Heater Cables

[Halm]

I was driving the SC this morning and noticed that heat was only coming from the passenger side. Driver's side had cold ambient air, in the mid 30's. The car is a 1980 with CIS and backdated heat. Heat normally works as expected in a backdate car.

When I got home, I looked under the car and saw that the flapper box was open and the heater lever position made no change. The cable is attached to the flapper box, so I assume it is unhooked at the lever or broken.

My question is: Do I need to remove the front seats to pull the heater levers to check for cable attachment? Is there anyplace else I should look under the car?

Thanks in advance!

[kodioneill]

No, but it gives you some room to work. Less frustrating.

[Bill in OKC]

I went through this last winter. No, not to check but if you have to replace one I wouldn't want to try it without removing the passenger seat. My car was crazy - the passenger side cable was broke and the driver side cable was connected to the passenger side lever...

[hbkramer]

Hal,
My pass side control cable was unhooked at the cover plate-heater box, which I discovered by pulling the rear wheel off. If I had looked from underneath the car, i am not sure i would have seen this ....,so you may want to pull the rear wheel to inspect/confirm that the control wire issue is in fact at the front.

[NutmegCarrera]

Hi all.
I'm in a similar predicament. Have one heater cable broken. New cable is in hand from our host. Broke the fastening nut on the flapper box in process of removing. No big deal there - but I'm at a loss about getting the new cable threaded all the way through housing.

Any tricks? I was able to get the majority of new cable through - and think it's in the housing correctly. Just cannot seem to get it to peek out the end.

Seeing as you cannot push a rope, I'm worried about getting too forceful - lest I need to buy a second new cable.

Help?

Thanks.

[KNS]

Try squirting some WD-40 down the tube. I did that and they slid right in.

[Bill in OKC]

My cable went most of the way in and then when it got hung up I'd turn it maybe 10 degrees and keep poking, 10 degrees etc. and eventually it found a position that worked and went the rest of the way in.

[kodioneill]

I use a old clutch cable on a drill to ream out the tubes while squirting penetrating oil in the tube.

[NutmegCarrera]

OK Bill-
Thanks for the info. Was thinking about trying something like that today.
Also wondering if it would be helpful to try to do some "reaming" from the outside, not inside.

Also - the little plastic caps over ends of the housing are shot. Anybody have any good substitutes? I'm thinking of "capplugs", and will be trying to source them.

Finally, what are folks using for lube? Plain ol' grease?

Thanks again!

[RWebb]

Swepco chain lube is what I use on cables

bike shops also have some special cable lubes - either type of 'bike'

that were some past threads on this, but I did not save them

[rusnak]

I have done this twice, and still had a devil of a time getting the cable/wire thing back into the tunnel after twisting the ends around the heater lever.

I posted my frustration in another thread, and then right after me John Walker posts about how easy it really is, really. I was like "niiiice".

[NutmegCarrera]

Good ideas everyone - and thanx for sharing frustration.
I think I have some BelRay chain lube around. Like that idea for the aerosol part. Pretty "clingy" stuff, too. Otherwise it would've been pedro's bike grease.

Hardest part will be getting that end through. Darned WI weather. I'm pretty sure this thing spent some time on lousy roads. Not much, but some. Most stuff underneath is a little on the brittle side.

Also will be checking with my bike mechanic to see about a replacement cable bolt for the heater box end. May work out instead of waiting to have a $10 screw shipped. Would it be wrong to use Campagnolo parts on a 911???

[rusnak]

Chain Lube is great stuff, but I think it'll make the cables too hard to pull. Maybe some of the liquid Tri Flow.