Piper PA-28 Cabin Heat cable

[iamtheari]

I'm looking at a PA-28 whose cabin heat cable broke off close to the lever on the heat box. The temporary repair was to connect the remaining exposed cable to the lever, giving a range of control from about 25% open to 75% open instead of the full range. This could be adjusted to get 0% to 50% open by loosening the clip that secures the sheath of the cable to the heat box, pulling the slack sheathed cable through the clip, and then re-tightening the clip. There seems to be plenty of extra sheathed cable available, and removing a couple inches of sheath would restore the full range of cabin heat from closed to shoe-melting.

Questions:
(1) Is a whole new cable necessary? How much do they cost?
(2) Is this preventive maintenance or A&P-only?

 

[unsafervguy]

1 maybe, if it is just a plain wire cable and there is enough extra to not reduce the bend radi of the cable then it might just be saved. if the outer sheath need to be shortened then the inner cable must be pulled back to properly cut and face the sheath.

2 Not preventive.

bob

 

[BigBadLou]

A mower tractor choke cable (easily attainable on fleaBay for $5) often works as an exact replacement part.
But if you have extra sheath available, that might save the day.