OD cable sheath repair

[Lothar]

My ovedrive lock-out cable was stuck, so I decided to remove it and lube it. Part of the reason that it wouldn't work was that the sheath (or tube, as Studebaker apparently refers to it) pulled loose from the trim ring.

Pic 1


The PO's solution for this was creative, but non-stock. Apparently, the hinge would pinch the sheath and act as a stop against the firewall.

Pic 2


The cable was also stuck in the sheath, but I got it loose. So my problem is that I need to figure out how to get the dashboard end of the cable stuck back into the trim ring. It originally just jammed in there, I think. I could tap it back in there again, but should I glue it with JBWeld or something like that as well? All ideas are appreciated.



1950 Champion 4 Dr.
Holdrege NE

[Rerun]

Wow! That hinge is a MIGHTY creative solution.

Step #1 with any fix will be to get the parts really clean. A solvent such as carb cleaner would work. It appears that the original assembly may have been a press fit. If the fit is still reasonably tight, an anaerobic adhesive like red (permanent) Loctite or super glue may work. Or, sweating solder into the joint after fluxing may also be a solution. A quick tack with a MIG welder would probably provide a permanent fix as well.

But, looking closer at the picture, there appears to be a groove cut behind the splined area of the tube. Look to see if there is a matching groove cut on the inside of the threaded portion. If so, this would suggest that there may have been an internal snap-ring that actually held the parts together. In that case, a small piece of spring wire may be all that is needed to snap the pieces back together.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'64 Daytona HT "Rerun"

[BobGlasscock]

Over the years, I have learned that an excellent method for problems like this is to cut a shim from a soft drink (Dr. Pepper is absolutely the best) can and wrap it around the male component, then just jam it back in.

'50 Champion, 1 family owner

[Lothar]

Rerun
You're very observant, but there isn't any corresponding groove inside the trim ring, nor are there any splines on the inside that match the splines on the sheath. The sheath does go in to a depth just a little past that groove. I like the idea of soldering it. I will try that, unless someone knows of a miracle glue. I've never had very good luck with super glue on metal. Thanks.

Bob
I'm a little nervous about jamming a shim in, because the trim ring is pretty thin on the threaded (back) end and I don't want to crack it.

1950 Champion 4 Dr.
Holdrege NE

[gordr]

Lothar, the splines pressed into the end of the sheath suggest to me it was originally just a press fit into the threaded bezel.

This would be a perfect application for silver solder/silver brazing. You should be able to get silver solder and flux at a good hardware store. A propane or MAPP gas torch would probably do the job, but a tiny tip on an acetylene torch would be ideal. That is also the method of choice for anchoring a new wire in the T-handle, should the wire be broken. The silver solder is very strong, and wicks into the joint beautifully. Makes a permanent repair.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Lothar]

Gord
Thanks for weighing in on this topic. Do I need to do any particular surface prep before I use silver solder? Is it good enough to just be sure that the surfaces are clean?

1950 Champion 4 Dr.
Holdrege NE

[Tom Bredehoft]

Disassemble the whole thing, heat from the torch might anneal the inner wire to the point it could stretch and break.

Clean both surfaces with alcohol, use a brazing flux and lots of heat. A propane bottle torch may not be hot enough. It could be modern silver solder doesn't use as much heat, but I need acetylene and oxygen for what I have, 50% silver.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Bothcars4.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President State Sedan
(Under Construction) 134 hrs.
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[DilloCrafter]

you can get a MAPP gas/ Oxygen combo kit at Home Depot, which gets very hot. Look at the specs and see if you think it would work for your application. After all, you can braze with that setup, so you should be able to do solder work, too.

[img=left]http://simps.us/studebaker/misc/images/Avacar-hcsdc.gif[/img=left]
Paul Simpson
"DilloCrafter"

1955 1/2 Ton Pickup
The Red-Headed Amazon
Deep in the heart of Texas

[52-fan]

Years ago, Rod & Custom magazine had an article where they showed just this type of repair and the author also recommended silver solder. You're on the right track.

1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona, 1947 M5. Searcy,Arkansas

[gordr]

If the metal is reasonably clean, the heat and flux will take care of it. Per the picture, yours looks just fine.

Yes, do keep the core wire out!

Silver solder is easy to use, you just have to get the workpiece red hot; fairly bright red, but nowhere near melting point.

Silver solder is something I rarely use, but there are certain fixes it can do that nothing else approaches doing, so it's nice skill to have in your arsenal. And it's not hard to do. If you've not done it before, maybe it would be a good idea to try soldering two common nails together, head to head, to get a feel for it.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands