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MG MGB Technical - Choke cable

Is there an easier way to change a choke cable on a late rubber bumpered B than having to take the central console, gear surround, armrest out to get to the back of it? Fed up this year having to use clothes pegs to hold the cable out so looking to change it over the winter months.
Cheers
Adrian
AdrianS

One thing worth trying before replacing the cable is to loosen the screw on the trunnion and twist the inner cable slightly in the direction of locking, before retightening the screw.

This has the effect of applying slight pressure towards the lock and should hopefully stop it from retracting on its own.
Dave O'Neill 2

Not sure what you mean Dave.
Don't I need to remove the cable from the dash to get at the trunnion? I am aware that there is a "D" shaped bit of plastic or steel which locks the cable that often fails.
I'm thinking if it is a lot of hassle to get the cable out I may as well fit a new one.
AdrianS

The trunnion is at the carb end.
Dave O'Neill 2

This is how Paul Hunt describes it

"After many years use due to wear the choke control can fail to lock at all, or in some cases lock but suddenly release at inopportune moments. In some cases, with the 'twist to lock' type, this can be due to twisting of the cable inner tending to turn the choke knob in the anti-clockwise (i.e. unlocking) direction, and so if the inner is released from the carbs and turned in the appropriate direction the twist can be made to aid the locking action rather than oppose it. But mostly it is simply due to wear in the locking mechanism as indicated in the accompanying photos and descriptions (click the thumbnail on the left). Note these only apply to the later 'twist to lock' types, not the friction lock types although these also eventually suffer from a failure to lock"

http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/fueltext.htm#choke
Dave O'Neill 2

With the original metal locking wedges it is usually the spindle that wears, so replacing just the inner gets it pretty-well back to normal. According to accounts replacement choke cables (from some sources at least) use a plastic locking wedge, which doesn't last five minutes.
paulh4

One day I'll replace the cable, but in the meantime get it to lock by putting a 2p coin sideways on under knob. When engine sufficiently warm, coin gets removed and then resides on console tray along with my Duckhams plastic ice scraper. By the way, just replaced inner of throttle cable with old rear brake cable from my daughter's dismantled fairy cycle. Wire seemed to be same gauge as previous cable.
P A Allen

This thread was discussed between 20/10/2016 and 22/10/2016

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