attaching cables to air slides

I replaced the lower cables on my Norton's choke this weekend, and had a horrible time trying to get the cable into the air slide end. You have to depress the spring and somehow hold the cable while threading it through the key-hole in the slide and then pull the nipple down to engage it at the bottom.

There's gotta be a procedure for this that's not so painful. And it seems I installed the brass tube thingie upside down, so I have to do it again... if anybody has any tips for this I'd be grateful.

And PLEASE don't tell me to leave the chokes off. My bike likes them.

Thanks.

DRC

I use a pair of hemostats to hold the spring compressed on the cable while inserting it.

I “screw” the springs onto the cable, a lot less stress on the springs.

I went through this battle a week ago and discovered the inner of the nice new Venhill cables was about 10 mm shorter than the original ones being replaced. Which meant it was pretty much impossible to fit them.

I have done this job maybe 1000 times over the years especially while I was racing my Norton and these new Venhill cables totally defeated me.

So if your fitting new ones check your cables against the originals.

In a normal situation I can usually fit them quickly with my fingers otherwise use two pairs of long needle nose pliers.

Slip the cable thru the cap.
slip the brass ferrule over the cable.
slip the spring over the ferrule.
compress the spring and pinch the cable with 2 fingers leaving as long a "tail" as possible
(you can do this by holding the tip with one hand, and sliding your two pinching fingers down to compress the spring).
slip the cable "tail" thru the enlarged hole in the slide.
push the cable till the tip exits, then sit it in it's abutment.
release spring.
DONE.

maylar said:

And PLEASE don't tell me to leave the chokes off. My bike likes them.



DRC

Click to expand...

I do too.
As a matter of fact I was out last Friday the 13th at Port Dover and my Throttle cable popped at the line into the junction box. I rolled it into the Beer Store and found a spot to change out the T line with the choke line. Tank off. Seat off. Took me about an hour to do but I got home riding the bike. If I didn't have a choke cable on the bike, I would be calling a flatbed. In that busy town it would not have been possible on that day. I had onlookers and a few inquisitive questions but when I started the bike there were a few cheers, I then proceeded into the beer store and bought a well deserved frosty one. I don't need the choke during the summer. Only when its cooler in the early spring or late fall weather.
Back to your problem... try and take the line off the choke lever with the cable adjuster all the way in and then feed the line in as grandpaul described above and when you have all the leads in the junction box and in the pockets of the Amal's, then fit the choke line to the lever. Finally make the cable adjustment to have 1/8th inch free play. Some cables do not fit into the junction box, that they are too big and do not drop into the sockets, so check that.
Cheers,
Thomas

grandpaul said:

Slip the cable thru the cap.
slip the brass ferrule over the cable.
slip the spring over the ferrule.
compress the spring and pinch the cable with 2 fingers leaving as long a "tail" as possible
(you can do this by holding the tip with one hand, and sliding your two pinching fingers down to compress the spring).
slip the cable "tail" thru the enlarged hole in the slide.
push the cable till the tip exits, then sit it in it's abutment.
release spring.
DONE.

Click to expand...

The problem with that is the part where you pinch the cable with your fingers while compressing the spring. My old arthritic fingers can't keep enough tension on the cable to keep it from slipping. I'm going to try a hemostat as suggested above.