Swap: LHD choke cable for my RHD cable

RawlinSTR

Club Member
I have a choke cable which I believe is for a RHD car because it is too short for my LHD '73 240Z (it comes through the opposite side of the firewall to a RHD car).

Therefore I am looking for a LHD choke cable.

If anyone has done a conversion from LHD to RHD and kept the choke cable, it would be a great help if you would consider swapping with me (if we check the lengths first), with some extra cash your way for your bother.

Thanks
 
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Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I have a choke cable which I believe is for a RHD car because it is too short for my LHD '73 240Z (it comes through the opposite side of the firewall to a RHD car).

As far as I'm aware - certainly up to the end of 1973 - choke controls are always on the LEFT side of the console, and carburettors are always on the LEFT side of the L-series engine. I don't believe there is any difference in choke cable length between LHD and RHD cars made in the same period.

Is it possible that your cables (there's two choke cables operated by one lever) have been shortened for some reason? Didn't Eric have triple carbs on it?
 

RawlinSTR

Club Member
As far as I'm aware - certainly up to the end of 1973 - choke controls are always on the LEFT side of the console, and carburettors are always on the LEFT side of the L-series engine. I don't believe there is any difference in choke cable length between LHD and RHD cars made in the same period.

Is it possible that your cables (there's two choke cables operated by one lever) have been shortened for some reason? Didn't Eric have triple carbs on it?

I think you might be right there Alan..

Having another search around on Google images, it looks like the hole in the firewall for the choke cable is always in the same place regardless of LHD or RHD (which obviously would make sense), but I couldn't find that hole... I've been trying to use a hole which is just to the side of the two heater hose holes (and therefore on the RIGHT side of the engine).

I'll have another look on the car this weekend.

Eric was running triples with no choke cable fitted (and I know he didn't weld up any holes).
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Here's the choke cable hole on an LHD car. This example is an early 1970 production car, but yours should be pretty much identical position:

Choke cable hole.JPG
 

RawlinSTR

Club Member
Right, the saga continues with this.

Having looked at my car again there is definitely not a hole where your photo shows Alan.

I started looking through more photos and videos and found a video showing how to swap a choke cable grommet.

The car in the video is RHD but uses the hole I spoke about in one of my previous posts by the heater hoses:

upload_2019-7-20_18-11-29.png

Thought I'd just post this as some extra info on the topic really.

Time to find a longer choke cable for my car!

Simon

Video source:
 
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jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
Surely that's a RHD car, no? The brake booster is on the right and the battery is on the left... Am I going mad?
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
OK, I'm not mad. Seems to me that the cable come through the same hole as on RHD cars, the choke lever is in the same position as RHD cars and the carbs are in the same position as on RHD cars.
Why would a LHD car have a different longer cable?
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Surely that's a RHD car, no? The brake booster is on the right and the battery is on the left... Am I going mad?

It's also a pretty 'late' production car, so not necessarily a good reference for a '73 production car.

I've got a couple of extra reference shots here...

'70 LHD:

70-U-manual-1.jpg

'71 RHD:

71-JDM-manual-1.jpg

I'll try to dig out a 1973 production date reference. Stand by.
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
'73 dated early (dual choke and throttle control levers/cables) and superseding 'late' (single choke lever with two cables) schematic. As you can see, the choke cables run straight through the firewall. Should be the same whether RHD or LHD:

73-Choke-1.jpg
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
What's the production date of the car again?

Here's another reference photo, a 1973 HLS30U - I would guess the later type - which shows the choke cables coming through the firewall right by the two heater hoses, arcing up and over the cam cover (note the special cable holder that bolts onto the cam cover) and then down to the carbs. I haven't looked at the parts list (it wouldn't mention the extra length anyway) but I would assume that this configuration of choke cable routing requires extra length in both inner and outer cables?

later.jpg


Have you got a suitable hole in the firewall which looks like a good candidate? This might be what you need.
 

johnymd

Club Member
My lhd cars have the choke cables coming though a hole near the heater hoses so they are quite long compared to your early pictures showing them coming through near the carbs.
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
My lhd cars have the choke cables coming though a hole near the heater hoses so they are quite long compared to your early pictures showing them coming through near the carbs.

Do you think it's an LHD vs RHD thing?
 

RawlinSTR

Club Member
Thanks for looking into this Alan, some helpful info here!

Off the top of my head (I’ll have to check) I think the production date is August 73.

I do have the hole right next to the heater holes in the firewall that you can see in the video screenshot I posted along with that last image you posted.

As I said, I tried routing the choke cable I have through this hole and it came up too short so there’s definitely two configurations (as Johnny said).
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I do have the hole right next to the heater holes in the firewall that you can see in the video screenshot I posted along with that last image you posted.

As I said, I tried routing the choke cable I have through this hole and it came up too short so there’s definitely two configurations (as Johnny said).

Your August '73 date is right at the end of production for the HLS30U, so I reckon its a pretty good bet that the choke cables from an RS30 or RLS30 '260Z' will also be the right length for your car, which might help with your search. I'm sorry but I haven't got any used cables from that date. Good luck!
 

johnymd

Club Member
It does seam odd that they are not all the same. I don’t think I’ve ever Seen one (left or right) that doesn’t attach to the rocker cover bracket and therefore go through a hole on the right hand side. I have seen a few air filters with the rear bracket to hold the cables which would suggest these cable came through a hole on the left hand side. I’ll have to do a little more digging.
 
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