trying to attach headlight cable....help!

[kndlindsey]

Okay, i have dutifully searched under headlight cable and headlight lever. I have the cable threaded through from the front to under the car.I have located the lever, which isn't easy to do by yourself with noone to flip it so you can figure out where it is. I had to use a broom to move the lever while i was under the car watching, and getting my eyes full of insulation stuff.

I have a manual but it isn't the most helpful thing in the world.

There is a bracket with a hole in it mounted directly in front of the lever, I am assuming that the cable threads through here. The two nuts and diamond shaped piece I am assuming goes on AFTER you have put the cable through that hole? Is this to keep the cable from moving to far from the connection point?

How do you do that? If i were to put the nuts and diamond piece on my cable where they need to be then the end of the cable where the ball part fits into would be way past the ball on the lever. What the heck am I doing wrong?

Also, does the ball snap into the opening on the end of the cable? or just rest in it? I have a funky little clip that the manual says I am supposed to put over the ball/socket . How do you put the clip on?

Remember, I'm a girl and one who hasn't worked on cars at all until February of this year so go slow.

Kim

[baz]

1 nut each side of the bracket so you can adjust the travel

the clip if i remember right is a pin that goes through a hole in the cage (the socket ) after the ball is in and then turns to lock onto the ball cage where it goes from round the ball to the cable

[kndlindsey]

Here is my problem. i think i understand in theory how it works. the nuts slide right through the hole on the bracket, this is where the diamond shaped piece comes in right?

When i try to put one one nut, then the diamond shaped piece and another nut, if i put the diamond shaped piece in front of the bracket hole, closest to the ball then my cable end sticks way past the ball if I am going to be able to get the other nut threaded on. I can't hook up the ball to the cable if it overshoots it.....whooooops, duh.....i can move the lever back, now can't i? Is that the solution. I have already given up for the night. But if i move the lever back how the heck do i see it to get the ball seated in the cable end?

Also, i looked at the cable end and the ball and dont see anywhere that the clip ould go "through". What the heck do i do with the clip?

I'm working in a very narrrow area and the cable is not cooperating, to get it through the bracket it sits flush against the underside of the car, making it very difficult to get any nuts, etc. on.

[namba209]

First off, let's start with the clip. There's a hole, just above the socket, the straight part of the clip goes in to, then you swing the clip around so the circular part wraps around the shaft the socket is on. Might be an idea to take out the cable and look for the hole, it's a bear to put in with the engine/tranny installed. The socket end should move back and forth freely if the other end is not hooked up to the headlight linkage, so because the other end is easy to get to and install, disconnect it before you try to mess with the lever end of the cable, BTW the linkage end is similar to the lever end as far as the hardware is concerned and how you hook the cable up to the structure.

[kndlindsey]

I'm going to go look again and take some pics of what i have. This car had air operated headlights when paul got it, he got the parts to put it back to original. My cable had some parts on each end and then a baggie with other parts. I will post pics.

On the lever end i have the diamond shaped piece and two bolts, though i wonder if one of the bolts wasn't attached to the diamond shaped piece?

I have the socket part which looks like the end of a tire guage or attachment for an air compressor and a nut that goes on before it. i also have the clip. I don't have the cable attached to the rods in the front of the car, was going to do that after i got it on the lever.

[markandson]

Pictures of a complete headlight cable, also shows installation of clip, I hope you can see them well enough. I will search my other computer for pictures of the installed cable at the lever end, although I am pretty sure that I have posted them before, but I don't remember in which thread.

[markandson]

Last picture of the clip closed on the cable socket

[markandson]

Here is a picture of the light lever and cable attachment. Hmmm....this pic didn't display properly. Will try to do better.

[markandson]

I am not sure if I did this correctly but this is a shortcut to the previous post with the pictures. http://www.opelgt.com/forums/83262-post10.html

[hrcollinsjr]

Kim,

If I'm reading your post correctly, you've installed the cable "bassackwards". The pictures that Jeff has posted should get you going in the right direction though. Have fun with the cable R & R. I'm sure there is an easy way to do it but I haven't figured it out unless it is to get someone else to do it.


Harold

[jerseydave]

Other then the ends of the cable (Ball End vs. Rectangle End) does it matter which end of the cable the (above) is screwed into? There seems to be a lot of sideways pressure on where the ball end attaches to the lever, without the pin it snaps off! I was thinking I could of possibly ??? put it in reversed.

Dave

[markandson]

The cable, without any of the attachments is exactly the same on both ends, so the answer is no, it does not matter which end is connected to the lever.

[namba209]

Originally Posted by jerseydave There seems to be a lot of sideways pressure on where the ball end attaches to the lever, without the pin it snaps off! I was thinking I could of possibly ??? put it in reversed. Dave

Dave I had the same problem with Willit? hooking up the cable at both ends with the enginge/tranny installed. I had to adjust the angle of the lever in the tranny tunnel to clear the tranny and even then the sideways tension was enuff to pop off the socket from the ball when I moved the lever with the clip still out, checking movement and clearance issues. Once I had the clip installed, no problem, it hasn't come off yet.

[kndlindsey]

nope, looking at the pics i have it forwardasswards, lol. unless you meant that one end went in a particular area. I have the right parts according to the pics. i just don't get it. I am going to jack up the other one that is complete and have a look at it. maybe this week sometime. have a carshow tomorrow and i wanted them to work for it but i have no more patience for it right now.

Jeff, thanks for the pics, that was such a help! i had this big honking clip thingy in the plastic bag but i believe i also had that little curved thing....that was my confusion, now to hope i still know where the little one is

[hrcollinsjr]

Glad to see others have cleared up my question as to the ends being different. I looked a few minutes ago at some cables and noticed also that they are the same except for the screw on ends. I hope I didn't panick anyone into reversing there cable unneccesarily.

Harold