Heater Cable Ends

[obxtrainman]

Hello everyone,

A week or so ago I put a post on the Help Me forum about my heater cables. I read every post in the search about heater cables. I still haven't seen anything about how they are actually routed at the end/ mounted on the mechanisms they operate.

I weigh about 280, and I'm six feet tall. I have to lay on my ear to see up in there. My shoulders are very wide, I can't lay on my ear, and get both arms where I need them to be. Trail and error on this one might very well get the best of me.

I've ordered the cable clips for a mere $18.00. However I still haven't figured out whether they slide onto the long stud at the top of the mechanism or the short bit at the bottom. I swear the short one at the bottom feels like it has been grooved over the years by the double round end of the cable.

I would certainly be very appreciative for any help.

Ken

[bob m]

Ken

You need to enlist the help of a skinny kid that can crawl around beneath the dash. I just took my heater cables out and I am 6' 170lbs and it is not fun. I move the seats back, lay on my back with my legs over the seat back. Have ALL of the tools you will need because you do not want to get in and out of the car. On the drivers side the long cable is held with a phillips screw in a retainer and the cable is held with a phillips screw on the valve. The short cable is held on the support counsel with a special clip that holds the cable and snaps into position, the cable end is held with a phillips in the valve. Both cables feed along the left side of the center counsel around the radio. On the passenger side the shorter cable goes to the heater valve, phillip screws hold it. The longer cable feeds past the heater motor and connects to the valve near the firewall, another two phillips screws.

Bob M

[EScanlon]

Look at this thread:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33258

Specifically, post # 7, that one details WHICH / WHERE the cables attach.

As to HOW they attach:

3 of the 4 cables attach with a clamp and phillips screw that presses down on the sheath and allows the cable itself to then actuate their process.

They are:

Door to Room (left side of plenum)

Water Valve (right side of plenum)

Fresh Air Valve (not on the plenum, but behind the squirrel cage fan housing.)

The last cable attaches with a spring clamp that also presses down on the sheath to hold it in place, but this one is removeable with your fingers. This clamping point is on the attached "arm" on the left AND front side of the plenum. This actuates the Defrost/Room flap inside the heater plenum.

Two of the cables themselves (the ACTUAL cable) are clamped to their mechanism with set screws on the cable ferrule. These two cables usually DO require some form of adjustment as to the length of their travel which is why they're adjusted with set screws on the ferrules.

These are:

The Room doors (left side of plenum)

Water Valve (right side of plenum)

The last two cables usually do NOT need length adjustments and are finished with "loops" on the end of the cable itself. These just slip over the peg of the actuating arm they are controlling. Any adjustment to these two is made by WHERE you clamp the cable sheath. I've never run into a situation where you needed to adjust the length of the cable.

These are:

Fresh Air Valve (not on the plenum, but behind the squirrel cage fan housing.)

Defrost/Room flap (inside the heater plenum)

Routing of the cables is pretty straightforward. The other post(s) describe that.

Hope this clears things up.

Enrique

Added pictures from this thread:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32556

Post #6 240DKW.

The attachment and clamping method for the drivers side forwardmost lever (the inner room/defrost flap) is different in my description and car than on this picture. You can still readily discern where everything goes.

Edited September 22, 2009 by EScanlon
Added pictures

[FastWoman]

I didn't post this before, because our cars are likely fairly different. However, this is a photo of the underside of the control assembly of a 1978, with red lines drawn where the control cables are attached. Perhaps the clips are similar. One end inserts into a rectangular hole, and the other snaps around the edge of the chassis, pinching the cable into place. I don't know if that helps.

[obxtrainman]

Thank you very much for the information and the pics. I found the one spring clip on my main tray of extra fasteners. As soon as I saw it I knew it had to be one of the clips, just didn't know which one. I'm also sure as soon as the ones I bought from the fellow out in Arizona arrives, I'll find the others. Any way thanks again for your patient replies.

Damn it's hell getting old and fat:(

[mattbibbey]

Mate! I really feel for you on this one. I spent nearly a week in a horrible position getting my dash out. Those cables are the worst part though. You have good advice above.

matt