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heater cables frozen? Were ok a minute ago.....
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airkooledchris
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:39 am    Post subject: heater cables frozen? Were ok a minute ago..... Reply with quote

this is on my project bus, so it hasn't been in use for about a year or so now...


I went to connect the heater cables to the control boxes but there wasn't enough slack in them, so I went to the dash and pushed the levers up to turn the heat all the way off.

this gave me enough slack to connect the cables to the control boxes, but then I couldn't pull the lever back down to turn the heat on and check that they opened correctly.

I first disconnected one control box, tried it again and it was still frozen, then disconnected the other control box and the same thing happened - I can't pull the level back down to pull on the heater cables. it won't budge even a little.....

im stumped as they seemed to be in the on/pulled position at the start, and pushing the lever up to turn the heat off did give me slack on both sides so they control boxes could be connected.

is there a specific point along the line where they might bind up or catch on something - where they would then feel 100% locked frozen like this?

it's not super important as im still connecting everything else to see if all my other restored bits and pieces will work and get this thing moving, so having working heat is pretty low on the list of priorities, but id like them to be properly connected eventually.
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SGKent Premium Member
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Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

look up under the dash and see if the cables are bent. They are rather sensitive once they get a bend in them.

My 1971 had a separate lever for each cable. My 1977 combines both cables on one lever with is a PITA. I used a wire tie under the front floor pan to tie the three cable there together since there are only two under floor clips. That little wire tie put a barely visible bend in the cable where the tie was and that was enough to make the force on the cables about 30% more when the heater valves were attached. Probably a good project for someone who will keep their bay forever would be to find a way to use an electric or vacuum motor to open and close those valves.
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scrivyscriv Premium Member
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Joined: October 04, 2011
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Location: Memphis
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

*gasp* Sgkent recommending a hack?! Very Happy
Just messing with you - an electric servo motor would be fantastic, and not hard to set up.

If you can't reach under the dash to lube or check the cables you might consider pulling the metal dash off to get to them. I know reaching through the glove box can be a pretty tight squeeze on the hand.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am with SGKent on this, any little disturbance you make to the cable will greatly increase the effort it takes to operate the heater flappers.

On my first van, a hack that worked well for me was to strip the sheaths from the cables a couple of inches into the tubes running to the back and then just run the cable through the bare but well greased tube. I made a clamp for the remaining sheaths to keep them from being pulled into the tube as I worked the lever. I ran this system for fifteenish years using cables that had for all intents and purposed been frozen up previously and plan on going back to it on my present bus.
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tootype2crazy
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Location: St. Louis Missouri
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SGKent wrote:
Probably a good project for someone who will keep their bay forever would be to find a way to use an electric or vacuum motor to open and close those valves.


I have this on my list of things I want to do to my bay. I have all the hardware on a list somewhere. I will do it once the major stuff is done. Might make a thread on it.
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1978 Transporter (mom's, making into a camper)
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