Damn weather's getting cold so....

[Stimpy]

When I move the hot/cold selector to the left or right nothing happens.

So I did some more investigation.

With a simple pair of grips I can turn the 'tap' right down to the left of the brake / clutch (near the lever which controls the direction of air flow) - so there is no seizure of the tap at all. It's hard to do it with your thumb and forefinger but with something to grip it will move fine.

So - I looked at the area while moving the hot/cold slider and the whole cable, plastic seats and all, moves about in tandem with movement of the lever.

So - quite obviously - the cable must need to be held in place for the cable within to move rather than the whole cable and plastic surround.

Common sense says that this would be nearest the heater box - the thinking being that the cable is gripped hard just after the lever so that there's as little movement as possible (except the cable within ).

So I've been looking at 'cutaway' diagrams that include the heat adjuster and the damn bit I want to see is always hidden or just pointed to.

I notice 2 slits on the heater /ashtray box where the cable could go and it looks like a metal clamp would fit in there and hold the cable.

I've got 2 problems with this.

I'm not a praying mantis so my hands won't double back to push the clamp in place but more importantly....

the heat control cable is simply a black cable with the inner metal wire. There's no bit that could be gripped.
Therefore if I even manage to get the grip to go over the cable and fixed in place I would say that moving the slider would simply move the mechanism behind the grip.

If this makes any sense at all to anyone and they have experience - please could you pass on some tips and band aid plasters. And anger control tablets.

Cheers all

Steve

P.S. Probably 'moment of the year' for me still goes to parking my car on 'Stag mountain' at Silverstone. I have some nice pics too. For the first time my Stag was able to chat with lots of other Stags all in the same place. Very enjoyable seeing mine with the rest (we're quite quiet so apologies if we didn't loudly introduce our selves although everyone was V polite)

[wilf]

There should be a spring clip (very much like (but not identical to) the one that holds the choke cable outer in place on the rh carby)) inside the control box that clamps the outer cable, as you surmise.

Yours has broken or the cable has slipped out.

It is an utter b*tch of a job to get it back into place, and will cost you much skin off your hands. Alternately, you can clamp the cable outer under one of the heater box screws, close to where the cable emerges from the control box, using a penny washer. I think that tip originated with Julian.

[Ray Smith]

When I move the hot/cold selector to the left or right nothing happens.

So I did some more investigation.

With a simple pair of grips I can turn the 'tap' right down to the left of the brake / clutch (near the lever which controls the direction of air flow) - so there is no seizure of the tap at all. It's hard to do it with your thumb and forefinger but with something to grip it will move fine.

So - I looked at the area while moving the hot/cold slider and the whole cable, plastic seats and all, moves about in tandem with movement of the lever.

So - quite obviously - the cable must need to be held in place for the cable within to move rather than the whole cable and plastic surround.

Common sense says that this would be nearest the heater box - the thinking being that the cable is gripped hard just after the lever so that there's as little movement as possible (except the cable within ).

So I've been looking at 'cutaway' diagrams that include the heat adjuster and the damn bit I want to see is always hidden or just pointed to.

I notice 2 slits on the heater /ashtray box where the cable could go and it looks like a metal clamp would fit in there and hold the cable.

I've got 2 problems with this.

I'm not a praying mantis so my hands won't double back to push the clamp in place but more importantly....

the heat control cable is simply a black cable with the inner metal wire. There's no bit that could be gripped.
Therefore if I even manage to get the grip to go over the cable and fixed in place I would say that moving the slider would simply move the mechanism behind the grip.

If this makes any sense at all to anyone and they have experience - please could you pass on some tips and band aid plasters. And anger control tablets.

Cheers all

Steve

P.S. Probably 'moment of the year' for me still goes to parking my car on 'Stag mountain' at Silverstone. I have some nice pics too. For the first time my Stag was able to chat with lots of other Stags all in the same place. Very enjoyable seeing mine with the rest (we're quite quiet so apologies if we didn't loudly introduce our selves although everyone was V polite)

First the good news, as you know your heater valve is not seized. Problem as you say is behind plastic heater bezel, you will need to remove this and reattach cables inside by means of the clips, they are similar to choke cable clips but are green. If you need these the one place selling them are LD parts, as far as I know. Yes you will need band aid, and those anger control tablets, or persuasion powers to get another with small hands to do it.
Hope it works out ok, ask again if you need further help many have been there before you.
Ray

[Stimpy]

I have the feeling that the cabin end of the cable is missing a collar or something because fixing it under the click clamp thats obviously meant to be there would simply mean that the entire plastic covered cable would move freelyish under that clamp no matter how strong it is. I hope that makes sense.

wilf - "alternative method " - Of course! why attempt the near impossible when a little bit of thinking could do the same thing. As long as the solution is hidden and works then great.

so considering i have a plastic cable with the wire sticking out and connected to the lever I'm going to have to get the plastic bit - as near to the lever as possible- to get clamped so it does not move.

If you can imagine for the moment - if you pull the hear control left and right the plastic covered cable can be seen to 'budge out and tighten in' at the same moment you move the lever. I think that's easy to visualise.

My biggest task is how to grip the cable without it sliding under the grip.

First thought is to cut a shallow groove around the outer plastic then use a cable tie to jam it against something so the grooved bit stays still.

Time to get inventive.

Just FYI there's something weird going round for the moment
The lotus cable that does the same thing has snapped
The stag choke cable seized (fixed that)
The left hand 'draft' lever in the stag has snapped right at the point where it reaches the leaver.

Something freaky going on !!

[DJT]

The heater cable clip is similar, but different, to the choke one. The heater one has a 'dimple' to dig into the outer sheath of the cable outer: http://www.ldparts.co.uk/shop/shop.p...6860d6260ea912

[Stimpy]

Hmm - interesting - i think i might get one - ta for that.

[Stimpy]

Ok - paypalled it !!!

I really cant see how it will be strong enough to tightly hold the smooth cable but we shall see

[DJT]

Ok - paypalled it !!!

I really cant see how it will be strong enough to tightly hold the smooth cable but we shall see

If the green outer coating of the cable is missing, try adding some heat-shrink insulation before fitting the clip.

[Stimpy]

no a bad idea - ta

[Stimpy]

Well i astound myself

i got the clip mentioned in the thread - spent hours trying to fit it somehow whilst undoing as little as poss but then ended up undoing the box and everything.

Well - I managed to 'aim' the cable in the right direction - pushed the clip through - pushed harder - then 'clunk' it clipped in. Not believing that i was successful i moved the lever - and nothing fell apart. Wow - could I have actually REPAIRED it?

Put it all back together and the thing still works.

True, I now have stumps where I used to have hands but at least they'll be warm stumps when the cold stuff comes.

I'm not going celebrate much - that will just temp fate to ping the thing out.

Thanks for all the contributions and thanks to the NHS for their constant help re: blood transfusions whilst doing the work.

[DJT]

That is the power of the forum.......... Glad it worked out and you can enjoy a warm winter.

Personally, I have always left the heater valve open, even though I can close it if necessary. Control the heat in the cabin by using the RH lever. First notch down to direct warm air to the screen, second notch down to warm screen and cabin, third notch down to warm your toes. In the Summer leave the RH lever in the fully up position to shut off all warm air. If you want fresh air into the cabin use the LH lever to open the centre vent.
It keeps the heater matrix in the cooling loop for extra capacity and prevents it from silting up.
It has worked for me for 27 years......

[Jeff]

Great tip Dave.

[davidf]

I've seen that mentioned a few times before - set it to hot, then disconnect the cable from the valve.
The design seems a bit 'belt and braces' to turn off both the water circulation and re-direct the air flow.

In fact, if I remember correctly from many (many many, ...) years ago, my HC Viva had the heater as the pump bypass circuit (with, of course, no valve).
So, the flaps alone controlled the hot or fresh air to the cabin, but on a cold morning, you got heat almost instantly. Excellent.

[Stimpy]

How did we exists before forums like this?

Turn your phone off and disconnect your internet for 24 hours. I suspect getting off heroin might be slightly easier

[KOY 23]

Just been through the agony of this today. My tip is to strip and clean the valve as soon as it starts to get stiff, delaying the inevitable will stress the cables and the sheaths will be damaged. Replacing cables is a sod of a job.