Technical throttle cable do's & don'ts

in light of a recent thread about a truck trying to kill it's driver, how about some throttle cable tech? after a quick search i didn't find anything like what i'm trying to accomplish here, but i did find a lot of broken cable threads. i don't personally have any tech to add, but i want to learn and i'm sure a lot of other guys do too. so...... how did you mount your cable? why? pics please. what should never be done? why?
thanks.

 

Do, double return springs on the carburetor throttle arm.
Do not pinch the cable, allow firewall clearance.
Check the gas pedal for binding. the pedal should pull the cable straight from its casing. (I will get an image of this)
On hard linkage make sure there is firewall clearance during engine movement.
Use a dry type graphite lubrication on the cable before assembly.
Carb and gas pedal cable mounts should be very sturdy with NO flex.

 

What Rick said, and check grounds between the engine/frame/battery etc. I've dealt with cables welding themselves into the housing at the wrong time in the wrong position!

 

IF you have to make a bend, use the largest possible radius. Loops are OK. Tight S bends are not.
Check the cable periodically by unhooking it at the carb and pulling the cable in out to check for roughness. A cable strand breaks and digs into the jacket, eventually binding. If the cable doesn't operate smoothly, replace it.
Lube the cable with dry lube at least yearly
Carry a spare cable if possible

 

Use brake line and make linkage.Don't use a cable.

 

here's my SBC W/ tri power. All three carb bases have spring returns built in and I use a return spring on the primary. You can see the cable is straight in line and the pedal is in line with the cable inside.

 

not sure what you mean by "use brake line"

 

Boot laces double as throttle cables.

 

how did you mount your cable bracket? doesn't look like it's mounted to the rear carb.

 

i think i remember that day! the Lane automotive show?

 

This is a great idea for a thread and very useful information. I have been looking at cable ideas for my project but have never used one before. Considering a Lokar cable and peddle setup. Does anyone have a sample of how they use them?

 

btt

 

Yes. Fixing the truck in the parking lot...with borrowed tools.

 

Nope, I mounted it to the firewall right in line with the gas pedal. Sorry I don't have a pic. of that and I've sold the car.

 

As in thin-wall tubing normally used to convey brake fluid to wheel cylinders or calipers?

 

i'm running dual quads on my plymouth and the rear carb is not far from the fire wall, so i thought about using the firewall for the engine side cable bracket. i can't see any issue with that am i missing anything there?

 

These guys have great stuff! http://www.controlcables.com/control-cables-vt-10-16/

 

As the engine moves in relation to the firewall, that pulls on your cable, opening the throttle ...

 

I have used Lokar cables in the past, and have had one fail. It always happens at the worst time. I now build my own mechanical linkage, rods,joints, etc. I like the feel at the pedal much better than a cable. But thats just me.

 

With a manual transmission, if the throttle sticks you just de-clutch. no problem.
I remember reading about an accident when Chevy was having problems with broken V8 motor mounts on the drivers side. Woman made a turn and the motor mount broke and the motor torqued and pulled the throttle wide open and pulled the vacuum hose out of the brake booster. She survived, but GM had a lawsuit.

 

how is that any different than a mechanical rod linkage

 

See also the "my truck tried to kill me" thread.

 

A quick search for images turned up:



So yeah, if the motor can move, that would also allow it to pull on the throttle. With a cable mounted to the motor, it can't. Only a problem if a motor mount breaks. But if you're building with a cable, it would seem somewhat safer to mount it to the motor, not to the firewall.

 

I have a solid rod with joints on each end now. Was thinking with a firewall mount peddle and cable setup I might pickup an inch or two of foot room. My engine is mounted solid with a motor plate but, I do have concerns about throttle cable failure.

 

- Thanks for link

 

so mounted to the firewall is about the same as a rod style linkage. mounted to the carb offers a little more safety. trouble is, unless you have enough cable housing to allow for full movement of a broken motor mount you'll just rip it loose and still hang the throttle open. a loop might solve that problem but that creates more friction and possibly a broken cable in time. does that sound about right?

 

Yep, sounds about right.

 

Yes ... More so 1/4 to 5/16 steel line.What I've seen with cable kits are at best feeble.Torque straps are your friend. Hot Rods don't use cables....smile.

 

I was just searching for something unrelated and came across this. Not to poke fun but thought you could all see the irony in it all.

 

Are you using brake line to route cable? Or as mechanical rod linkage?