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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Choke cable won't stay out? -- Repair it.

Usual problem, choke cable wouldn't stay out when pulled and twisted.

Rather than bend the shaft, or use a peg as favoured by some, and rather than spend circa 10 quid on a new choke cable for the midget, I decided to fix it properly.

So I took it apart to get to the root of the problem.

Having slid back the spring metal clamp, the problem is revealed. And the problem is, the half moon cam is made from plastic, and a groove soon wears in it.

So I made a new one, -- from metal.

Works a treat.


Lawrence Slater

I used to use a penny that I kept in the ashtray , when it needs a 2p it needed tuning
M Fairclough

I've done that repair as well Lawrence.
P Ottewell

great idea :-)
Nick Nakorn

Fancy and very high brow, lawerwnce :-)

Me:- I use a plastic soda bottle cap, I drilled a small hole in the center and cut the side of the cap to the hole with a razor knief ... then I just pull the chock cable knob and slide the soda cap behind it so the top of the cap is resting against the back of the choke knob

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

top marks Lawrence. . .
P Bentley

Cheers chaps.

Hi Pete Otwell.
I scoured the archives before posting this. I remember reading various posts about the problem, but they always contained the various "work-around" fixes.

I was quite surprised that I hadn't found someone before me, taking the cable apart and fixing the problem properly, but as a result, I was going to claim the prize for being first. ;).

I hereby formally hand the crown to P Otwell, or whoever gainsays Pete. LOL.
Lawrence Slater

Great work!

Please post a sketch of the shape you made, with the dimensions, if possible, for posterity.

Can you share any advice about what to make it out of? (brass, aluminum, steel) and how to work with such a small piece of metal to form the necessary shape?


Norm

Norm Kerr

The only caveat is that I replaced the plastic with plastic, so I'll probably have to do it again soon. So semi hats of to you too Lawrence. However, I would have thought that the metal insert will eventually wear the cam away on the cable. Whereas, plastic is sacrificial.
P Ottewell

Pete. I don't know what the original cam was made from, but my sprite cable has been in the car for years, and doesn't have this problem. Maybe I'll take it apart when it comes off the road, and report back.

Anyway, the cable shaft is smooth steel. Yes it may wear, but not that quickly I wouldn't think. I'll let you know.

As for the cam being sacrificial, I'm as certain as I can be that it was not intended to be. If so, it would be in a repair/service routine somewhere, and the cam would have a spare part number. But since it's not described anywhere, when the cam is cooked, the cable is toast. So the the cam being sacrificial wouldn't have helped. You's still have to buy a new cable.

I suppose a brass cam could be used. But of course steel shed from the shaft, will embed in the brass, and may wear the shaft anyway.

Norm. Method.
See third section of photo. Self explanatory. Half moon cut from plain shank stud with same diameter. Use the plastic cam extracted from the cable, to match to a stud with the same diameter. Cut down stud, and cut across to seperate piece the same size. No other shaping required. Just a light rub on a fine grit to smooth the flat face.
Lawrence Slater

Thanks for the tip, Lawrence. That will give me something to do this winter. In the meantime, I've been using an appropriate length of rubber tubing. slit longways to slip over the choke rod. When not in use, I keep it on the round windscreen support rod just above the choke knob!
Jack Orkin

This may help. The locking key is petty much just a woodruff key. The locking key does not touch the cable but rather the pull rod.


Jon Saylor

Persactly as I said jon. :).

Is that a new cable? What's the key made from?
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed between 30/06/2014 and 03/07/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.