Need some ideas or some options for rubber on the heater and vent cables

[Hot Rod Reverend]

I am going through the cables that control the heater, air vents, etc for the 55 Ford Club Sedan. The cables work fine but the rubber insulation is all dry rotted and cracked - has anyone used a sleeve, particular brand of heat shrink tubing, etc? They are needed to keep the moisture out and to go through particular grommets whose holes are sized larger than just the metal cabling (if that makes sense).

[miker98038]

My local hardware store stocks these 4 ft lengths. My usual go to for this kind of thing is Waytek, but they’re down for maintainance right now. I’ve used the heat shrink on cables before, works fine. Not quite as glossy as stock coverings.

http://electricalsupplycenter.com/sh...path=60_69_118

[Jwawhite]

Since we're talking about the cables, mine may need to be repaired/ replaced...may need a longer one . Anyone that has done this? My cables operate but it's a struggle and they've been lubed ---but in the car, not really satisfactory...

[frank long island]

take them out soak them in a lubricant m/m oil or such then let drip dry I'm sure others have tricks I think heat shrink would work fine again be sure to lube them you should be able to by it in rolls

[Kahuna]

JWhite
If you are at all familiar with Motorcycles, there is a cable luber that attaches to one end of a cable, seals that end pretty well, then allows for a tube (like the tube from a WD 40 can to be inserted. You can then lube away. The lube will come out the other end of the cable, if doing them in the car.
Luber costs about 5 bucks

[40cpe]

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I had the same problem. See the picture in post #5 of the attached link. I poured MMO and lacquer thinner mix and let gravity work. When it came out the other end I switched to MMO alone. Works great, but my rubber cover is intact.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228460

[Alaska Jim]

Kahuna, were can you buy one of those tools, and about how much are they? I wonder if they would be available at a Harley Shop ?

[paul2748]

I use shrink wrap on my cables. Works very good. If you want to build it up to factory size, use two or more layers, doing one layer at a time..

[Hot Rod Reverend]

Originally Posted by paul2748

I use shrink wrap on my cables. Works very good. If you want to build it up to factory size, use two or more layers, doing one layer at a time..

Winner, winner, chicken dinner right there! why didn't I think of that lol? I will get some of those sections sold by the foot and have at it.

[Daves55Sedan]

Yeah, I know what you mean. You want to have a rubber hose or tubing that has the same outside diameter as the hole in the rubber grommets they go thru to maintain the seal integrity.
Years ago, no decades ago, I had the same dilemma with my cables. I stripped off what was left of the old rubber. But even more beneficial than just replacing the old rubber was now having the opportunity to lube the cables real good without the rubber on them. I bent the cables in the shape of a "U" and crammed grease down in between the coils of the outer housing for the full length of the cable.
Then I took my choke cable grommet with me to the auto parts store where they had rolls of different sizes of rubber hoses (back then) and found a roll of hose that my choke grommet fit onto. Giving the inside diameter a good eye, it appeared that the hose would indeed slip on over the cable housing. I bought enough of it to do the choke cable (which was the shortest of the three). I brought it home and it did go on the cable but was a little tight once you got it about halfway on. I went back and got enough to do the other two but this time, I smeared lubriplate all over the outside of the cable housings and worked the rubber hoses on.
I also made something similar to the factory staples at the ends of the cables to keep the hoses from sliding on the cables if they ever loosened up enough to slide.
The hose was not intended for fuel use, so I guess it was for vacuum, but I do not think they offer vacuum hose in that size anymore. Maybe the hardware store?

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by paul2748

I use shrink wrap on my cables. Works very good. If you want to build it up to factory size, use two or more layers, doing one layer at a time..

Not exactly sure what you are referring to as shrink wrap, you mean like Saran Wrap, or that big plastic roll they use in warehouses for packaging (probably about the same thing chemically as Saran wrap). If that's what it is, I would be concerned with the wrap at some point deteriorating, cracking or the oil bleeding thru the cable housing coils to eat thru the bottom of it, thus eventually loosing your lube and exposing your cable housing to the elements (especially concerning the two air duct cables) which if exposed would be extremely vulnerable to rusting. ???

[54vicky]

I am thinking he meant shrink tube.the stuff used for wiring

[Ford blue blood]

Found an excellent lube for the cables. Sold at Lowes, Teflon. It is somewhat expensive but works extremely well. The bottle has an inch or so sitting in the bottom, need to shake the stuff out of it, when all mixed I run it in the cable until it comes out the end.

To free up frozen cables I soak them in a "rust be gone" product for a couple of days. Rinse with water then soak in an alcohol bath to get rid of the water. Blow dry, put the shrink tubing on then put the Teflon lube in them. It is suspended in an alcohol solution and when it evaporates the Teflon stays behind.

The many that were frozen in the 58 Pacer are still operating as smooth as can be.

[paul2748]

Yes - that was what I was talking about.

Originally Posted by 54vicky

I am thinking he meant shrink tube.the stuff used for wiring

[Jwawhite]

You guys are great! You've helped us take care of two issues. The funnel rubber gasket leak was temporarily fixed by applying butyl. My car had numerous leaks and now we're down to just a few. Will try these better fixes in the near future. The cable for L air works but its difficult, the cable for heat temp now works nicely and the R air/ heat box direction cable is frozen just past the Air setting. I've installed a cable operated valve on one heater hose in the engine compartment and plan on directly attaching the heat temp cable to it.

[Kahuna]

Alaska Jim
These are/were available thru most bike shops. Not sure about Harley stuff.
At the time I was doing work on Motocross bikes. That luber worked well.
Cost was about $5.00
Best
Jim