Hi All,
im wanted to fit a new choke cable only to find the grommet sits right behind my heater in the midst of the wiring jungle under my dash!
would anyone have hints and tips for pulling a new one through the grommet without removing the heater? i was thinking of attaching the end to a piece of string and running it through alternately how hard is it to remove the heater? do you remove from the engine bay side of things or can you get to the bolts from the interior?
thanks,
- tom

Tom, removing the heater is a chore and I suggest only as a last resort. I'm assuming its a Clubbie. I would suggest using a flexible probe of some sort rather than string eg the flexible outer cable off an old choke/heater cable. 1-Disconnect old cable (inner/outer )from the carby 2 disconnect nut from bracket end of choke knob. 3 - tape probe to end of old choke cable and pull thru from inside of car (insert choke inner into probe outer) 4. use the probe that's been pulled thru as guide to feed new choke cable and pull back from engine bay side. Remember to put the new washer & nut on cable after you feed new cable thru the choke bracket & before joining it up to the probe (or I spose you could leave old nut/washer in situ). I think you will find it easier to mate the new cable up with the probe (male to female penetration) with some electrical/duct tape so it feed thru smoothly rather than fiddling around with string. My advice re Clubman heaters is you let sleeping dogs lie

_________________
1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

thank you so much for the advice!
ill let you know how it goes!!!
thanks,
- tom

I have taken my heter out twice and have found it harder to get back in than getting it out. The only real hard bit i sgetting to the bolt under the dash that holds it up. Only gets really hard when people have bent the supports on the fire wall.

If you are going to take the heater out (clubbie style ) then kill a couple of birds with the one stone.

Firstly take of the heater water flow controller behind the heater and throw it so the boonies ( I wanted to use another word there describing a small brick structure. ). The controller is nearly always frozen solid. You can spend hours fixing it and it will be frozen solid again in 12 months. Pull the heater to bits and give it a good clean - they are usually ful of thirty years of debris.

Check the condition of the heater matrix core - check espcially for leaks or about to be leaks type spots and give it a real good clean by reverse type flushing. Reassaemble the heater and replace the heater hoses from the outlet on the head directly to the heater matrix and also from the heater matrix to the lower radiator hose. Its only five or so bucks worth of hose and its madness not to replace them now.

Then scour ebay or other parts sources for a heater water volume controller that bolts on where the current outlet pipe is on the rear of the head. There are two main types - a tap type and the cooper S type which also allows a choke type cable to be fitted and allow temperature adjustment from within the car cabin.

Having said that - its not that difficultto stop and lift the bonnet to do a manual adjustment. You caould also buy a ball cock tap from a hardware and plump that in the pipe from the heater outlet on the head.

Regardless - do the heater work while you have the heater out - now that you have disturbed the cobwebs you are sure to have a leak in the heater region within three months. Its Murphy's Law. So beat murphy at his own game.