Tips for removing throttle cable?

[Trevor B]

'73 Duster 318
I've got the Lokar throttle/kickdown/bracket and am stumped by something probably quite simple: I cannot get the retainer clip on the inside of the firewall off to pull the old cable (gas pedal side)!

This hateful little clip will not budge and I'm almost out of knuckle skin.

I'd like to remove the original equipment without destroying all or part of it.

What is the secret?

 

[younggun2.0]

take the two nuts off on the engine side of the firewall and get it up on the bench where you can work on it comfortably. i use an open ended wrench on the open side of the clip and give it a smack with a dead blow.

 

[mopar head]

Did you wack off any part of that arm?
I`m using a 72 c body pedal on a project and that little plastic cap just should pop out of there and this allows the cable ball end to slide up the slot and out.
There is a concaved C clip in the mix there also.
Best to do what younggun suggested, then you can see what`s going on.

 

[krazykuda]

i use an open ended wrench on the open side of the clip and give it a smack with a dead blow.

I've used a wide flat blade screwdriver to remove the C-clip also...

 

[Trevor B]

Thanks all - got the old cable out and installed the Lokar bracket and cable.
It feels good but for some reason the throttle is not returning all the way. I can pull it back by hand. Lokar's return springs don't seem strong enough.
There's not supposed to be any slack at all when the throttle is at rest, right?

 

[krazykuda]

Thanks all - got the old cable out and installed the Lokar bracket and cable.
It feels good but for some reason the throttle is not returning all the way. I can pull it back by hand. Lokar's return springs don't seem strong enough.
There's not supposed to be any slack at all when the throttle is at rest, right?

I get the "Help" spring assortment and use one of those for my return and kickdown spring. They are stronger.

No it should pull back all the way by just the springs... Make sure that your cable is adjusted properly and not preventing it from closing all the way...

Try to disconnect the lokar throttle cable, leave the return spring on the carb, then cycle the carb and see if the spring can completely close the carb all the way to the idle stop...

If not there may be a binding in the carb base.

If it can close all the way without the throttle cable connected, then it is not a strong enough spring, or the cable not adjusted properly or binding...

Try disconnecting and reconnecting until you can figure out which part is causing the problem and then isolate from there... :violent1:

 

[diymirage]

what motor are you running and did you trim the cable at all ?

I run a V8 with a cheaper then lokar throttle cable and I trimmed it down to about 6 inches on the outer cable

be very carefull not to remove the ferule from the cable, but slide it further on (if its the same as their kickdown cable)

 

[TrailBeast]

Also know that the Lokar cables are not lubed when new and they bind in the cable housing.
This is probably what the problem is with yours since every Lokar installed has this problem.
A shot of silicone spray, or better yet dry graphite makes them work really nice.

Sure you could put a garage door spring on it but it's going to chaff the cable as well as make the throttle harder to push.

Take it or leave it, but this is just the way it is with Lokar cables.
Lube it and that problem will go away.

 

[Trevor B]

Thanks everyone.

The cable is not too tight and when I disconnected it, the carb snapped closed all the way the way it should. I lubed the throttle cable with dry graphite (running it through a paper towel full of it as I fed it through from the gas pedal side.

If I have the throttle 1/2 open and snap my foot off the gas, it will return all the way, but if I gradually take off pressure, it will still stop with around an 1/8" to go. I can ease the pedal up with my foot while coasting and it will return to its lowest idle.

I've got a bigger spring on there now, using the original bracket on the front of the engine but you've got to put a bit of manliness into the gas pedal. I'd love for this thing to work as it should!

Any other thoughts?

 

[AJ/FormS]

Well if it returns,by lifting the pedal, it seems to me the pedal is causing it

 

[Trevor B]

Yeah, I thought so too. The pivot looked a little brown/rusty but not bad. I sprayed some WD40 in there...