Heater Cable Remove and Replace Tutorial with Pics

[Herbst '71]

This weekend I finally decided to remove and replace the heater cables on my 1971 Bus. I searched through the posts and found a set of instructions written by Paul (Duncwarw) that seemed simple enough. I figured it would not hurt to add some photos to Paul’s instructions and call it a tutorial.

1. Disconnect heater cables from heater control levers. They are secured with spring clips. Remove the left kick panel and put it in a safe place.

2. Crawl under the front and remove belly pan. There should be eight 10 mm bolts. Autumn had seven 10mm bolts, a Philips head screw and a flat head screw. Two more items to put on my shopping list.

3. After the belly pan is removed, you will see the two heater cables protruding from two rubber grommets. Have an assistant guide the bent ends of the cables through the wiring behind the dash and pull the cables through the rubber grommets. There are two plastic cable guides/clips on the floor pan. The one on the right is easy to see. The one for the left cable is above the heater ducting. Remove the cables from their respective clips and lay the cables out in front of the bus. Make the path as straight as possible.

4. Tie a long string to the back end of each of the heater cables.

5. Go to the back of the bus and slide under. You will need to remove the barrel nuts securing the cables to the heat exchangers. Next, remove the rubber sleeve and the end caps from the metal tubes the cables are routed through. My end caps were in two pieces. The outside portion slides into a bracket and I think the inside portion keeps the cable from sliding back into the sleeve. I could be wrong. The inside piece has a slit along the side. Pull it off the cable and store it in a bag with the end caps and the rubber sleeves.

The picture above shows the inner pieces that are hidden by the end caps.

6. Try to spray some lube into both ends of the pipes.

7. From the front, pull one the cable until you have reached the string. Many people have mentioned attaching the cable to a drill if it binds up. This works out perfectly.

8. Remove the string from the old cable and tie it to the new cable. Grease the new cable and begin feeding it through metal tube from front to back while your assistant pulls on the string in the rear.

9. Install the small inner plastic piece (inside piece) and then install the outside portion of the cap. There are three grooves in the cap. On mine, the metal bracket slid into the middle groove. Slip the rubber sleeve back onto the cable. The wide end should slide onto the end of the cap.

10. Go back to the front of the bus and attach the ends of the cables to the heater control levers. Watch the ends of the cables as you are guiding them to the levers. Once again, they will snag any wire they can.

11. Crawl back under the bus. Adjust the slack out of the cables at the exchangers while you assistant works the levers. You will need two barrel nuts to attach the cables.

12. Go back to the front of the bus and push the heater cables back into their plastic cable guides/clips. Replace the belly pan and you’re done.

I hope this tutorial is helpful. Thanks to Duncwarw for the original instructions and everyone else who posted tips on removing the cables.

Thanks,
Rik
_________________
Rik
'71 Deluxe/1600 DP

"Fortunately my mistakes are serving as a warning for others."

[RZAR]

Im getting ready to do this on my 77. Thanks for the info.

[71whitewesty]

This is a great tutorial of what I'm doing right now but I'm having problems with pulling the cable out. It does not want to budge! I've taken the plastic end things off and I've yanked the heck out of it. I've secured it to something and stood on it and just can't get it to budge. Anyone had the same experience?

I also haven't tied a string on the end cause I don't have any nubs to hold the string from slipping off, the cable broke there. Any ideas on attaching a line on it? Maybe just pinch a hook in the cable?
I'm thinking if the cable is this hard to get out then getting the new one in won't be easy either....

[Wildthings]

[71whitewesty]

Thanks Wildthings, that's more or less what I was thinking too. My ferrules are cut off so I know that's not it. I'll try and get some oil in there. I've tried for two nights and cannot get it to budge at all.

[jtauxe]

Very nice, Herbst '71. The only step I would add is this:

7.5 Now would be a good time to verify that you have the correct replacement cables, by laying them out side by side to confirm the lengths.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[chrisradioman]

Going to do this on my 1979 Westy first chance I get. Thanks M8, usefull guide.
_________________
http://www.vintagevwweddings.co.uk/contact.html

[rustbus]

[Wildthings]

[stevespeirs]

My replacement cables, boots and barrel nuts have arrived. Looks like my cables have been cut/disconnected from the heat exchangers by the PO. How critical are the plastic inner pieces and end caps mentioned in Step 5?
_________________
1979 Microbus

[curtis4085]

[mnskmobi]

[stevespeirs]

I agree, might as well do the job properly.

Ken Madson at The Bus Co is hooking me up with the plastic pieces.

http://www.thebusco.com
_________________
1979 Microbus

[DougB]

Thanks for this, Rik! The procedure worked for me and my '75 last night!

- Doug
_________________
'75 Campmobile (tin-top to SpaceRoof)
'73 Fastback
'52 BMW R67/2
'41 Zundapp KS600
'55 Puch SGS250
A very, very understanding wife

[westy_26]

Digging up a slightly old post

I have a 73 late bay. PO said it did not have heating a rear heater cable or heater arms but everything else was in tact. I have since bought the heater arms and it appears to have all the cables up front, or at least so I can see disappearing down the dashboard.

Looking at the rear the heat ex-changers and flaps do not have a cable attached.

Is there a diagram of where the cable runs from the heat ex-changer end and what cable or cables do I need?

I would buy a Bently Book but they seem to be either ridiculously priced or out of stock. Only had the bus a few weeks too and have done tons of work.

[Tcash]

I would buy a Bently Book but they seem to be either ridiculously priced or out of stock.
Classified Search

Good luck
Tcash

Start a Post for your bus.

[westy_26]

[westy_26]

I have removed my heater cables and positioned the replacements. However my friend removed the end caps and rubber part and now we are putting them back together he cannot remember how they go together.

I have the small split piece, the end cap and the rubber tube. Where does the small inner plastic piece sit in relation to the cable. The cable has an end which I understand connects to the heat exchanger but does the little clip sit between this and the next bit of metal on the wire or does it sit further along. Which way round does it go?

My tubes look different from the pics above, they do not have a metal bracket holding them on to the underneath of the bus. I assume the cable comes out, you put the clip on which then buts up to the thick metal, the bigger clip goes next thus stopping the cable being pulled through and then goes on the rubber covering the end cap?

Any help gratefully received. Oh and I looked in the Bentley book and it does not tell me a great deal, there is not even a section on replacing these cables (that I could find).

[Tcash]

Heater Cable Remove and Replace Tutorial with Pics
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=364624&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[LivinInnaVWBus]

Awesome! Now, I'd love to see a tutorial of how to remove a stuck cable which has broken off inside of the tube.