Home Forum Ask A Member 1938 Sportfour Bowden Cable

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  • #266013
    Buccaneer
    Participant

      US Member

      I don’t know what machining capabilities you have, but, I’ve done this in the past….Machine a part that looks exactly like the spool you refer to, but make the center bore as close in diameter as you can to whatever bowden cable you plan to use. Drill and tap the hole where the locating screw goes that locks it into the steering handle. On the opposite side, drill and tap and use a set screw to lock the bowden cable into the spool. There’s not a lot of pressure on that cable because it is also clamped at the carb end. All it does is hold the bowden cable inside the handle.

      The other thing is to look for cheap parts motors like Speeditwins that are toast but have parts. Your motor looks like the one for sale at Tomahawk.

      George

      George, the motor did indeed follow me home from Tomahawk.
      I installed the smaller cable in the original spool, using a plug
      made of Delrin in the bolt hole in the outside of the tiller handle
      that locates the spool. The Delrin plug “squishes” just enough
      to hold the cable without crushing the cable.

      I’ve contacted Aircraft Spruce about their cable, with questions,
      and supposedly there were going to contact the manufacturer.

      Prepare to be boarded!

      #266018
      Steve Petschel
      Participant

        US Member

        The fix using cartridge cases were a lot of work and they didn’t take solder well (or my soldering skills suck). Anyway I tried welding the two sheaths together to see how that might work. I squared up both ends that are to butt to each other and inserted the thick wire .077 dia. into the sheaths for alignment. I then tack welded the joint with three tacks using a wire feed welder. Worked perfectly and took only about ten minutes. Really easy!

        As a note, in my research I found that the most common bowden cable uses a thick wire .077 which is quite stiff. It will work on the prewar speeditwins and fours but the postwar model need the thinner wire .054.  The Dorman standard utility cable (Choke cable) #55196 uses the .054 wire.

        #266021
        Buccaneer
        Participant

          US Member

          Steve, The 1950 Fastwin I’m working on now, also has a Bowden cable, but much
          smaller diameter sheath than the 38 Sportfour.
          I haven’t measured the inner wire or the sheath yet, but hoping the universal
          lawnmower type cable I have will work.

          Prepare to be boarded!

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