Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 05:51:24 -0800
Reply-To: "CARVER, JEFFREY D" <Jeffrey.Carver@AEROJET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From: "CARVER, JEFFREY D" <Jeffrey.Carver@AEROJET.COM>
Subject: Re: '81 Heater control cable question
Tom & the List:
The front heater control panel does indeed just pry off.
A couple of tips will help though. Remove the tips of the
control levers first (remember which color goes where).
Pry the cover off evenly. It has round plastic prongs at
both ends, and prying off one side at a time stresses the
prongs. It comes off pretty easily.
Removing the ash tray greatly increases the visibility of
the interior of the control cables, along with the increased
access gained.
Removing the instrument cover does help the access. I've
done that so many times, I can do it while driving! OOPS,
you didn't read that. Unless you also remove the instruments
themselves you don't gain much access. Try it without first,
as removing the main electrical connector to the instrument
panel can lead to damage to the panel side connector, BTDT.
The two control cables eventually connect to the single control
lever. They attach differently. One is pretty straightforward,
the other is a little convoluted and can easily bend if the cable
binds in the sheath. I was unable to fix the bending problem, so
compromised the adjustments to allow the flap to close in the
summer, but not fully open. I'll have to re-adjust for winter use.
A couple of things to check on while in there:
The sheath for the cables can break and
lend themselves to weird movements. In lieu of replacing
them I opted for an in-place fix. I split a slightly smaller OD
piece of tigon (or similar) tubing and slipped it over the cracked
area. I then put some shrink wrap over the split tubing to
compress the tubing onto the sheath. The shrink-wrap was
longer than the tubing to provide some resistance to movement.
Lubricating the cables is a very difficult feat. I have a adapter that
allows the tip of a spray lube tube to be inserted and clamped onto
the cable. It closes (supposedly) off the cable end and the sheath
end together and allow the spray to get into the space between.
Whew - harder to describe than to use! Found at motorcycle
shops for lubing control cables. I was able to get lube through one
cable, but not the other. I recommend using a cable lube found at
the motorcycle shop also, made for lubing cables, light weight grease.
Be cautious when using this set-up, if you have a leak, the spray gets
everywhere. Cover with a rag and look for leaks, you'll have some, just
a matter of how much.
- Jeff Iwanna21/23windowsunroofDeluxe!
'80 Westi (2) '67 Sqbk '64 Ford Crewcab
'87 Subaru 4WD '97 Nissan Quest
Grass Valley, California, USA
Jeffrey.Carver@Aerojet.com
- - - - - - - - -snip - - - - - - - -
Hi all:
It appears that the woven steel-wire cable which connects to my right
heater control flap is stretched; at least it looks that way, though
that
doesn't seem possible.
The manual is not at all clear on how the two control cables eventually
connect up to the control lever. Do they meet somewhere and connect to
one cable that runs up to the control lever, or do both somehow attach
directly to the lever?
The manual also says the way to get the trim plate covering the levers
off is to "ply with a screwdriver." Do I need to remove the instrument
cluster to work on the cable/lever connections after "plying?"
