TheSamba.com :: View topic - DIY Heater Cable Tube Replacement Notes & Instructions..

Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:14 pm

Last week I mentioned a problem with my heater cables being frozen inside their metal guide tubes, and found out that a lot of other people were having the same problem. After considering all sorts of quick fixes, I decided the best approach would be a complete replacement of both the tubes and cables...I worried a ton about this chore, but it is SUPER EASY...you should be able to do it in less than 2 hours.

Parts used:

2 x 10' lengths of 1/4" SOFT copper tubing

JB Weld (really not necessary though)

OEM end caps and bushings from my old set of tubes/cables

New cables from a donor bus

Total Cost: about $14 for tubing and JB Weld, I'm sure cable prices would depend on source and condition.

Procedure:

1)Disconnect your old cables from flapper arms per Bentley or other manual. Getting under the bus, follow the path of each cable tube, noting where it travels through bulkheads, over/under other conduit, etc. Your main concern is being able to route the new tubing in as near a location to the original as possible. I found a good sturdy screwdriver made a nice mini-prybar, and used it in a couple of places to widen the holes through the bulkheads so an additional tube could pass through.

2) The soft copper tubing comes rolled in a box; straighten it by hand before you try to route it under the bus. This is really a two man job, with one man guiding the tube through bulkheads, etc and another man providing pressure on the tube itself. GO EASY here, this stuff is soft, and if it kinks it's worthless.

3) Starting from the engine compartment, route both tubes next to the original shot ones, being careful to try and duplicate the original bends as nearly as possible.

4) Now is decision time: do you leave the old tubes in, or take them out and just use your new ones. Their are advantages to pulling the old ones, since your new tube can just use all the holes and channels without having to modify anything. Leaving them in is advantageous too, though, because a lazy man like myself can just use clamps to attach one tube to another, providing perfect mounting points

5) Installation of cables in the tubes is obvious, and the copper is slick enough inside that lubing the tubes probably wont be necessary.

Obviously, the procedures involved are simple enough that anyone can do it, and the only reason I provided instructions was so that people won't be discouraged from the repair by assuming that it's super difficult.

I'm not sure how durable the soft copper tubing is going to be, but I would rather replace it once every year or so than even think about trying to route rigid steel tubing through the nooks and crannies under a bus. The tubing doesn't seem to be under any tension anyway, so unless you took a really good bang on the underside of your bus, I think it should be fine...

So far, the stuff works great! Good luck to those other poor souls who have similar heater cable problems...

Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:29 am

Good job and thanks for the info.
:D

Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:10 am

Thanks for your post!!!
People like you make Samba ROCK!!!!!!!