VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 dash knobs

my cables are in excellent shape but the lettering on the knobs is no more. how are they affixed to the cables? pressed, screwed? the headlight knob also.

Dennis

They are molded on to the shafts. If replacement hot water can soften the plastic so they can be removed. If original plastic then heating will not work. You can rejuvinate the lettering by applying a white paint and then carefully wiping with firm absorbant cloth wetted with thinner. Or sanded carefully with very fine grit sandpaper and then buffing to restore the shiny black surface.

how are the replacements attached to the original cables? I've have replacement knobs on other vehicles held on with set screws that you couldn't get tight enough so they would pull off.

the choke knob is so worn there is no lettering left.

I have tried to replace the original knobs with aftermarket ones, with little sucess. Even if you soak them in hot water and can get them on without splitting, they just don't hold the way they should.

I&I Reproductions is now making repro cables with knobs already attached. They are pricey, but that's the way I plan to go.

with the after market knobs i had the same problem. after the hot water soak i pushed them on and then removed them dried them off good put a couple of drops of super glue in the hole pushed them on never had one to get loose yet . super glue works well on ruber products such as glueing moldings together hope this helps

I have installed several sets of the repro cable ends without any problems. You need to make sure that the water is hot enough to really soften the plastic. Not too hot. Make sure to dry them with paper towel before installling. If too much water remains it will produce a loose end. You can roughen up the shaft a bit to help hold the ends. Just a little, like grabbing a few times with pliers and squeezing with moderate pressure. I have never had to but you can use a bit of loctite or super glue if they become loose.