Throttle Cable .....Help.

[texascowboy]

Okay guys I had to put a new throttle cable bracket on my truck
and now the cable is in kinda of a bind. At first it did great but, now it wants to stick. Let me try to explain...coming off the firewall the cable goes straight
for about 2" and then it makes a half of a "U" shape and then goes back straight into the bracket....it does this cause the bracket will only work in the middle of the intake { edlebrock high rise intake } and it is in the squared
hole of the bracket that holds it in place.

Okay here is the ???? of the day, can the cable be cut, to shorten it to fit at the proper lengh?? And if so how?? And what do I use to keep it attatched to the carb?? Thanks in advance...TC ......

 

[The Carpenter]

anyway you can put up a pic? i don't know jack about intakes, but i've had to fabricate a few cables (not throttle cables)

 

[David Hall]

Post a picture or two so we can see the problem. Maybe squirting some wd40 in the cable might help. I wouldn't cut the cable to make it shorter as it may cause more problems. Mine uses a ball fitting on the carb linkage, some use a post and clip setup. I did buy Holley linkage adapters for the throttle and 700r4 cable. On a 700r4 the cable has to be just right or it will tear it up quickly.

http://www.holley.com/20-121.asp
http://www.holley.com/20-95.asp

 

[Pontiac1976]

Your using factory throttle cable, No do not cut the cable. You need to buy a bracket or make a bracket to bolt the throttle cable bracket to.

What carb are using and what edlebrock intake I forget.
What carb did the motor come with and what stock intake 2 or 4 bbl set up, what trans was backing it up 350, 700R4. What are you using for a trans.

As said a pic of the side that the cable is on what places you have to bolt the bracket would help.

 

[texascowboy]

Okay guys here are some pics, kinda of fuzzy....sorry about that
but as you can tell I found the problem, the cable is coming apart....its like a
braided wire in which its coming unbraided where it went through the firewall
and it got stuck when I pressed the throttle, anway got a new one and gonna put the new one on tommorow. As you can tell I can't put the bracket in the middle due where the carb is set up so when I put the cable back it will be in an awkward position but, hopefully it won't matter cause of the new cable. Any suggestions on any thing else would be helpful. Thanks TC

 

[texascowboy]

Forgot to tell ya that where the bracket sits its right against the firewall so that is why the cable will be in a "U" shape where it comes from the firewall
if ya'll see a different way I'd could use a head's up. Thanks again TC

 

[Pontiac1976]

Well you have spoted that it's no good. Good eye it should be ok if it pretty straight in line with each other the bend ok " As long as it not to sharp to casue a kink and you should get wide open throttle when it floored. If not you will have to get or make a bracket move the holding bracket in a better spot.

 

[texascowboy]

.....yeah buddy, got that cable changed out and then did some fine
tuning with the carb, took it out for a test spin and boy howdy ......I barley touch the pedal and that thing wants to let loose....I thought for sure I was gonna burn my new shoes everytime I took a corner.....




anyway found a new problem, anybody ever seen or heard of a spark plug
"cracking" my #1 plug was cracked ......I was rearranging my plug wires and
trying to keep them off the headers when I noticed it. what would cause this??

 

[cowboy357]

Happens a lot when You have Headers TC . Dont take Much to get them in a bind when Removing or installing the Plugs & Seems #1 cylinder is the tightest at Least with the Ones I,ve had , Best thing is if You can screw them in By hand & THEN Only snug them with the ratchet . Glad You got Your Cable figured out . , Bob

 

[texascowboy]

......okay checked the other plugs today and found another one,
this time it was on #4 and these are high $$ plug "champion"
does it really matter what brand of plug I use??? just as long as they are gapped right is shouldn't matter right??


hey "cowboy357" how ya doing??? where ya been??

 

[cowboy357]

Doin good TC . Been Busy Cleanin up Storm Damage . Nothin Serious just ,more of a pain then anything, thanks for Askin .

Yep dont Really matter which Plugs , & More then Likelly They were cracked on install, Sometimes its hard not to do OR be able to tell unless the Plug starts out firing , Ussually doesn,t hurt the way the Plug fires to the Cyliner unless its Reall bad . I Got so sick of Changin the Darn Things I Started Rappin Ductape round the Plug. Finally Just took the Headers or & Replaces with sheephorn Exhaust Manifolds . Just Try to Be Carefull Puttin Em in & You,ll Problly be Fine from now on That Your aware of it . Best of Luck .

 

[texascowboy]

......"cowboy357", man are ya'll ok?? I totally forgot about the storms
no major damage I hope?? Everyone safe?? Will keep ya'll in our prayers.


Anyway thanks for the heads up on the plugs, gonna go get some ac/delo plugs and run them besides, as long as I gap em right they should last just as long. Only thing I'm worried about is if how much of a difference it will cause the motor to run, if any? Also thinking about re doing my exhaust, right now it runs stright out the back, I think I might have them dumped .....just to get that little extra sound.

 

[David Hall]

Glad to hear you fixed the throttle cable problem. The AC plugs should be fine, and being new, the engine might run alittle smoother.

In tight places on mine I use just the socket and a wrench (no ratchet) on the end. And in extreme situations I have use just a wrench. When using a ratchet next to a header it might bind and crack the plug. Install a extention to move the rachet out and away from the header.

 

[texascowboy]

yeah I got a few that I can't even get the rachet on....This time I didn't even use the rachet. I put the new ones in using my hands and then used a "L" shaped wrench to just barley tighten them.

Okay new ???? for ya what would cause the "emergency brake light" light
come on when the pedal is not pushed in?? I checked under the truck and the cable is not in any kind of bind. Is this a warning sign for something else?
BTW this is on my 83 chevy and just started today.

 

[David Hall]

TC, there are two switches that will make that light come on.

1. There is a small switch bolted to the emer. brake housing, it's located at the top near the firewall. When the pedal is depressed it makes a ground through the emer. brake housing causing the light to come on. Indicating emer. brake is ingaged.

2. The second switch is located within the brake proportioning valve, it's located on and behind the front frame crossmember. The valve has a tan wire that plugs onto it. Usually when there is a leak in the brake system this switch will make the light come on. When the switch in the br. pro. valve senses the valve has to compensate too much (fluid loss, sometimes when bleeding the whole system) it will trigger the light.

 

[texascowboy]

....Thanks david, but I dont think its that.....

was talking with another friend of mine and he thinks it might be a warning
for the master cylinder going bad.....
I do hear a strange sound coming from the front when I apply the brake pedal and the brakes are really hard to press. Have you ever heard of this???

Thanks in advance...

 

[David Hall]

TC, the light is doing its job then. It is sensing a problem within the brake system, most likely the fluid is low. Check the master cylinder fluid level and then bleed the whole system. Also check the vaccum line going to the booster, possibly could be left off when you were installing the throttle cable. If the booster is not assisting, the brake pedal will be very hard.

Bleed RR, LR, RF then LF.

 

[cowboy357]

Thanks TC , Yep Alls fine here till the Next storm, . Looks Like Davids Pretty well has You covered on the Brake Problem , as Ussual Great info .

If all seems to be Hooked up like it Should be , But The Pedals hard & Yer Hearing a Swushing sound when applying the Brakes, Then the Booster itself is Probablly bad , IMO . Probablly the diaphram is Leaking .

Ussually that is Caused from the Master cylinder Leaking out the Rear Seal & into the booster Causing Damage to it . You Will Ussually be able to tell if the Master cylinder keeps loosing a little Fluid without no Noticable Exterior leaks . Most Times its Best to Replace as a Unit. Master Cylinder & Booster & Most Parts houses are selling them that way now. Best of Luck . , Bob

 

[texascowboy]

.....Thanks "dh".....the master cylinder has plenty of fluid and we bleed the system and replaced the vaccum line this morning everything was good until I drove it down the road and then the stupid light came right back on.

..hey "cowboy357" glad to hear everything is good....
I don't have any fluid loss or at least none that I can see....
and the sound that I'm hearing isn't a swushing sound its more like a ruff metal rubbing on metal sound but its not all the time.

also is it necssary to replace the booster if I do the master cylinder???

once again thanks to the both of you guys for all the help.

 

[David Hall]

once again thanks to the both of you guys for all the help.

No problem, thats why we come here right?

I think I would pull the wheels and have a look. Is the sound coming from the front? It's not very common but I have seen the lining on the brake pad break loose and even fall out.