B Post Soft cable fraying - needs swapping

[Andy Mathers]

Esteemed colleagues...I have a simple question...
The rear latching plate cable fixed to the soft top lift up flap on the B post is frayed at the B post (pic 1) with the outer cable protector split. Therefore the resistance felt when opening the latch to relaese the striker pin to allow the inner cable to pull against simply isn't there. I need to swap the cable somehow. I was thinking that a bike cable from Halfords or similar would work BUT the cable goes into this plastic shroud (pic 3) on the chrome latch and it's the devils own job to get this off the angled plate to see how it fits.P1000706.jpgP1000707.jpgP1000708.jpg
When I try and undo the nuts on the angled plate they turn and turn but nothing happens..I've tried racking up another nut to tighten to see if they can be tightened together to come off but seem to have stripped a thred on the bottom one (aaagghhh).
My question is - how do I get the plastic shroud off and will this help me release the frayed cable at this end or do I need to get the chrome flap off ??
Told you...just a simple question (or maybe two )!!
Cheers

[Bandit1200]

Hi Andy
It appears to me that the whole cable mechanism is frail so although I haven't experienced any problems, I bought a complete set off e bay as an insurance policy for less than £15. It appears that the trigger mechanism is no longer available so I'm happy with my purchase.
There was another advertised on e bay recently. Don't know if it's gone yet.
I know this doesn't answer your question but I'm glad I made my purchase

Steve

[Seaking]

Hi Andy i seem to rember that the whole job was a pain. in side the leaver there are two ends that are like the bicycle cables the outer sheathing is pushed in but there is two expanding plastic lugs that hold the cable sheath in place. i brought a whole new cable and did fit in insitu but i belive i removed the leaver from the car
good luck with it.
Glenn

[Andy Mathers]

Hi Andy i seem to rember that the whole job was a pain. in side the leaver there are two ends that are like the bicycle cables the outer sheathing is pushed in but there is two expanding plastic lugs that hold the cable sheath in place. i brought a whole new cable and did fit in insitu but i belive i removed the leaver from the car
good luck with it.
Glenn

Thanks Glenn - I guess that there is no such thing as an easy fix on this. I just can't get the two nuts off - they turn on the thread (I don't think that the pin or stud moves at all) so I can't get the lever free to look at the inside. Once that bit's done it shouldn't be too hard (ever the optimist !) to fit. If the two plastic lugs are expanding ones I'll try and squeeze it together to get a wee bit of freedom on the lug. Thank goodness I got the grass cut today - SWMBO will not be impressed at my further lengthy stays in the garage..
Cheers

[Seaking]

try freeing off the other ends where the adjustments are this might enable you to free the cable lugs

[Andy Mathers]

try freeing off the other ends where the adjustments are this might enable you to free the cable lugs

Thanks Seaking - I'll have a go at this - what does the concelaed end of the cable behind the plastic insert look like ? It's not a bother to free the end of the cable by the tonneau but the B post wher ethe fraying is is a seperate matter !

[pcoleman]

just had to do this job because the lift up lever housing broke giving the same problem of nothing to pull against,the cable end in the lever assy has a locating dowel thingy just like a bike brake cable. once you've got the lever free from the retaining bolts and released the other cable ends its easy to work on but to release the cables from the lever end you have to drill out the rivet ( replace with small rivet or bolt)
to allow enough rotation,sounds tricky but it's simple.I bought a replacement lever assy from martin at just triumph for less than 20 quid,job done

pete.c

[Andy Mathers]

Thanks Pete - Martins a good guy !

[Andy Mathers]

just had to do this job because the lift up lever housing broke giving the same problem of nothing to pull against,the cable end in the lever assy has a locating dowel thingy just like a bike brake cable. once you've got the lever free from the retaining bolts and released the other cable ends its easy to work on but to release the cables from the lever end you have to drill out the rivet ( replace with small rivet or bolt)
to allow enough rotation,sounds tricky but it's simple.I bought a replacement lever assy from martin at just triumph for less than 20 quid,job done

pete.c

Pete - I finally managed to get the lever assembly off the car - seems that both nuts had been stripped and would just turn and turn without doing anything. Tomorrow's job is to drill out the rivet to get the cables out - I just wish other domestic chores wouldn't get in the way and stop me from working on the car...I'm managing about 30 mins a night tops|!!

[ukbiggles]

Hi Andy

Don't know what cables you are going to fit but I have a cautionary tale. I bought a new set of cables from Paddocks and and had a couple of problems with them. The barrels at the end of the cable (that fit inside the lever) were too long so they would not both fit into the holes in the lever, so I had to file then down a bit to get them to fit. Then I found out that one cable (the one for the tonneau cover release I think) was thicker than the original cable and so I ended up widening all the grooves and holes that it had to pass through. I took this action after going back to Paddocks. They checked their stock and all the cable sets were the same (one cable too thick). Bike cables might be better if you can find them long enough.

So it all works fine now, but was a bit of a fiddle

Cheers

Gord

[Andy Mathers]

[QUOTE=ukbiggles;191393]Hi Andy

Don't know what cables you are going to fit but I have a cautionary tale. I bought a new set of cables from Paddocks and and had a couple of problems with them. The barrels at the end of the cable (that fit inside the lever) were too long so they would not both fit into the holes in the lever, so I had to file then down a bit to get them to fit. Then I found out that one cable (the one for the tonneau cover release I think) was thicker than the original cable and so I ended up widening all the grooves and holes that it had to pass through. I took this action after going back to Paddocks. They checked their stock and all the cable sets were the same (one cable too thick). Bike cables might be better if you can find them long enough.

So it all works fine now, but was a bit of a fiddle

Cheers Gord - Hmm- I just thought I'd check my posting just before I was to order. This is becoming a real nightmare. There are one or two fraying strands on the inner cable now I've removed the whole outer but I'll not get upset about those - there does appear to be a further inner which is sleeved. The bit that I need is the outer cable as this has split so the wire just pulls through it and having no resistance will not pull the tonneau lever catch. I thought about a bike brake cable but the outers are just not long enough, I even checked my lawmmower accelerator cable outer but that's just a bit too short !! Would two outers butted together to form one continuous one do !
I am very new to doing these kind of jobs !

[pcoleman]

Hi Andy, I wouldn't be tempted to butt 2 outer sheafs together as I don't think it would last, it may work if you could find something to fit tightly over the join to stop any movement (like a ferrule or spool sort of thing) other than that try ebay for a generic outer or Martin at just triumph.

peter.c

[Andy Mathers]

Had a good day today - Managed to get the old cable out of the lever assembly by grinding off the two offending bolts holding the lever assembly (one of them took offence at being ground off causing the grinder and my fingers to meet rather fleetingly ouch !) but then following advice I drilled out the rivet to get the old cable out yippee ! So we're ready now to put it all back together again.
Now I just need to get hold of a new cable - but it seems that everywhere is sold with the other set of cables holding the tonneau - is there anywhere where I can buy just this cable to the rear pin ?I've tried Paddocks, Rimmers and JusTriumph - it seems a costly waste to buy the other cables when all I want is this one ?