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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 71 Sprite and new 'Universal' accelerator cable

Hi all, really stupid simple one this I think...

Just got the 'Universal' LP4000X from Moss, arrived this afternoon and of course they're shut...

I get the old one out - which I discovered was a cobble of a bicycle brake cable so no wonder it frayed ! - to find that the little round ball on the end of the new one won't go through the hole in bush that's mounted on the bulkhead...

Short of filing down the 2mm or so that it's oversize, is this something anyone else's come across and found a way round ?

Photo included and for orientation, Starter solenoid in corner of image.

TIA

Nick in Northallerton


Nick Whelan

If I understand you correctly then you could withdraw yje inner cable and insert it throught the hole from inside the car. Then feed the outer cable back on and connect up.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

Why not order the correct cable ?

Moss list AHA5746 for a '71 1275 @ £2.95

Usually available also from most car parts shops.

Richard.
richard boobier

Nick. Bob's understanding and mine are the same. I always remove the inner cable from the outer sheath, then, insert the inner cable up into the engine compartment. The outer sheath is slipped over the inner cable until the inner cable is fully through the outer sheath. Seat the end of the outer sheath in the receiver for it, then hook up the inner cable and outer sheath as necessary.

Rarely is the outer sheath damaged in use. It takes a number of years before it begins to wear to the point where it is not functional. Inner cables fail far more frequently. Thus, the use of a bicycle cable as a replacement for the inner cable makes good sense, both from the functional and economic aspects. Each bicycle cable makes into two throttle cables--one to install on the car and one spare cable for the parts kit in the boot.

Les
Les Bengtson

what Richard said; you have the wrong cable, the photo confirms it.
David Smith

I find that a whole lot more technology goes into making the bicycle brake cables such that they are strong and smooth. The cycling chaps tend to get a lot more exercised over a brake cable failure than you or I do over an accelerator cable failure, too ;-)
David "I agree with Les" Lieb
David Lieb


the end you are showing at the bulkhead end is nothing like the proper cable

the proper cable has a sleeve that covers the cable end and sits inside the pedal lever recess with a retaining clip over it when fitted

The atached picture gives an idea

(There isn't a break in the real cable BTW!)

and I'd have a bike cable like a shot, far superior to the old BMC items


Bill

I've got a bike brake cable on my Frog. Works like a champ. A number of reasons why I went this way. It's cheaper. You can get a replacement in any bicycle store. You can make it any lenght you want. The design of the cable is the same as the original BMC/Leland design. And if you really think about what the bicycle cable is used for, the accelerator cable gets no where near the forces applied to it as the brake cable does so you get much better life. Another plus is that the new brake cable housings have an inner coating of teflon which makes for smoother movement.

As for the fraying, all cables will eventually fray depending on where the most friction is found. Usually it would be right were the cable goes through the footwell and that would be because the cable housing is misaligned with the hole in the footwell.

Martin
Martin

Im a huge bicycle cable lover over the original as well...if you spend the extra .75 cents at the bike shop you can get a cable that has a special coating inside the cable shell that wont allow rust...the strand count was much higher with thinner strands...making it much stronger and more flexible then the original...had my bike cable 4 years and abuse it badly as david lieb can attest..

BTW David, I got the cable sorted so im not controling the ideal with the bicycle cable anymore...I still cant figure out why the choke is hanging on the linkage...Im thinking its a metal bur/splinter on the choke linkage Somewhare...the slightest touch with the finger releases it...but sticks everytime. that or the other 2 re-turn springs have given up the ghost and cant pull the choke linkage down any longer

prop
Prop

Oo, very many thanks all for your thoughts and comments, and to Richard for the proper cat number which I'd not found - I am just starting to get my head round the on line system... I shall return the universal one and request the proper one...

Many thanks also for suggesting that I should follow the previous installation and use a high quality bicycle cable, think I'll find one and keep it as a spare...

Nick - learning all the time :)
Nick Whelan

Nick,

I don't often bother with the on line catalogue - when you speak to Moss just ask for the printed version for your car (late midget and sprite) - its free and very, very useful.

Richard.
richard boobier

This thread was discussed between 05/07/2008 and 06/07/2008

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