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Well, this isn't a lighting question exactly, but it IS about a Lucas electrical device, and you can't get more "electrical issues" than Lucas!!

My question, though, is more mechanical in nature.

I have my Lucas 2-speed wiper wheel boxes etc. in place, the connecting tube fabricated, the motor ready to mount, etc., but my inner cable is about 7" too long, and I need to cut it. I note that the OEM cable end is conical...perhaps brazed or welded (then ground to a cone shape so it will easily feed through the wheel boxes)...presumably to stop the outer wire coil from unraveling.

Now, I'm concerned about cutting off that extra 7". It definitely has to go...the system is from a '69 MGB, which definitely has a longer cable run than my Locost, and there's no room under the scuttle skin for that extra 7" of stiff steel cable.

My thinking at this point is to clean all the grease off near the cut location (that in itself will be fun - almost 50 years of ground-in grease may be fun to clean out), try to clamp it as best I can so as to hold the outer spiral wire to the core, then spot-weld the outer coil to the inner with MIG, then cut, weld a little more on the end, dress it to a cone shape, and make sure the outer profile still has the spiral right to the end.

Whew! That's a mouthful!

Has anyone here ever tried cutting one of these cables? I Googled the heck out of it, but found bupkus.

Anyone?

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Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

HA, Lucas is as reliable as a hammer compared to Ducellier or Marelli.

I wonder if you should degrease, then weld or braze a short section beyond what you need before cutting?
Hope you have a spare cable in case you need to practice this.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Mike,

I had to cut mine also and 7" is about it. No special precautions taken or needed. The cut end should be in a tube that should extend past the last wheel box a couple of inches. Cut mine with a Dremel and their 409 cutting discs then slightly rounded the cut ends. The spring won't come loose from the cable. I didn't do any welding on the cut end and it's working great. The cut end doesn't extend out of the tube.



And I do have an extra cable. Came from a Mini but it's the same Lucas piece. So go ahead and cut yours and if it somehow screws up (really no way that it can but never say never) you can have my spare for the exorbitant postage fess. Should fit a small flat rate box. Also have a small bit of the original tube. No straight pieces though.

Did you get your windshield bedded and if so what did you use? Picture?

Cheers

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Larry in Seattle

THANK YOU, Larry!! That is good news, indeed! I do have a stub of tube extending beyond the second wheel box, about 2 1/2", and I can still let another inch or so protrude, if need be. It will be interesting to see how well it works when I try firing it up - I have a 110 degree drive gear, which may move the driver's side wiper a few more degrees than I have room for (these things are devilishly hard to measure - sometimes you just have to bite the bullet & try it). If necessary, I can move the driver's side wheel box bracket a little to the right, but the wiper wouldn't sweep all the way to the far left side of the windshield, except at the top. My wiper arms have been substantially...uh...modified, as the windshield is even shorter than that of a classic Mini.

Thankfully, I've sorted the electrical connections, switch, etc., so the smoke is staying inside the wires...at the moment.

I'm hoping to give it a shot on Thursday, so I'll keep you posted! All going well, I'll post a pic or two...

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

Same as Larry
I cut the excess with a zip wheel and promptly forgot about it.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Thanks to you too, Too! Believe it or not, that's a worry off my plate (there are plenty of others to contend with, so eliminating one is a big relief).

I suspect that the only reason Lucas puts a bit of a point on the end of the cable is to help it feed through the wheelboxes, then, rather than to keep the cable from unraveling.

This forum is the greatest!! You guys all help out so much - and it is very much appreciated!!!

Cheers!

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

I guess I'm the exception then. When I built Midlana I had to do the same, shortening the drive cable. What I noticed - only after I cut it - was that the spring and center core were welded or brazed together at the end. When I cut the cable - SPOING - the spring portion unwrapped itself somewhat and was a bitch to correct (never did get it as tight as it was before). I should have brazed or welded it where I wanted to shorten it to - before cutting it.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I can't remember but I probably brazed it before using the Dremel. However, if your only problem is that the end of the cable extends beyond the tube, you can always make a new tube extension. I think I used 5/16 brake line tubing. Don't quote me on the size, Maybe it was 3.8". Measure the tube first. IIRC, a single flare does quite nicely at reproducing the Lucas flare.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Hmmm - okay, that's what I was worried about. I don't know if I'd want to try brazing it (although I could), as it puts an awful lot of heat into it. MIG is only momentary, and the heat is extremely localized. Assuming, of course, I can get through all that grease!

My original thinking was to use a tiny weld to join the outer spiral to the core, then cut just beyond the weld & grind the end down to a bit of a taper. That may be a good idea still - with my luck (bearing in mind that "Murphy" is, and has always been, my co-pilot), it would unravel a couple of feet in a heartbeat! Of course, I won't know if this plan is even possible until I get it all apart again...story of my life!

I did think about just using a longer free-end tube, as it would be simple to do, but I suspect the radius it would have to have would be too tight (apparently a 3" radius is the tightest acceptable) to still be able to clear the side of the scuttle skin.

BTW - you're right, it's 5/16" OD brake tube, and single flares work perfectly!

Oh well, I'll take a poke at it tomorrow & post my results...

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

I guess my mind isn't very good. It looks more like a full double flare.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

If I can braze the end of a speedo cable I don't see a problem with brazing the wiper cable. Out of the assembly and cleaned of course. This was later filed down to a square end.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Mike, How about soldering it instead of brazing if you're concerned about heat damage from brazing?

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

I've tried soldering steel in the past, without success- doubtless due to lack of technique & skill on my part, plus the inability to get rid of all microscopic traces of grease, oil etc.. This cable is old, and saturated with grease, so soldering is likely a non-starter.

I can do fairly respectable brazing, which might get hot enough to burn off sufficient grease to wet through to the steel. That's my hope, anyway. I do like the strength of brazing - a proper braze joint is close to that of a weld.

The idea of a tiny MIG weld, to secure the outer end of the coil to the inner core, still sings to me, but I'm not certain I can do such a small weld with my big Miller.

We'll see what happens...

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/

Mike,

A lot of folks chimed in here and good advice all. The approach I took was to cut it and see what happens. In my case the cable wound up shorter than it was before, nothing more.

As I said earlier, I have an extra if you need it. It cost me nothing so parting with it won't generate any pain. Might even still have your address.

Cheers ami,

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Larry in Seattle

Thanks! I'm going to cut it tomorrow - we'll see what happens!

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/