Clamshell not unlatching on driver's side

[extrap]

Well, you guys have made me sufficiently nervous that I cannot leave my clamp release alone. On my GT the rubber washer on both clamps slides freely along the cable. Nothing prevents the cable from falling down, out of the slot in the release mechanism. Is that rubber washer supposed to be attached to the back face of the release fork (cemented? pressed in place?). If it was, it isn't any more on my car (first image). I propose to cement it to the back face of the fork, which will prevent the cable from dropping out of the slot (second image). What are your thoughts?

Your grommet is damaged, split in half with the ball-side half missing ... which is the half the ball should pull against. See my pic below of my (surprisingly) undamaged grommet, and below that is @TORQJNKY 's undamaged one removed from the car. I think it's supposed to be pushed up into the upside down U so the metal ball doesn't pull directly on metal, and so the cable only ever touches the grommet rather than metal, and the grommet fits firmly into the U to retain the cable and ball in the U.



@TORQJNKY 's undamaged one removed from the car:

 

[Shark01]

I put the zip tie on the ball side and it takes up the slack of the rubber missing.

Would you happen to have a picture of where the zip tie is to be located in this case?

 

[B.M.F.]

Would you happen to have a picture of where the zip tie is to be located in this case?

I'll post it but just in between the ball and the lever.. I used like a 1/8th zip tie. Small one.

 

[Tomcat]

Well, you guys have made me sufficiently nervous that I cannot leave my clamp release alone. On my GT the rubber washer on both clamps slides freely along the cable. Nothing prevents the cable from falling down, out of the slot in the release mechanism. Is that rubber washer supposed to be attached to the back face of the release fork (cemented? pressed in place?). If it was, it isn't any more on my car (first image). I propose to cement it to the back face of the fork, which will prevent the cable from dropping out of the slot (second image). What are your thoughts?

Howard, yours looks EXACTLY like mine did...including the upwards kink in the cable (which I suspect fortuitously kept the lead ball from falling out of the socket). I glued (JBWelded) the donut (what was left of the plastic grommet) to the lever (to hold the cable/ball in place) and then added a zip tie...see post/picture above.

 

[Shark01]

Your grommet is damaged, split in half with the ball-side half missing ... which is the half the ball should pull against. See my pic below of my (surprisingly) undamaged grommet, and below that is @TORQJNKY 's undamaged one removed from the car. I think it's supposed to be pushed up into the upside down U so the metal ball doesn't pull directly on metal, and so the cable only ever touches the grommet rather than metal, and the grommet fits firmly into the U to retain the cable and ball in the U.

View attachment 71957

@TORQJNKY 's undamaged one removed from the car:
View attachment 71956

While I wouldn't call yours undamaged (compared to the new one), it is intact. What do you plan to do with yours to fortify it?

 

[extrap]

While I wouldn't call yours undamaged (compared to the new one), it is intact. What do you plan to do with yours to fortify it?

Nothing, just replace my supercharger with turbos.



Good question. Don't know yet. I'll examine mine some more for ideas ... and I'm watching this thread!

 

[Vincent998]

Nothing, just replace my supercharger with turbos.



Good question. Don't know yet. I'll examine mine some more for ideas ... and I'm watching this thread!

My car's latch releases appear to be OK. However, I agree that many more will fail in the future. I've been thinking and looking at the photos. I'm going to try making a 1/8" thick x 3/4" long x 1/4" wide rectangular flat steel shim glued to the latch bracket with weatherstrip adhesive so that it fits under the wire and which the ball just barely clears for its entire length of travel. If it works, the ball can't fall out. Gluing it in place with rubber cement allows removal or another solution if necessary. Other thoughts?

 

[TORQJNKY]

Nothing, just replace my supercharger with turbos.

Now that's the best fix!

 

[Howard]

Wow! A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. My rubber grommet is toast on both releases. I had no idea I only had half a grommet. I think I'm going to find a close size conventional rubber grommet, split it so I can place it onto the cable and squeeze it into the release fork......with the split facing upward. I'll only cement it in place if it proves to work itself out of the fork. When I accomplish this task I'll post photos.

 

[69b302]

I think a conventional rubber grommet may work. The only issue could be if the rubber is to soft and works its way out. Another option may be to use/modify a slotted cable adjuster, as used on motorcycles. One side on my car is partially failed so looking at options. https://www.amazon.com/Amavoler-Universal-Aftermarket-Accessory-Motorcycle/dp/B0C2QJW3JD

 

[Tomcat]

I think a conventional rubber grommet may work. The only issue could be if the rubber is to soft and works its way out. Another option may be to use/modify a slotted cable adjuster, as used on motorcycles. One side on my car is partially failed so looking at options. https://www.amazon.com/Amavoler-Universal-Aftermarket-Accessory-Motorcycle/dp/B0C2QJW3JD

Man, THIS looks like the right way to go.

 

[Vincent998]

Wow! A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. My rubber grommet is toast on both releases. I had no idea I only had half a grommet. I think I'm going to find a close size conventional rubber grommet, split it so I can place it onto the cable and squeeze it into the release fork......with the split facing upward. I'll only cement it in place if it proves to work itself out of the fork. When I accomplish this task I'll post photos.

There are really two problems here. The first is what to do if the plastic grommet is broken or breaking. The second is what to do if it's in good condition and not failing - yet. Unfortunately, you can't just wait for it to fail because of the risk involved in being unable to open the clamshell after a failure. I think the solutions may be different, and it remains to be seen what the best choices are. In a way, having a failed grommet is easier to solve.

 

[Tomcat]

In a way, having a failed grommet is easier to solve.

If you inspect it and catch it before the cable becomes unattached. Frankly, I think that a zip tie whether the clip is broken or not might be a good safety measure. Anyway. I'd still like to see a picture of how BMF did his zip tie

 

[B.M.F.]

If you inspect it and catch it before the cable becomes unattached. Frankly, I think that a zip tie whether the clip is broken or not might be a good safety measure. Anyway. I'd still like to see a picture of how BMF did his zip tie

I'll have the car out of the trailer tomorrow and will post when I take it.

 

[Howard]

My grommet suggestion may work but to attach it to the actuating arm is too difficult without disassembling the mechanism.....which I'm not going to do, I hooked up a tie wrap the same as Tomcat's. It tests out ok so that's my solution, for now.

 

[fjpikul]

Those are really good pics of the situation.

 

[GKW05GT]

Pictures of my cables

 

[Howard]

I have completed the "lassoing" of both pull cables with zip ties, so neither one can fall out of the open fork in the actuating arm in the absence of the plastic grommet (both of mine were gone). The driver's side is easy and now looks just like Tomcat's photo in post #38. The passenger side will test your patience. I needed a lighted inspection mirror (Home Depot) and a paper clip bent into a tight hook at one end. The paper clip is to catch the tail of the zip tie while watching what you're doing in the mirror and pull it towards the fire wall and then up to the locking end of the zip tie. It took me about a half hour. Your technique will improve with time. I thank everyone involved in this issue. Who knew?

 

[Tomcat]

It took me about a half hour. Your technique will improve with time. I thank everyone involved in this issue. Who knew?

I know :-(, it took me a good while to get the passenger side too.

 

[Art138]

I have completed the "lassoing" of both pull cables with zip ties, so neither one can fall out of the open fork in the actuating arm in the absence of the plastic grommet (both of mine were gone). The driver's side is easy and now looks just like Tomcat's photo in post #38. The passenger side will test your patience. I needed a lighted inspection mirror (Home Depot) and a paper clip bent into a tight hook at one end. The paper clip is to catch the tail of the zip tie while watching what you're doing in the mirror and pull it towards the fire wall and then up to the locking end of the zip tie. It took me about a half hour. Your technique will improve with time. I thank everyone involved in this issue. Who knew?

Do you have a pic of your work around?