C33 - Ancient and Modern

Durcott

Durcott

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 Jul 2006
Messages
194
Location
East Cowes, Isle of Wight
Visit site
Hi All,

The Morse cable in my mid 80's boat is unbranded Red 33C, but it is 'Made in Gt. Britain' and marked with a Metric length.

I just wondered, does anyone know where this might have come from?

Secondly, rather than visit every on-line shop on the web - where's the best place for buying new 33C from?

Ebay and Force 4 are actually looking quite good in terms of price, but I wonder if there's a better place for sourcing decent 33C and all the end fittings needed?

Jeff
 
Durcott said:
Hi All,

The Morse cable in my mid 80's boat is unbranded Red 33C, but it is 'Made in Gt. Britain' and marked with a Metric length.

I just wondered, does anyone know where this might have come from?

Secondly, rather than visit every on-line shop on the web - where's the best place for buying new 33C from?

Ebay and Force 4 are actually looking quite good in terms of price, but I wonder if there's a better place for sourcing decent 33C and all the end fittings needed?

Jeff
Click to expand...

Morse 33C is probably the most commonly used control cable. Readily available from most chandlers or marine engineers, although you may have to order it depending on the length.
 
Tranona said:
Morse 33C is probably the most commonly used control cable. Readily available from most chandlers or marine engineers, although you may have to order it depending on the length.
Click to expand...

Hi Tranona - thanks for that - I'm a little uncertain, as Morse now seems a generic term. Morse has gone as a company? So presumably there are 'good' and 'bad' Morse cables to be found?

Again - I'm not sure, but it struck me as odd that my old cables were unbranded.
 
If you are willing to splash a little extra cash, Quicksilver the Mercury/Marine people have some super duper morse type cables. They are thinner, can be bent into a tighter radius and are super slippery inside so have minimal resistance. If not as already said the standard red cables are readily available.

Pete
 
Durcott said:
Hi Tranona - thanks for that - I'm a little uncertain, as Morse now seems a generic term. Morse has gone as a company? So presumably there are 'good' and 'bad' Morse cables to be found?

Again - I'm not sure, but it struck me as odd that my old cables were unbranded.
Click to expand...
Teleflex was a British company and produced a range of products centred round a spiral over wrap flexible inner wire (think old car widow wiper wire) running in a tube which gave a push pull effect. This was an international company and during or after WW11 the overseas companies were sold off.
In the sixties an ex Perkins employee Bill Bailie started to import "Morse " control including the classic MT morse top mount control and the iconic 33c cable which used a piano wire in an armoured flexible conduit "Red Jacket" being the trade name and needed no manufacturer indetification. The 33c became the industry standard and most engines came dressed to fit them before that you had to buy your fittings to suit the engine.
Morse took over Teleflex uk and moved into their Basildon facility and produced a wide range of controls and cables including automotive aircraft and architectural (remote window openers).
Morse had been owned by a series of US investment companies and ironically ended up owned by the group that included Teleflex US and TX the Swedish company bring several competing manufactures under one roof.
So the short answer is that your cable most likely came from Basildon.
The original piano wire cable was subject to breaking at the swagging of the the rod end / piano wire usually do to incorrect adjustment usually the compession going through neutral being the culprit. There are now more efficient cable which use a more flexible inner core and having less drag than the piano wire version.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top