I am about to put the motor back into a 1949 Willy's pickup. It's been several years since I removed the motor. I can't remember where this cable attaches to. The rear end of the cable has a small steel ball attached to it to keep it from pulling through the frame. I don't think it has anything to do with the clutch. Any help would be appreciated.
The following is a couple of links to information regarding the Stay Cable. You are correct, it doesn't have anything to do with the clutch. The theory of the stay cable was to keep the drive train from shifting forward on its mounts in an emergency stop, preventing the cooling fan from making contact with the radiator.
My 46 is missing its cable also. The frame mount looks as if the cable exploded. Entirely possible, because it was used at one time of its life as a plow Heep. The front frame horns were also trashed. I think the only Heep that I have had in the shop with the cable intact was the M38A1.