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Play in throttle cable

C

Chris_T

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Would some of you mind climbing under your dash and looking to see how much play, if any, you have between the gas pedal when it is pulled all the way up and the throttle cable? I've got at least 1/4 to 1/2" extra play in the cable. Made me wonder if I'm able to open the throttle on the carb wide open.

To test, I took a small pair of vice grips and took up the slack - brought the pedal a lot higher. I made a quick run up and down the highway and it felt like there was more oomph with the vice grips on than off, but that could have been imaginary (I didn't have someone to actually check on the carb for me in the driveway).

I have a Q-jet and an Edlebrock performer intake. If I'm not mistaken, I bought the Edlebrock bracket that lifts the cable mount on the intake a little higher to compensate for the increase in the manifold's height, but it was long enough ago that I'm not 100%. Some time when I have a second pair of hands I'll see if the pedal to the floor with the current amount of slack will allow me to go WOT.
 
I had some play in a new cable I had installed. To cure it I took a crimp on fishing lure and put it on the cable where it hooks to the pedal linkage. Worked great. Not sure if that's you're problem but check it out. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
i have the same problem on my 72. i'm trying to figure out what type of lure you used to crimp the cable, i guess i'm having a hard time visualizing what you did, i'm wondering if you could use a large split shot weight as well? don't know if it would slip or not?
 
I'm not thinking lure .. more like a lead sinker. They come in various sizes, round and oblong and you crip them around fishing line with a rubber insert (at least the ones I'm thinking of) I knew those days fishing as a kid would pay off.
 
i fish all the time and now i know exactly what you're talking about. makes sense. don't know why i didn't think of it. usually called a split shot weight here in okla. thanks for the idea!
 
Man if You were using a piece of lead as a Lure, no wonder You did'nt catch much! LMAO! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif
 
I'll reply to Steve with my next question, 'cause I'm sure he'll have some insight.

Would this slack in the cable affect my 700R4's shifting at WOT. While doing the aforementioned seat of the pants Vice-grip test, I came off an on-ramp at WOT with the vice grips and it held me in 3rd till I let up. Doing the same on the return trip without the vice grips, just before 70, the tranny decides to shift up, resulting into a high rpm surge (sounds like it went into neutral) and a bang! as it hit 4th.

I'm thinking that if the throttle isn't fully open, the TV cable isn't being fully extended - make sense? That was the only time I recall that ever happening, scared the hell out of me, thought I was in for a new tranny. (though I might still be as I have this strange vibration/rattle when I let up of the gas and go from drive to coast, that is as of yet diagnosed)
 
The fishing sinker worked great. I looked at the 'sink shot' round style and decided that one weight was not going to be enough, so I kept looking, remembering rubber core oval sinkers I used as a kid. I managed to find some and bought an assortment of sizes. Worked great - after removing the rubber core you're left with a groove that just needed opened up a little to clear the cable and I was able to find one of an almost perfect size.

Now I've got a bunch of extras .. anyone wanna go fishing?
 
Chris, I'm thinking that once you get the slack taken care of in the cable (by split-shot sinkers, bending the rod, messing with the mounts, whatever...) you will need to readjust the TV cable. That *should* take care of this problem. The state that it was in before, the tranny thought that oyu had more throttle opening than you were running...
 
That's what I thought too. IIRC, I set the TV cable from under the hood, opening the throttle by hand right on the carb. I'm going to check it again and maybe play with it a click or two at a time.

Thanks Steve
 
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