Re: Trunk Release Cable

[Fred Sacks <fredsacks@domain.elided>]

At 8:11 PM -0400 9/21/01, alfa-digest wrote:
>Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 19:19:05 -0400
>From: James Stanley <james@domain.elided>
>Subject: Trunk release cable
>
>The trunk release cable just broke on my '83 Spider. One problem I'm having
>is locating the part (International is back ordered til Jan) The other is,
>I have no idea on how to repair it once I get the part. I'm told this is
>tricky.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Jim Stanley
>Washington, DC
>james@domain.elided


Jim--

As far as locating the part, I'm surprised that IAP is out of stock, 
as it is not infrequent that they break.  Try some of the supporters 
of the digest, or look in the Alfa Owner.  I'm sure that you will be 
able to find it.  They are pretty cheap.  I think I paid about $8.

As far as replacement goes, hopefully and usually they break at the 
trunk release on the door post, where the ball connector is attached 
to the cable.
Remove the door post cover that holds the trunk and gas release.  You 
will have to trim some sheathing off of the cable if you can not get 
a pliers onto the cable end.  This can be a bit tricky as the 
sheathing is wound wire covered by rubber.  I simply loosened the 
sheathing wire enough to get a wire cutter in and snipped the 
sheathing.  Now you can pull on the cable with a pliers, and the 
trunk will open.

At this point you can carefully (at some points it is routed with 
some electrical wires) pull the cable into the trunk.  Remove the 
locking screw from the cable that is looped through the trunk release 
and remove the cable.

When installing the new cable, remove the cable completely from the 
shreathing, and lubricate with lithium grease.  (I didn't and it 
doesn't operate as smoothly as I would like.) To replace, reverse the 
proceedure and routing of the old cable.

Before you close the trunk, have someone pull on the lever.  Make 
sure that the lock fully releases, and doesn't just move a little 
bit.  Also, make sure that the locking screw is tight and will not 
allow the cable to slip.  The loop at the trunk release must cause 
the cable to be tight.

Good luck.

Fred Sacks
89 Graduate

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