Here is a fix for the broken interface between the plastic threaded holder and the cable housing for your Honda Pacific Coast PC800 choke cable. You can use a bit of rubber fuel line or similar hose cut lengthwise and some hose clamps to repair the broken threaded holder well enough to keep riding for years to come.
Ben J. from the PC800 Facebook group came up with this great fix recently. The PC800 community has been working for a while to find a new supplier to produce these choke cables for our PC800s but the square pull end is hard to replicate. So until we figure out how to get new cables made, here is what Ben J. did to get his choke working again.
Ben J. says:
My solution to the common broken choke cable, Holds in place and remains flexible and easy to do just 1/4 in fuel line and two clamps!
Thanks Ben J.!
Here you can see the finished product. He found some tube that was the right size, cut it lengthwise, used a couple hose clamps, and is back in business!
Here’s a view of the hose going on.
Here’s a photo of the break on Ben J.’s bike. Some people have the threaded plastic part broken instead of the interface between the cable and the threaded plastic part. This method might work for that as well.
You can go to this link on Facebook to see a video of the finished product on Ben J.’s bike.
Other folks have had some luck using epoxy, plastic weld, or JB weld to bond the plastic threaded part together if that’s where your break is.
We’re hoping to find a replacement cable vendor who can recreate this cable assembly in the next few years. When that happens, I’ll update this post with a link to that.
For reference, the part numbers that cover this cable are:
- 17950-MR5-010ZA
- 17950-MR5-870
- 17950-MR5-870A
- 17950-MR5-870B
You can find the part on the PC800 parts microfiche for more details here.
Hi Douglas, Eric J in Sacramento, here. In fiddling with my new PC800 I cleverly broke this choke cable housing piece that is subject of this article. Poor design IMHO because it was jammed against the handlebar tube(?). My choke lever still works, but I am happy to see 1) a fix and 2) that this is a common failure point. I’m posting to see whether there has been any development in finding a new source for the plastic part. If not, I’d be happy to reach out to Clauss Studios, a guy who has some plastic manufacturing facility and also happens to be into vintage two wheeled contraptions – among many other things he fabricates a bunch of Fuji Rabbit plastic parts which is another project I have languishing, but that just illustrates his level of interest in obscuritirata/unobtainium. Let me know and kind regards. -eric (torquaise@gmail.com)
Howdy Eric!
Unfortunately we haven’t made any additional progress on a new cable source. It’s been on the back burner the last year or two with all the COVID craziness. The main issue is finding a square pull handle that’s the right size. The cable vendors I’ve talked to only have round pull handles that won’t work in that space. I’ve considered potentially making a pull handle out of laser-cut and laminated ABS but haven’t pursued it yet.
Currently our best source is to find used ones on eBay that don’t appear to be broken. Not an ideal solution though.
Cheers,
Douglas
Has someone tried to adapt another choke cable to the PC? Just a quick search on google shows multiple Dual Carburetor choke cables. Without actually pulling mine off the most likely candidate seems to be from a snowmobile.
Howdy, Edward!
Some folks have adapted choke cables from other vehicles to a PC. The main issue is that no one has found a choke cable with a square pull head that’s the right size. So then people end up with a round choke cable pull head sticking up in the middle of their handlebars. It’s not the end of the world but many people don’t like that look versus the stock look.
Cheers,
Douglas
Thanks Douglas,
Would you happen to have any more information that would pertain to adapting another choke cable. If anyone has done so successfully I am sure others would like to read about it. I know I would love to see a how to on making a different choke cable work on the PC.