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View Full Version : Throttle linkage??? (Hey, 49-54 Chevy dudes!)


Fat Hack
03-26-2004, 08:42 AM
What do y'all do for throttle linkage on these cars?

(1949-54 Chevys with non-Stovebolt motors in 'em???)

I repaired the broken hinge on my stock pedal, then sat there trying to figure out a way to make it work with a v-block engine. I came up with something that looks like it will work okay, but I can't believe that everyone else does it THAT way!

What I did, was to start by sawing the little "ball" end and a small shoulder section off of the tip of the original steel throttle rod. The original rod was like 1/2" thick and weighed a ton...I drilled and tapped the ball stud to fit onto a 1/4" steel rod then set it aside.

Then, I took the little "L" shaped cast bellcrank and it's mounting stud thingy off of the 216 block and cleaned 'em up a bit. After holding it every which way and working it while looking under the hood of the car, I figured out a way to make it work.

I made up a 90 degree bracket and bolted it to the angled downward slope of the firewall on the engine side. The stud thingy bolts to that bracket, and the "L" shaped bellcrank is now hooked to a 1/4" rod that goes through the firewall and has the ball stud screwed onto the end to mate up with the stock, hinged pedal. The bellcrank converts the back and forth motion of the pedal into an up and down action. A rod traveling up the firewall to another bell crank set-up will work either a cable or a rod hooked to the carb.

The pedal travels maybe an inch and a half to two inches from where the "idle" position would be to "floored". I wasn't sure that this would be enough travel, but after paying attention to how the pedal in my daily driver worked last night, I realized that I only move the pedal maybe a quarter to a half inch in normal driving.

(Although that car has a "hanging" gas pedal that you operate with the tip of your foot while resting your heel on the floor, and the Chevy has a hinged pedal that you can operate with the bulk of your foot while resting your heel on the floor near the base, if that makes a difference?)

Just kinda curious as to how most of you 49-54 Chev guys worked out the throttle linkage and gas pedals in your cars...I can't believe that everyone does it the way that I did!!!

raven
03-26-2004, 09:52 AM
I cheated...I used a hang-down cable version...
r

Rocky
03-26-2004, 09:57 AM
I was happy to ditch the old mechanical linkage for a cable type. I've had the old stone=age linkage-rod style bind up and bust a tranny.. also went for a WILD full throttle ride in a 58 Cameo one because of the same thing.
I had an 85 Plymouth Horizon junker I scavenged the throttle cable/pedal from. About any make will work but if you're running an automatic, watch for correct ratio for your TV cable actuation.

burger
03-26-2004, 10:00 AM
I stole the firewall bulkhead and throtle spoon (?) from an '83 Riviera, ground the spoon to fit the stock Chebby pedal, and used the cable setup from the Rivi to operate a Holley 4160. I picked up a little bracket at Pep Boys to make things work on the carb end. Cables are sooooo much easier than messing with rods.

Ed

RileyRacing
03-26-2004, 10:21 AM
That'd be the easiest, and safest way to do it, run a cable setup. IDK if I still have the one from the "parts" car 300 my dad bought, but if you want I can check.

I thought for sure you were gonna run a rope "hand throttle" to go for the epitome of cheapness effect. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Jay

Tman
03-26-2004, 10:34 AM
Mine has a GM? Pedal and cable linkage. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel!