Cable splice

[mdvanderploeg]

Now that I'm getting close to the end of my '50 restoration, the many boxes of parts that came with the car have dwindled down to a manageable amount, so I was able to do a final inventory. I mainly discovered a bunch of parts that are for ovals and Karmann Ghias, but I also discovered some gems, including the original trunk latch release knob & cable.

Unfortunately, my excitement was squelched when I tried to install the cable & found it was 2" too short. So, I've spent the evening hunting for a compression splice of some sort. I found plenty of swage style fittings that are two joined together side by side tubes. What I'd like to find is an in-line compression splice, similar to what's at the end of the accelerator cable, but would have a hole on both ends for cable attachment, instead of just one.

Any ideas?

[johnshenry]

Hmmmm. Interesting challenge. I presume there is enough open, exposed cable down near the latch that such a splice won't be in the tubing?

I once replicated the heater box cable ends by cutting a section of a fairly thick nail, drilling the end with a "wire" bit about the size of the cable, slipping it in, then crimping it down with vice grips. You may be able to do something like that by drilling a nail segment at both ends?

I would be concerned about it popping off and you getting locked out of the trunk though. The old school remedy for that was to cut your hood handle in half on the outside and just spin the halves off thereby releasing the hood...... not something I would want to do with the pretty expensive, cast split hood handles

The other thing you may be able to do is just tack up the extension with a MIG welder. Again though, I'd be nervous of a failure....
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[mdvanderploeg]

Unfortunately, the splice would be inside the tube. If you look at the compression fitting that attaches the knob to the cable, which has the right outside diameter to fit inside the tube, I was thinking that there might be a similar compression fitting that could act as a splice between two pieces of cable. It's a very similar compression fitting as the one at the end of the accelerator cable....again, I was thinking that there might be a similar fitting that has a hole on each end rather than just one.

I hate to have an original split hood latch cable go to waste, so would really like to figure out a way to make it work. I share your fear of the cable breaking & having no way to unlatch the hood. But, if the compression connection is good enough to attach the handle to the cable, I was thinking that it would be good enough to join two cables together.

[johnshenry]

The nail shank splice might work inside the tubing. You could test it by seeing how much strain it would take... and if you latch was well adjusted and lubed, maybe it would work pretty good.
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[usariemen]

How about finding a proper steel wire and replace it all the way.
Fixing it at the handle might be easier than having it to be extended somewhere on the way.
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Master of my domain!

[virtanen]

I agree to replace complete wire, here my heater cable with a new wire.

I cut a slot for the bar, and soldered a new wire there. That way I could save the VW stamp on the bar.

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Mika
Split beetle restoration panels
Oval beetle restoration panels
New projects

[Abscate]

You could easily fabricate an inline splice from a side by side splice by cutting it in half with a Dremel tool. A marine store for sailboat rigging will carry a huge array of wire splice tools bad supplies.
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.ssS!

[sunroof]

Wht not just twist the ends together and solder them?

Don

[W1K1]

I have silver soldered brass tube from the RC model store to extend a heater cable end before. That worked well. I filled the tube with silver solder with the wire in the tube.
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/jim_martin_engine_build.php

1973 super
1965 squareback 1500E
1971 bay window westy- subi swap

[Abscate]

[mdvanderploeg]

I ended up doing a combination of the suggestions above. I put the two ends of wire (original and new extension) through a compression fitting (looks like a figure 8 if viewed on end) with enough tail sticking out from each end to twist around the other wire. Seems really tight. I yanked on it way harder than the force needed to pop the hood with no sign of the splice being stressed. Thanks to all who provided opinions.