HI All,
Winter is coming and it got me thinking about my heater again. Last fall my friendly IA looked at the crusty cable/arm interface on my plane and said, "Hey, I got a shiny new bug nut if you want it." Voila, a temperamental and impossible to adjust heater control was now smooth as silk. To smooth.....When I pull it out after a few minutes it eventually vibrates back closed. I fixed this last winter with a 100% PMA'd, TSO'd, STC'd spring clamp I bought at the local True Value airplane store. However I'm looking for a better solution. Is there a way to "add friction" to this control?
Thanks,
DEM
Heater Control Friction
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
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- Posts: 3481
- Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 6:05 pm
Re: Heater Control Friction
A/C Spruce sells rachet stop cables that fit the existing mount and connections but the knob only comes in red or black.
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/ ... kkey=66687
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/ ... kkey=66687
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
- Bruce Fenstermacher
- Posts: 10320
- Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2002 11:24 am
Re: Heater Control Friction
Why not reinstall your old "bug nut".
What you are asking I think is how to adjust the friction on a Belden cable?
If this were my lawn mower, and the throttle keep creeping down I'd grab my trusty pliers and put an ever so small crimp in the cable. Not so much as the cable won't move, but enough it won't on its own.
Can't say what I'd do to a Belden cable in my airplane.
What you are asking I think is how to adjust the friction on a Belden cable?
If this were my lawn mower, and the throttle keep creeping down I'd grab my trusty pliers and put an ever so small crimp in the cable. Not so much as the cable won't move, but enough it won't on its own.
Can't say what I'd do to a Belden cable in my airplane.
CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
Re: Heater Control Friction
If this is a Boden wire control, a slight kink in the housing and wire will put some friction on it to keep it from creeping.
BL
Re: Heater Control Friction
Thanks guys. I thought about kinking the cable, but it's so smooth it feels like sacrilege. I was hoping for a more elegant solution, but oh well...need heat!
Those ratcheting cables are cool. Will have to keep those in mind for future projects.
DEM
Those ratcheting cables are cool. Will have to keep those in mind for future projects.
DEM
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- Posts: 3481
- Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 6:05 pm
Re: Heater Control Friction
flyboy122 wrote:
Those ratcheting cables are cool. Will have to keep those in mind for future projects.
DEM
I have one on my carb heat, as recommended by George Horn. It has worked flawlessly and stays positioned without any slippage. I could paint the knob but haven't. As other cables wear out I will replace them with the ratchet cables.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
Re: Heater Control Friction
The "Kink" is not made to the entire/outer housing... but to the inner, solid wire. A slight bend is all that is req'd.
Prior to installation, pull the inner cable out to the point of exposing the end of the solid shaft where the wire is crimped onto it. Slightly bend the solid wire at that point, and reinstall.
Prior to installation, pull the inner cable out to the point of exposing the end of the solid shaft where the wire is crimped onto it. Slightly bend the solid wire at that point, and reinstall.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.