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Heater Cable (Half way there)
jedikombi - December 9th, 2002 at 01:08 PM

Hi guys,

would like to know if anyone has had any experience in changing heater cables in a kombi? Is it a difficult process and where can i buy the cables from? i was thinking of getting them from a wreck if there hard to aquire. Any info would be greatly appreciated, ill try and tackle it tonight :)

cheers
Steve


[Edited on 9-12-2002 by jedikombi]


Buggy Boyz - December 9th, 2002 at 01:50 PM

No it is not that hard and as far as I know there is no new ones on teh market.
You can get them out of wrecks easy enough just make sure you get the connectors which mount to teh heater boxes as well if possible. If not you can use accelorator cable clamps from type 1 beetles.
The come out as self contained cables with the inner and outer intact.
Full good set should only cost about $50 from a wrecker.


vw54 - December 9th, 2002 at 02:50 PM

What year model is yr Kombi split or Bay ???


Andy - December 9th, 2002 at 03:10 PM

As buggy Boys said, they are available (from a few places here in Bris.), and not too hard to replace. I just bought 4 new cables for my '77 micro bus. The only cable not available was the one that goes to the middle of the cargo area. I just bought an extra one to go to the rear and shortened it. They were ~$30ea from memory.
Andy


jedikombi - December 9th, 2002 at 03:11 PM

Oh yeah it's a 1975 Camper 1800cc


vw54 - December 9th, 2002 at 04:12 PM

After you have removed the old cables put thenm in a drill n spin them through the outer steel tube which holds them in the car n get all the GUNK out of them first
otherwise the new cables wont go in very easy

pretty sure new cables are still available


jedikombi - December 9th, 2002 at 08:33 PM

Well thanks for your input guys, i actually got onto some second hand ones and they came out of a wreck very easily, however the cables in my car will not budge! I have been pulling and screaming but to no avail. What i was thinking is to run the cables on the outside of the outer tube , would this work?


Andy - December 10th, 2002 at 06:45 AM

That will work Jedikombi, but will require some way to hold the outer cable at the back for it to operate correctly. It is worth getting the old ones out though.

One possible way to get the old ones out is to cut the end off the inner cable at the motor end and remove. Then cut the outer cable at the front of the steel tubes, leaving enough sticking out to grab with vice grips or the like. The outer cable is made up of a tightly would wire and you should be able to grab the end of the wire and pull it out by streching it like a spring.
This ruins the outer cable but you don't want this any more. If you get it out don't forget to clean the tubes out and grease it thoroughly so it doesn't happen again.
Andy

[Edited on 9-12-2002 by Andy]


helbus - December 10th, 2002 at 08:31 PM

Andy is spot on.
I did mine a few years ago, and one slid out, and the other I had to pull out like a spring. after it got hafway it slid out. I put as much marine grease as I could into the tubes, and put more in the boots that go on the end of the cables.Peter


Mr Bubble Head - December 10th, 2002 at 09:01 PM

Hows it going steve?

Hows the interior coming on, mines still in the design stage but at least I've got it drawn out ready to make. Ive got a rock and roll bed out of a later model that needs to be recovered as its a sick blue colour and it looks like it was a dogs bed at some time.

anyway good to see your still around good luck with the heater cables

nick (njdunn)


jedikombi - December 11th, 2002 at 10:26 AM

Ok im starting to turn gray :mad: Andy i tried what you suggested. The outer came out like a spring but snapped about a meter down the cable. So now im left with just the wire inner. It still wont budge, there is about 7cm play at each end and thats it, wont slide out. I have a mate coming over tonight to give me a hand. It has fully got me beat that it is siezed. Ill let ya know how we go.

Thanks

[Edited on 11-12-2002 by jedikombi]


vw54 - December 11th, 2002 at 10:54 AM

Spray so penetrene down there to try n free it up otherwise you could get some steel rod n force it out that way.


Andy - December 11th, 2002 at 04:20 PM

Boy, does your Kombi see a lot of salt water? Sorry to here the outer snapped off, Bugger. As dave suggested, lots of penetrating oil and maybe a steel rod to push it out?
Andy
:(


jedikombi - December 11th, 2002 at 10:56 PM

Well guys thanks for all the advice, They ain't going anywhere, Just stuck.
I do get down the beach alot so that might be a reason aswell for them to stick. So, what i am thinking is to cable tie them to the existing tubes from the front and as i get further down the tube like maybe 1 meter from the end i will make a cut and feed it through there so it can operate properly as Andy said. Hope this should be ok!
Its been a slow project but im getting there.
Nick good to hear from ya buddy! The interior is coming along nicely. be great to see yours done, we must have got our new seat from the same funky shop :) I will show ya my humble retro fitout soon.

Heat seeker.


Andy - December 11th, 2002 at 11:16 PM

Hope it works for ya Jedikombi.
Andy
:sandrine