Hey y'all, I reached the limits of my creative abilities when it comes to assembling my temperature controls, and I'm hoping someone with a similar past experience can shed some light into what I might be doing wrong in trying to get the temperature control cable and hot water vacuum switch to get along. Both are new; the cable is Zip Corvette item # ZAH-406, and the switch is the Chinese knockoff with the super stiff spring (I just took the stiff spring off and put the original spring from my old switch on it, works fine).

When I first installed the two inside my disassembled interior, they worked as expected. The cable opens/closes the mixer door, and depresses the plunger on the vacuum switch when I push the lever all the way to the cold side. But, if that temperature control cable is bent past a certain point, the internal friction becomes too great, and it no longer plays nice with the vacuum switch. The only way I can put my interior back together is if this vacuum cable is bent far past this point. This seems unavoidable, since the cable must bend sharply immediately after it connects to the control panel assembly if I am to put those leather-backed cardboard sidewalls back on the center console.

Does anyone have any advice for how to route this cable or overcome the bending issue? I may try lubricating the cable to see if that will allow me to get away with some more aggressive bends, but any advice which doesn't involve me making a big mess would be much appreciated.

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum C3isforme, This is the right place to ask a question like your first post. There are so many years of experience for every year of Corvettes.

I have a 1968 C3 and on the ventilation cables do have a tendency to get stiff as they age. I use a dry graphite (as used in locks) and squirt it inside the cable jacket and it loosens the cable up if it is not all bent up. Dry Graphite is wonderful as it also quiets down the squeaky Polyurethane bushing for months as a time. Many brands use an alcohol mixture that evaporates away leaving the dry graphite on the surface. Using the small tube that frequently comes attached to the dry graphite cans.

They do sell small tubes of graphite alone without a carrier, it works the same, simply pour some into the end of the cable jacket and move the cable back and forth until it suddenly gets easy when you work the graphite down into the cable's jacket.

Somebody with far more experience on your year Corvette model will be helping you with your issues. It would help all of us if you give us as much information as you can about your car. The year of your Corvette is probably one of the more important. The profile page is where we put the information about our Corvette. This allows us to find out more details about your car when we are trying to help you. Otherwise people ask the same questions over and over.

 

You should post your year and pics if you can of routing.
I struggled as well, even oem cable, especially when tucking behind console sides on my 79.
check routing as mine was not right and it finally worked better than before i did heater core.
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