That DAMNED choke cable winding stuck in chassis HELP!

[66brm]

This is a club??? I thought it was just part of Hitler's revenge on those who choose to try restore an early bug.
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Aust. RHD 66 Type 1
Aust. RHD 57 Type 1 Oval

[aa390392]

Not a club but a hellve well built cable and stubborn as a German..I think it has more steel in it that a 2017 cookie cutter..
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[snowbug]

I have a Zwitter . Cable stuck. I have been soaking it with various oils since 1982. Front snapped off after about 20 years. Had the rear sticking out til this year. Tried a slide hammer and snapped it off. I put a 36hp with dual carbs , so don`t really need a cable. Even when I ran the 25hp never needed a choke to start.
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Old enough to remember THRILLS, the gum that tastes like soap.

[aa390392]

Ok without luck, and frustration, I decided to go with the other method recomended by VW manual pg 3 of this forum, worked perfect, except I ran it thru the original choke cable position, and then back thru the interior, next to tunnel out the back thru the starter cable hole.to carb,no muss no fuss I didnt even have to cut cable..cant even see it, looks professional, no one the wiser.
Cheers
Thomas
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[panicman]

This is what I have done for now as well, and like you reported, it’s invisible.

One day I’ll tackle that damn choke cable again...
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Plate of shrimp

[AlteWagen]

anyone try evaporust on their cable?
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Grapes of Wrath $200 Engine Rebuild
Official Dual Carb Thread
Cylinder Head Quick Reference Sheet

[panicman]

That stuff looks like it might be worth a shot!! It gets very good reviews. Next time I have things apart I’ll give that stuff a try.
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Plate of shrimp

[wiferdill]

I just bought a '59 Euro ragtop with a stuck choke cable and started reading the years worth of history dealing with this problem. My favorite penetrating fluid is a 50/50 mix of automatic transmission fluid and acetone. The acetone evaporates quickly so keep it in an airtight container between jobs. It penetrates on a molecular level. Way better than PB Blaster or Kroil. I'm impressed by the creative approaches to removing the cables and cleaning the tube. Hope mine slides right out.

[panicman]

Please let us know!!
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Plate of shrimp

[parker007]

I will be tackling removing choke cable soon since someone cut, after reading post im like sh..t hahaha

[jcannon]

I just dealt with this on a '58 convertible. Tried all the suggestions in the thread including filling the tube with Kroil and letting it sit six months. This is a running car, not just a pan, so I bit the bullet and took the engine out. That gave me a good straight pull at the rear. If it wasn't coming out after six months of soaking, it wasn't ever coming out and there was nothing to lose if it broke. I pulled and the spiral wrap straightened out and unwound, then after getting maybe half of it, snap!! It was all wet with Kroil, which I'd put in at the front where it broke off six months ago. Ergo, more soaking wound not have helped.

My solution:
I'm not cutting holes in the tunnel of an assembled car. At the shift rod access I could see the choke cable tube. It's the first tube, so I took a mini hack (hacksaw handle where the blade protrudes from the end) and cut the tube as close to the "front" of the access hole as I could. The two ends sprung and displaced themselves, which was perfect. Under the gas tank I drilled a 3/8" hole next to the old tube. I leaned the drill to ovalize the hole front to back, then tried threading the new cable through the tunnel -- which went 4' and stopped. I pulled it out and bent the end of the sheath about 1-1/2 inch from the end, so the tip of the sheath was slightly offset. While reatheading it from the front it hit the same blockage as the first attempt so I twisted the cable and the offset end found a path. Push push push and there it was visible through the shift linkage hole. I used a 12" hemostat to grab the end of the choke cable and pulled it out the access hole, straightened the end, and used the same hemostat to thread it into the cutoff choke cable tube. Push push push with the hemostat and the cable came out at the standard place in the rear. A dab of silicone around the cable to seal it at the new hole and it's done.

Best of all, it looks entirely correct unless someone take off a front wheel and notices the cable is next to the tube, not in it. No holes were cut in the tunnel and the whole thing took a half hour. A crummy half hour compared to the endless hours I spent trying to get the old cable out.

If you are here with a stuck cable, I'd cut it off and leave a bit sticking out of the front tube (for later if you decide yout really want to remove it), then pull on the back end until breaks. Cut the choke cable tube by the shift linkage, drill one 3/8 hole by the old tub up front and thread the cable. You won't end up with a car that stinks of Kroil, which is now in the tunnel, you won't need to pull the engine, and you won't spend untold hours frustrated with bleeding knuckles, etc. In hindsight I took a half hour of extra work and made a needlessly and horrendously complicated task of it in the name of "doing it right". The cable doesn't need to be in the tube. If someone wants to take a wheel off or unbolt the shift linkage cover and say "AHA"!! I'm OK with that. Otherwise, there is no way to tell the choke cable is not installed the factory way. If it ends up rattling in the tunnel I can always go back and bore 3" holes to wire tie it.

Seriously, I'm one for doing everything right and taking the extra time to do so. On this job, cheat.

[wiferdill]

Excellent description of how you overcame the dreaded choke cable problem. One question........You kept referring to the new cable as, "the cable'. What kind of cable did you use? A Bowden cable, or the kind commonly used on lawn mowers, or something from one of the usual suppliers. Lucky the old cable didn't break behind the shift linkage access.

Aloha, Rob

[jcannon]

It is the same choke cable you'd buy for any 53-60 beetle. I bought it from Wolfsburg West. Since the cable is running along the original tube the length is correct.

Be aware the exact length is not critical like on the accelerator or clutch cable because the choke cable has the spiral sheath which is clamped at each end. That sheath is to the choke cable as the tube is to the accelerator cable. That is, the spiral sheath is clamped to the back of the aluminum knob bezel (can't think of better word) with a knurled ring, and at the carb with the little clamp bracket. You could use a lawnmower cable which would connect fine at the carb, but you'd need to connect the knob shaft to the center wire and the sheath to the backside of the knob bezel. Not so easy, but it could be done.

Buy the way, the WW knurled ring was a bit different than the original. I think the original knurled ring would fit on the WW cable but it needs to be swapped before routing the cable. I saved the original ring in case a future owner wants it.

[panicman]

Good eye, my friend. And a damn good write up.
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Plate of shrimp

[Bigjacksauto]

I have recently started the attempt to get my choke cable working. We finally have movement while i push a little on the cable end by the carburetor, my son can easily pull on the choke cable and have it come out a few inches. We have worked on the cable back and forth but it still will not move with out someone pushing or pulling. I will continue to add more pb blaster etc. If I can pull just the cable fully out what are my chances I can push a new one back through?
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1968 Beetle "Herbie" replica Father Son Project
1960 Beetle deluxe / Flint/Pebble Grey og 1200cc 36hp
1975 Westfalia bus sold
1967 SO 42 Westfalia Bus

(o\_!_/o)

[nlorntson]

[Bigjacksauto]

[57BLITZ]

[my59]

[Bigjacksauto]