63 air control valve cable popping off

[offdensen]

The air control valve on my 63 is the type with the push-pull lever and the linkage that weaves through the firewall has become difficult to operate. The linkage popped off from the lever and I took the dash off and hooked it up once more. I lubed the heater control next to the blower on the firwall and it worked smoothly for a few days. One morning it was hard to operate again and the linkage popped back off from the lever. 

 

I would imagine I need to lubricate this cable, or something. How should I go about This? 

[RivNut]

I was taught that powered graphite was good to use on bowden cables.  But it's hard to get the powder to 'run' into the sheath.  You also want to make sure that the wire that runs from the temp control valve to the air door is free as well as the air door.  Frozen temp control valves are usually the culprit for hard to move cables.  Be advised - the metal in the cable is stronger than the pot metal of the control arm.  If you try to loosen the frozen temp control valve by pushing harder on the control arm, you'll break the control arm.  If that happens, there's a fix on the ROA's tech tips on the website.  Keep working on that heater control valve until you know it's free, as well as the air door.  When you're satisfied that everything is operating freely, including the cable,   get the proper sized star lock washer for a keeper.  I'd say that right now, you're probably lucky that the cable keeps slipping off.  Could be that it's keeping more intensive damage from occurring.

 

Picture of star lock washer

 

 

[KongaMan]

Concur.  If a cable becomes hard to operate, the first thing to check is whatever is at the other end of the cable (valve, door, etc.).  Make sure that it moves freely before condemning the cable.  My experience is that the trouble usually lies there rather than with the cable.

 

The trouble with lubing the cable itself is that it's hard to get the lube throughout the length of sheath, owing in large part to the ups and down and twists and turns between the two ends of the cable.  If you don't want to pull the cable, you may have a little better luck disconnecting it under the hood, then holding that end up and letting your lube work its way down to the firewall.  Graphite is good, but hard to distribute.  I've taken to using Teflon-based bike chain lube in these applications.  It's nice and slippery, it gets down into the sheath, and it doesn't attract dirt or clump up.

 

Of course, a car this old could likely stand for a comprehensive R&R of the controls.  PITA it may be, but the best way to avoid future annoyances is to pull the controls, clean and lube all the pivot points and contact surfaces, then run some lube down all the cables.  You should also make sure that all the doors and valves operate freely and without binding.

[offdensen]

Yeah, I got no problem with the temp control lever. Only one I have problems with is the air control and left driver side vent control. I will reconnect and see if relubing the blower control will do the trick. It does seems like it's caught on something, but moves freely after it passes the point it is on. 

[telriv]

One of the ways I lubricate the cables is to install the end of the cable housing in a vise (not to tight as you DON'T want to crush the end of the cable) & while giving it a LITTLE stretch sprinkle powered graphite on the length of the cable & puling it back & forth.  The graphite doesn't collect dust or dirt either.

 

 

Tom T.

[Turbinator]

Sir,  my bell arm in the hvac control panel broke. The bell arm is pot metal and cannot be welded. The bell arm had to be made at a fabricating shop. Hopefully, you can figure out the problem with the cables before your problem worsens. There are no more manual water control valves for the 63. 

Red Riviera Bob

[jimtash]

On 12/24/2017 at 7:32 PM, Red Riviera Bob said:

Sir,  my bell arm in the hvac control panel broke. The bell arm is pot metal and cannot be welded. The bell arm had to be made at a fabricating shop. Hopefully, you can figure out the problem with the cables before your problem worsens. There are no more manual water control valves for the 63. 

Red Riviera Bob

 

There's one on Ebay. It says Chevy in the auction but it is the exact same valve used in Rivieras.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-61-62-Chevy-Impala-Biscayne-Belair-Heater-Control-Valve-Eureka-4-4472-Tested/332431955702?hash=item4d667d16f6:g:4GEAAOSwwAdZ-A8o&vxp=mtr

 

I freed up an old valve that was completely stuck by spraying the inside with PB Blaster and working the lever back and forth. Works good.

Edited December 26, 2017 by jimtash (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

On 12/26/2017 at 7:42 AM, jimtash said:

 

There's one on Ebay. It says Chevy in the auction but it is the exact same valve used in Rivieras.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-61-62-Chevy-Impala-Biscayne-Belair-Heater-Control-Valve-Eureka-4-4472-Tested/332431955702?hash=item4d667d16f6:g:4GEAAOSwwAdZ-A8o&vxp=mtr

 

I freed up an old valve that was completely stuck by spraying the inside with PB Blaster and working the lever back and forth. Works good.

Thank you for the heads up on the NORS Chevy part. Was able to get a Murray vacuum control valve for $12.00 to substitute for manual. Jim Cannon of ROA TECH service provided the infor.

thank Red Riviera Bob