vettsplit 63

I am finishing up with my 63 project, and wound up having to buy a 71" long speedo cable so it can attach to the passenger side speedo input. Yeah, I know, but I put an M22 in it. It's my car. Anyway, I was trying to figure out how to put the firewall grommet over the new cable assembly without cutting it down the side. That looks like crap, and I didn't want to do that. Anyway, I hit the search function, and lo and behold, I'm not the first guy to run into this snag. A couple of guys had asked how to do it, and John Z had posted a neat picture of a cone shaped device to help the grommet get started until it will slide over the small end of the cable. All right! That is what I was looking for. Well, as I read more posts after John's helpful hints, the posters varied from cutting the grommet on the side to filling the hole with dum dum or caulk. I couldn't help but think- Gosh guys, John takes the time to look this stuff up in his archives, and then you want to Bubba it up. I used the technique John described to make a long cone to slide the grommet rubber over, lubricating it as it went, and it slipped over, and looks perfect. Took about 20 seconds. John, thanks for all your helpful hints and telling us how they were.

Gary's '66

As I've said in previous threads John's "the man".
However, there are instances where a short cut may make some sense. When I found that grommet missing from the firewall of my car I DID slice the sides to install it because I wasn't about to pull my cables just install a grommet when I had a hundred other "to do" issues on my list.
Now, if I were installing the cables at the time, as you obviously are, THEN I would most certainly follow John's instructions to a T!

Gary

MikeM

[QUOTE=vettsplit 63;1587438435

John, thanks for all your helpful hints and telling us how they were. [/QUOTE]

Taking nothing away from his knowledge base, I believe he was building Corvairs and Chevy II's at Willow Run in 1963.

buns

Do you have a link to that thread? I'd like to see that cone shaped device.

plaidside

Here is the post that I copied and saved as a Word doc:

In the plant we used a pointed metal cone that went over the ferrule on the end of the cable,
dipped it in a Joy soap solution, pushed it through the hole in the grommet, removed the tool,
and installed the cable/grommet from the engine compartment side. Photo below is a wooden version of the tool one of the forum members made.

buns

Excellent. Thank you!

vettsplit 63

the bottom of a small funnel cut off and set over the cable end performs basically the same function.

Mr D.

Never seen that, I installed mine last weekend by cutting it.

Revfan

I understand the point of your post, but if you ask for advice, you are going to get it.

You ask how to skin a cat, you will get LOTS of answers.... you get to pick the ones you want to try out of the bunch.

91DRM

Sorry, can't resist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_retentiveness

vettsplit 63

You are probably more right than you might think. I have gotten better, but I have had people tell me that they have never seen anybody so obsessive compulsive about stuff that I do. Sorry, can't help it. It's all good.

(but on another note, the same guy has told me if I ever decide to sell anything I have built, he wants it, cause he knows it is going to be perfect)