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Hey guys, recently picked up a 1978 c3 Vette with a L48 in it. It’s my first vette and seems to have a bit of a poser treatment going as the previous owner put L82 door panels on it… anywho I’m still waiting on my manuals to show up and while digging in the center console to figure out why the aftermarket radio wasn’t working, I noticed a cable floating near the shifter area. Looks like it might be a parking brake cable but wanted to check with you all to sure of it before I just connected it. Also noticed there’s a bracket of some sort that can swing right near it. Does that connect to that and then to the brake or does it connect to something else different entirely? Thanks in advance… Mystery cable and swinging bracket in question. Thanks…
The parking brake is much more substantial, and goes straight down to a pulley on the transmission crossmember.
I'd suspect that cable goes to one of your HVAC control levers.
The bracket holds whatever wire bundle goes down that side of the console.
And, welcome to the Forum!
Thanks! That also would make some sense, The blower motor wasn’t doing anything and it seemed that neither was the heat but figured that was blower motor related when I was testing it a few days ago. Completely slipped my mind to check to see if either of them were even connected to begin with. Thanks for the tip. As for the bracket, it must be loose then because it’s fully capable of sliding back and forth, hence why I thought they were related to one another…
The swinging bracket as you refer to it should clip the antenna wire.
your blower motor has nothing to do with a cable. But perhaps the cable that swings the hot/cold door.
Sounds like you have lots of things that don't work.
This is the right place to be if you have questions about a Corvette. We are glad you have chosen to join us here on the Corvette Forum!
I too am curious what a L82 Door panel really is. I always thought the L82 was an engine option.
Having a C3 built over a decade before your model I have nothing to offer. That cable looks similar to the ones that open the vents down by your feet. The only external cooling that my C3 came with, it is not much.
Do you have the Factory Service Manual for your year Corvette? The later manuals are awesome, I am not sure about the one for your year Corvette. I strongly recommend that people NOT use Haynes, Chilton's or the rest of the aftermarket manuals. They are too vague and don't have the detail that the FSM's come with. I literally threw away the collection of aftermarket manuals I had several years ago. The FSM and other documentation is available on Rockauto on DVD for a much less expensive price.
That is the temperature control cable; heater box end. The other end goes to the control lever. It was probably moved to install the new radio and never replaced.
Awesome thanks, I'm still waiting on my FSM to come in the mail, so this is much appreciated. I take it I'm missing the little ****/cable guide that inserts into the heater assembly then...
Any chance there's a part number for that? If not maybe I can make one. Lastly, how stiff should the cable be? I tried sliding it in and out of the jacket by hand and it didn't want to move but that could just be me being too afraid to accidentally break it. Thanks again...
This is the right place to be if you have questions about a Corvette. We are glad you have chosen to join us here on the Corvette Forum!
I too am curious what a L82 Door panel really is. I always thought the L82 was an engine option.
Having a C3 built over a decade before your model I have nothing to offer. That cable looks similar to the ones that open the vents down by your feet. The only external cooling that my C3 came with, it is not much.
Do you have the Factory Service Manual for your year Corvette? The later manuals are awesome, I am not sure about the one for your year Corvette. I strongly recommend that people NOT use Haynes, Chilton's or the rest of the aftermarket manuals. They are too vague and don't have the detail that the FSM's come with. I literally threw away the collection of aftermarket manuals I had several years ago. The FSM and other documentation is available on Rockauto on DVD for a much less expensive price.
It looks to be embroidered into the door panel. I have the L and not the 4 on the VIN so I know it's an L48, but the other thing I noticed is that it has a "dual air intake" (for lack of better words) on the carb float bowl which I read somewhere is characteristic of the L82's. The car's more or less fine but has some odd things that either were swapped or just messed with like an aftermarket valve covers/radio/exhaust/arm rests pop out etc. It's going to need a new water pump soon too though which I have, just need the manuals to show up. I agree the chilton's manuals suck, grabbed one to check how to do some of the work and they're beyond vague. FSM is always better but the chilton's digital access is convenient.
It's a pretty decent embroidery job whoever did it...
Those door cards are wild! I've never seen that before.
FWIW, the dual snorkel CAI does flow better than the single snorkel that was stock for the L48. So that's a good mod for any engine (until you reach well over 400 hp, and even the dual snorkel air cleaner becomes a bottleneck).
Make sure you get the correct, Corvette-specific water pump. It's an ACDelco 282-585, or something equivalent. It is neither a short, nor long, SBC water pump.
Eventhough the vin number indicates a "L" you need to check to see what block is in there. Right below the passenger side valve cover is a squarish pad that will tell you. Post up and the forum can help decipher it. ie. this is a 77 pad. The suffix will indicate the block.
Check your routing too, its a tight fit. That cable if temp should have adjustable tension to properly hit the vacuum shut off properly.
here is a heater core that may help on a 79. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...9-l82-m-2.html
Awesome thanks, I'm still waiting on my FSM to come in the mail, so this is much appreciated. I take it I'm missing the little ****/cable guide that inserts into the heater assembly then...
Any chance there's a part number for that? If not maybe I can make one. Lastly, how stiff should the cable be? I tried sliding it in and out of the jacket by hand and it didn't want to move but that could just be me being too afraid to accidentally break it. Thanks again...
Both ends of the temperature control cable are different. The end you found in the center console attaches to the top of the heater box. The glove box needs to be removed for access. The control end with the little **** is at the other end of the cable. Bubba got the cable installed backwards and never bothered to finish fixing it. With a repair like that, I’d expect a few other interesting surprises lurking in the works. Google search ‘1978 corvette temperature control cable’; plenty of images that show both ends, turnbuckle for adjustment and routing. Might even be a decent how-to video.
Eventhough the vin number indicates a "L" you need to check to see what block is in there. Right below the passenger side valve cover is a squarish pad that will tell you. Post up and the forum can help decipher it. ie. this is a 77 pad. The suffix will indicate the block.
You were right on with double checking the block, turns out it’s an L82, the chassis and the block aren’t matching as the chassis has the L in the fourth position. Fine by me, it’s an upgrade as far as I’m concerned but glad to know for sure.
Check your routing too, its a tight fit. That cable if temp should have adjustable tension to properly hit the vacuum shut off properly.
here is a heater core that may help on a 79. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...9-l82-m-2.html
Thanks, I’ll double check this when I get the chance to, I think the current cable was running off from that spot near the hvac controls towards the driver side. Once I get my manuals in the mail I’ll take some more things apart and see what I can find. What actually attaches the cable to the heater lever? It’s it a plastic tab or metal do you know?
You were right on with double checking the block, turns out it’s an L82, the chassis and the block aren’t matching as the chassis has the L in the fourth position. Fine by me, it’s an upgrade as far as I’m concerned but glad to know for sure.
That's an L48. Suffix "CHW" is a 1978 L48, originally paired with a 4-speed manual.
Listen close while pulling the cable in and out. It’s either opening a vent door or a flap inside the heater box. You should be able to hear where it’s coming from.
Thanks, I’ll double check this when I get the chance to, I think the current cable was running off from that spot near the hvac controls towards the driver side. Once I get my manuals in the mail I’ll take some more things apart and see what I can find. What actually attaches the cable to the heater lever? It’s it a plastic tab or metal do you know?
The cable attaches to the heater lever with a metal plug attached almost to the end of the cable. Here’s a pic of the entire cable from a vender site.
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Mystery cable
