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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - choke cables

Who makes a choke cable that has a nice chromed bezel at the dash?
Dominic Clancy

Dominic, Scarborough Fair in Rhode Island USA did have chrome plated units available last year; not sure if they still stock them. Since they don't have a web presence, you need to call them at: (401) 724-4200.
Nick Kopernik

I have been trying to find one that looks correct on an MGA but which is also 6 inches longer than the standard cable.
The stock MGA cable is too short to fit the Weber DCOE carb on my engine.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Colyn, worst case you can get a coupler and extend the cable.
Steve Simmons

Colyn

You can make the choke cable any length you want if you buy inner and outer Bowden cable and a ferrule for the choke end of the outer from your local bike shop. Just be sure the inner is not impregnated with PTFE or other lubricant otherwise it will not solder in to the dash end fitting.

Having removed the knob assembly from the dash, pull off the outer, unsweat the inner from its housing in the pull shaft and sweat in the replacement inner, having tinned the end first.

Tin the free end of the inner or dip it in superglue to stop it unravelling, lubricate the inner and slip on the outer.

Take a look at Barney’s DT-103B before you start.

Same procedure for the start cable if that is stiff or binding.

Cheers

Dave
Bolney Coupe

Dave explains it better than I would have done. Did it once very successfully. Same sort of thing with the accelerator cable, but much easier. Cheaper down the bike shop than car spares specialists.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I rigged up a temporary extension to the outer Bowden cable a couple of years ago when I fitted the 1950cc engine.
The inner cable was just long enough to reach the choke mechanism but it could really do to be a couple of inches longer to make the curvature of the cable a bit gentler.

It works fine and so I have lived with it, but it looks odd and I have been asked what it is quite a few times (including by Peter Burgess) and so I would like to do the job right.

I have been able to source longer choke cables but nearly all of them have the diagonal cross logo on the knob instead of the letter "C".

Knowing me, probably having that X logo on the choke knob would annoy me more than having my extension "lash-up" on the carb.

I have uploaded a picture of the top of the Weber DCOE, you can see my temporary cable extension at the left of the pic, I used a piece of old fuel pipe and a couple of pipe clamps to secure it.

Not my finest bit of fabrication.

Colyn



Colyn Firth

Bigger picture showing carb and more of the engine bay.


Colyn Firth

This thread was discussed between 08/06/2019 and 10/06/2019

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.