Sunroof Cables

[kubelguy13]

What would you use to wash and then lubricate the sunroof cables from a 6o's beetle or bay bus?

[Chris V]

Paint thinner or perhaps mineral spirits...and CV grease...

[kubelguy13]

Paint thinner or perhaps mineral spirits...and CV grease...

woh CV grease, wouldnt that pick up tonnes of dust?

[Chris V]

I suppose that's why there are covers and seals....but truly, molybdenum grease is all that's recommended in the Robert Bentley manual and I haven't had a problem with the one I fixed with new parts years ago, and I've re-greased it once since then.

[kubelguy13]

I believe you. I didn't see the reference to the moly grease in the Bentley.I had white grease on them and it wasn't that good.I am repairing the cables in a 68 bus. There are many breaks and kinks in one of them.
I found some in a bus in the bush close to my house which is lucky but the diameter of the coil on the cable seems thinner than my 68 cables and the gear isn't engaging them now.

[kubelguy13]

Here are some photos of the 68 cables. They had a felt winding between the coiled cable.The cables I pulled from the bush bus did not. These were also very kinked unfortunately.

[Chris V]

Funny story, years ago I cut the whole roof clip of a `78 CEII for a guy who wanted it and he never even showed to pick it up so I scrapped the whole damn thing...the twisted cable might, might be salvageable in the right hands...I remember finding cables for the Beetle that didn't break the bank was hard enough.

[kubelguy13]

If I could find actual VW cables I suppose they would be brutally expensive.
The ones I pulled seem ok. Just need to use their centerpiece maybe to get the gear to engage them.
The crank gear is just spinning past the mixed cables .