Cable warning - Nobel

[Big Al]

Doing the Nobel for the MOT I have found another case of a dodgy cable. I do not know if this is a supply issue or a case of poor maintenance but it is something to be aware of. My feeling is the raw cable has been supplied with some smart arse lubricant that fails over time.
The throttle cable on the Nob was dragging. So I attempted to remove it. The first problem I met was the cable had been made using a very soft brass insert on the crab lid. This is meant to allow the small feral to pass through so the cable can be completely demounted. Clearly this cable was assembled with the insert on as the feral would not pass through clearing the cable of any fastners and allowing it to clear the holes in the car for removal. (It also was to short in that no tube and adjuster was fitted as it should have been. It is a replacement so that is fine but just noting points). In attempting to perform this simple procedure of removal both the insert and soldered end failed as neather were quality nor designed to fit each other.
The advantage of this failure was I could now pull the inner from the outer cable. The entire cable was covered in some stuff like syrup. I cleaned it off and re-lubed the cable. Reassembled it. Now worked without any trouble. So now to put a new carb end on correctly. Now if this is a cable issue there will be others out there with cables sticking or releasing slowly. If you have odd symptoms check your cabling. I am not to sure it will be easy to clean out a non demountable inner and outer as the sticky stuff is pretty stubborn. My theory is it is meant to be some Teflon type stuff that has broken down. I am revisiting a couple of other cars which might be suffering similar probs with slow throttle to idle and a clutch that seems not to always engage fully. I had in both cases attempted to re lub the cable having identified it as a possible prob. Having one appart I fear that the cables need a more thourough clean out to work reliably.
So be warned and if you have a sticky control check out the cable for full free movement.

[Bob Purton]

yes, I've had this problem before too. The throttle cable on a Nobel is rather long , other manifacturers have tackled the issue properly, schmitts for instance have the whole middle section of inner cable exposed to cut down on drag and the Inter has a little junction box with a spring half way along to help in on its way. The brake and clutch cables on the nobel have a grease/oil nipple in them so if they thought to do that why did they not think the throttle cable through? Unless they did and we are all looking at repacements. A nylon lined replacement with a shot of duck oil usually solves it.

[Big Al]

Got my MOT on the Nobel but not without a performance. I had to make up the cable end which refused to stay soldered - more evidence of Teflon. So I had to clean it with various solvents and set fire to it! This meant I had not time to run the car up before the MOT. I was a bit late arriving as it was. They had the Ministry there, deep joy. Fortunately none of them was Class Three trained but it meant we had to do things to the book. Come the brake test the car refused to run correctly and in the end we waited until the petrol forcourt was empty and I blatted the thing across to get some speed up before locking up the wheels and getting an impressive Tapley recording to prove the system worked.
Part of the problem was the, also new, Clutch cable which is similarly coated with syrup by the lack of responce and tardy return of the pedal. I had to hook the clutch in with my toe while encouraging the engine to pull. Not something an experienced Micronaut cannot do on demand. Dextress feet and use of odd control techniques are part of a Micronautist skill suit over drivers of more normal machinary. So this is clearly a prob but in this case not for me but the new owner since you cannot take a Clutch cable apart. The only method of lubing a crud cable I have found is the old balloon trick using light oil. However this muck took some shifting on the Throttle and I wonder if the cable will ease up or require striping of one end as well. An oiler in the centre of the cable run would make a great deal of sense. The brake cables have such and are not full of syrup, thank goodness, but then the cable is a different heavier grade. I suspect it is a manufacturer issue unknown to the person who made up the replacement cables in all good faith.

[steven mandell]

What is the old balloon trick using light oil?

[Bob Purton]

It doesnt have to be a baloon, any funnel shaped object that can be sealed around the outer cable filled with some light oil when fixed verticaly , if left for some time the oil will work its way through lubricating the whole cable. I'm sure you must know this already Steven.

[Big Al]

The balloon, or similar, adds pressure forcing the lubricating/cleaning fliud through. Actually an old fashioned football is very good. Try it on a Teleflex. You can get a sticky one into a nice fee moving one and that improves things no end.

[steven mandell]

So .. You put the light oil inside of a balloon- blow it up and then stretch it over the exposed vertical standing end of a sticky cable - and the pressurized air in the inverted balloon gradually pushes the oil through the cable ?  The fact that you can do this without inhaling/ swallowing some oil or have it fart out the end of the balloon while you are trying to stretch it over the cable end makes me wonder how many plates you can keep spinning at the same time.
I would have never guessed that this would actually work- but will try it on the Nobel should i determine that the need exists as you appear to be serious about it's effectiveness.
Do you guys know about the fish in the vise fix for kinky chains?
thanks,
Steve

[Big Al]

It is not that difficult! It can make a mess but if it is a choice of a mess or a new cable I will go for the mess every time. It was they way I was bought up. Only change something if you cannot fix it. They call it being green these days. Now if you do it first with diesel to clean the thing up you are in the realms of a disaster as it gets everywhere and dissolves the balloon but, hey, what is the prob with a carcinogenic fire risk next to the aga once in a while.....

If your worried then it is not hard to unsolder the end, clean and de kink and then reassemble the cable end. It might be better if the cable is corroded or really gummed up. With teleflex and such this is not an option so I hang them for about a weeks worth of blow through. Success rate about 80% as some do not clear or have got nipped up in a pinch.