Your best bonnet release bodges please

[toppstuff]

Got a very dodgy bonnet release on my TVR wedge.

It’s long ago lost the original gubbins where the cable joins the release mechanism. Instead the cable has a couple of plastic electric connectors clamped over the open wire, so they pull on the lever when the cable is pulled. It’s a bit rubbish because the plastic just slips.

In the absence of the original bits what’s the best way forward ?

🙂

[Penelope Stopit]

Use a decent set of crimping pliers and crimp an electrical terminal onto the cable, you can also solder over the crimp to stop it opening up

[GreenV8S]

Is the wire long enough to loop around whatever it attaches to? If so, you can either (preferably, if you have the right tools available) use a steel crimp to form the loop, or (easier, but weaker) use a suitably large electrical screw terminal. Steel crimps are commonly used for boating so boat chandlers are a good source. You need the right tools to crimp them.

If the wire isn't long enough and you need to connect some sort of pull rod or clip to the end of it, you'd have similar options but without the loop the connection will be weaker so you might, for example, need to double up the screw terminals instead of using a single one.

[tapkaJohnD]

New cable available in any bicycle shop. It's called "brake cable", and is best used with new outer sheath as well.


John

[E-bmw]

GreenV8S said:

Is the wire long enough to loop around whatever it attaches to? If so, you can either (preferably, if you have the right tools available) use a steel crimp to form the loop.

Similarly I have used a short length of brake pipe before crimped in a ratchet type electrical crimp tool to achieve a good result like this.

When coupled with a cable repair kit available for a few quid from the bay of e you can repair pretty much any Bowden cable.

Edited by E-bmw on Sunday 14th October 07:03

[toppstuff]

Thanks for the advice chaps. An effective bodge was achieved yesterday together with a secondary back up cable tucked in the corner of the bonnet cavity by the wiper.

Problem solved. 👍