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1955 Caddy vent control knobs

Started by caddyRay, July 27, 2020, 02:00:33 PM

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caddyRay

ive got a 1955 caddy with the vent control knobs on the dash that you pull out or push in to activate an air vent.these are operated by a simple cable leading to the vent under the dash on the firewall. my cable has rusted inside the housing so the vent hardly moves. i can barely but not really seem to get my hand under the dash to the back of the knob to see how the cable is attached to the rear of the knob.was hoping to disconnect the old cable,if thats possible and replace both cable and housing but cant seem to feel or see my way under the dash to know how to repair it ..any ideas on how to remove this simple cable system & re and re it ? anyone done this before ?

Lexi

#1
If the cables are like some of the later ones I have worked on, they may respond well to wiping them down periodically with a rag  soaked in WD40 or some other penetrating solvent. Then repeated working of the cable to gradually free it up. Some of the cables may have a rubber sheathing covering them which will hinder this process though. Just can't remember enough of the '55 behind the dash components. If yours are of the bare coiled wire with the cable inside, try the above & do so often over time, to slowly free them up. In time, it can work extremely well. Clay/Lexi

Ralph Messina CLC 4937

I don’t know about ’55, but later years use similar types of flexible cables to provide linear motion.  They are called “Bowden cables”. I haven’t had much luck rejuvenating them once the interior is rusted. Soon or later the internal wire will rust through and snap. If you can take the cable out, a motorcycle or bicycle  repair shop may have, or can make up, a replacement. This type of cable is used extensively for bike controls
1966 Fleetwood Brougham-with a new caretaker http://bit.ly/1GCn8I4
1966 Eldorado-with a new caretaker  http://bit.ly/1OrxLoY
2018 GMC Yukon

Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373

Don't forget to lube the hinge on the damper that the cable hooks to. All the resistance adds up.
Jeff
Jeff Rosansky
CLC #28373
1970 Coupe DeVille (Big Red)
1955 Series 62 (Baby Blue)
Dad's new 1979 Coupe DeVille

Cadman-iac

Ray,
To answer your question,  there's a nut and lock washer that holds the cable in place. It screws over the top of the cable housing from underneath the dashboard.  If memory serves, the nut size is either 7/16th or 1/2 inch. It's a real SOB to get to either one of them,  but as I recall they both have to come off in order to remove the dash cluster.
Once they're off, you can try working them back and forth and soaking them with some penetrating oil to try to free them up. You mentioned that you could get one to move a little,  so there's a possibility that you can get it to work again.
Hope this answers your question.

Rick
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

cadman56

Rick is correct, they are a SOB to get out.
What I did was  disengage the cable at the flapper end, slide a modified deep socket up the cable to engage the nut.  I modified the socket by grinding flats on the ratchet end so a pair of pliers could grip the socket to turn it.
Good luck.
1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille (sold)
1956 Cadillac Convertible (sold)
1956 Cadillac Eldorado Seville (sold)
1967 Cadillac Eldorado (sold)
1968 Cadillac Convertible (Sold)
1991 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham dElegance
Larry Blanchard CLC #5820

caddyRay

THANKS TO ALL THAT REPLIED ESPECIALLY Rick and Cadman. i will try these options and see what comes. such a simple effective design made complicated because you cant access the problem easily. such as the way with collector cars...lol

Cadman-iac

Quote from: caddyRay on July 28, 2020, 12:37:22 PM
THANKS TO ALL THAT REPLIED ESPECIALLY Rick and Cadman. i will try these options and see what comes. such a simple effective design made complicated because you cant access the problem easily. such as the way with collector cars...lol

Good luck with getting those off. It's hard but not impossible. I did it with the socket trick like Larry mentioned, but I just used a pair of pliers instead of reshaping the end of the socket. A little harder, but if i had thought about it I would have reshaped the socket. I think the reason I didn't was that the cable nuts were not as tight as they could have been, saving me some time and effort.
Hopefully yours will be a little loose too.

Rick
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

J. Gomez

Hmm I thought that if you buy one of this classic cars and you intend in working on them the first thing you need is the pass the “contortionist test”.   ;D

I believe these cables are similar for most of these years, I did replace several on the ’56 side.

You can go to your local auto parts store and grab a manual choke cable these should be long enough to do both sides.

One note before taking the old one out is, there should be a spring collar with a tiny ball bearing around the shaft, this is critical to stop and lock the cable in place. So make sure you do not lose the ball when you are prying the collar out.

The coiled shield can be twisted out and the center cable would need a bit or persuasion to pull it out from the shaft, twisting and pulling may do it but….  ???  :(

The new cable maybe a bit thicker so you would need to drill the hole to fit the new one. I flatten the ends and epoxy glue it on the ones I replace. Also you can use heat shrink to replace the original rubber shield around the shaft.

Good luck..!
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

cadman56

Oh yes, You are upside down with your back  in a shallow "U" position then your head moved up to get inside the rats next to even see anything.
Ha!
The last two 56s I did I took the whole dash out so I could easily fix all issues you will find in one of these.
Glad I don't do it anymore.
Good luck.
1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille (sold)
1956 Cadillac Convertible (sold)
1956 Cadillac Eldorado Seville (sold)
1967 Cadillac Eldorado (sold)
1968 Cadillac Convertible (Sold)
1991 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham dElegance
Larry Blanchard CLC #5820

J. Gomez

Quote from: cadman56 on July 29, 2020, 10:51:19 AM
Oh yes, You are upside down with your back  in a shallow "U" position then your head moved up to get inside the rats next to even see anything.
Ha!

Larry,

So who needs a chiropractor when we have the “U” bump as the best back stretcher?   ;D  ;)
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

Lexi

Quote from: J. Gomez on July 29, 2020, 08:43:38 AM
Hmm... you need is the pass the “contortionist test”.   ;D


Yes, the "contortionist test". I scraped by my test. Make sure your battery is disconnected, or at the very least your power seat if you have one. If there is a switch on the front of the seat your back could engage it and bad things might happen. Clay/Lexi

Cadman-iac

Quote from: lexi on July 29, 2020, 01:33:32 PM
Yes, the "contortionist test". I scraped by my test. Make sure your battery is disconnected, or at the very least your power seat if you have one. If there is a switch on the front of the seat your back could engage it and bad things might happen. Clay/Lexi

That's one way to get your "adjustment" without paying the doc. Lol!
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

Lexi

#13
LOL Cadmaniac! A buddy of mine who weighed 300 lbs was working on his '56 Caddy, & while doing the "contorsionist" thing he accidentally triggered his electric seat. It moved forward, pushing him closer to the underneath of the dash. Fortunately he was able to shift his body and stop the contact with the power seat switch. He said he could understand how something like this could wind up killing someone, or at least pinning them for hours until help arrives. Despite being a big guy, the seat seemed to out muscle him and he was glad to crawl out in one piece. Regardless, he was not afraid to advise that the episode was frightening & he did feel for his personal safety when it occurred. Clay/Lexi

cadman56

I have to laugh and chuckle at all the comments.  I do miss having the old Cads but I sure don't miss working on the dash.  Ugh!
The last two I did I made sure to have everything buttoned and bug free before installing he windshield.

Have fun with your cars and I will enjoy your comments.
1956 Cadillac Coupe deVille (sold)
1956 Cadillac Convertible (sold)
1956 Cadillac Eldorado Seville (sold)
1967 Cadillac Eldorado (sold)
1968 Cadillac Convertible (Sold)
1991 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham dElegance
Larry Blanchard CLC #5820

D.Yaros

I believe new cables are available.  They were when I bought some years ago.  Alas, I have no recollection of who was the supplier.

You might try Fusick or OPGI?
Dave Yaros
CLC #25195
55 Coupe de Ville
92 Allante
62 Olds  

You will find me on the web @:
http://GDYNets.atwebpages.com  -Dave's Den
http://graylady.atwebpages.com -'55 CDV site
http://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaros  -Saved 62 (Oldsmobile) Web Site
The home of Car Collector Chronicles.  A  monthly GDYNets newsletter focusing on classic car collecting.
http://www.scribd.com/D_Yaros/