drill with lots of penatrant and run it in and out of the tube followed up by blowing air through it. i'm not sure if it will work on your year or not but thought i would pass it on.

[Mitch Leland]

Kodinoneill,

Great idea, it sure can't hurt. I've shot brake cleaner fluid into the cable housing from the tunnel end, but I don't think it goes very far down the housing. The rubber tipped air nozzle will blast what ever remaining debris might be left in the housing.

I think I'll use a liquid oil (Tri-Flow or similar product) rather than grease. I think the grease holds more dirt and has more chance of gumming up the cable.

Thanks,

[javadog]

Mitch,

You might want to remove the guide sleeves from the car to clean and inspect them. I'd want to make sure that the cables haven't worn a groove into the plastic of the guide sleeves. The cars with auto heat control tend to move the cables back and forth a lot. I've replaced damaged sleeves before...

JR

[Mitch Leland]

JD,

Thanks, and I'll check the nylon tubing. It turns out when you run the new cable in the cable housing it catches on the joint between the hard tubing and the nylon tubing and pushes the fitting on the nylon tubing off. It appears that there is no positive connection between the two sleeves? It's just a slip fit...

[3.2 CAB]

Mitch, I believe that you are correct with that observation, it is just a slip fit.
Here are a couple of pictures of a set of heat levers and new type cable connectors.