Throttle Cable BS Mod

[Bill Ellis]

I looked at mine last night and all I can say is this is a bunch of BS. There is no slack in the cable unless you RAISE the pedal. Under normal gravity conditions the weight of the pedal takes all slack out of the cable so when you push the pedal you do get instant reponse already. All you are doing here is moving the pedal closer to the driver's seat which is no different than moving the seat forward. You don't get better anything by doing that. You are only fooling your foot and brain because the pedal is closer than it used to be. After some time, you will adjust and "Learn" to drive just like you used to. This mod is right up there with the TBS and Tornado-cut-up-beer-can votex generator. We used to do the same thing years ago by just loosening the spring tension in the throttle. Made the gas pedal easier to push which made it feel like you were getting better performance. All you'll do with this is use more gas and then complain louder about high gas prices.

 

[ted moore]

i agree.

 

[Casper S]

Bill, You are absolutely correct in most of what you proclaim. However, if for some reason the cable is too long, stretched, or elsewise not correct for some reason it would or could make a difference at the throttle body. In my case, I now enjoy being able to hop in my wife's Pathfinder and not jerk her head off upon first acceleration. There is absolutely NO play or delay in her peddle. And now there is absolutely none in the Trac now. Both react the same. So if it is a mind thing, or adjustment correction that your brain accepts and likes then I'm for it. It helped me and hopefully others, and that all that counts.

 

[Dale Carter]

I think the advantage is that the stretched cable does not open the throttle as much. By inserting the ties, thus shortening the cable, you open the throttle farther.



I am trying it today. It makes sense to me. Years ago a friend bought a Cobra kit car that the owner complained wasn't as quick as he thought it should be. He was probably right because the throttle cable was incorrectly installed and the butterflys were only opening about 50%. A few turns of the wrench later and the Cobra ran like the proverbial bat.

 

[Michael Cacioppo]

To my knowledge, it was the pre '03's that had the throttle cable issue. '03's and up should be fine.

 

[Tom Higbee]

I found that it will downshift much quicker now. So, it must be hitting that point better. Sometimes I had to punch it twice to get the tranny to kick down into passing gear! It did something!!

 

[Bill Ellis]

Yes trtex, it did something. It moved the pedal forward so it is closer to your seat. Could have done the same thing by moving your seat forward. Of course, that would reduce leg room. People keep talking about slack when they raise the pedal. So what! there is no slack when the pedal is in it's normal position. Some of you guys need to buy some gas saver magnets and make this mod complete.

 

[Jeff C]

...the fact that you could move the pedal closer to the seat indicates that you had slack. It won't be like loose wire, but it won't be completely taught.

 

[Tom Higbee]

Bill-E,

The cable had stretched some...this moving the seat thing may be the way you see it..I could always reach the floor with the peddle....I don't think the throttle was fully opening and the tranny wasn't kicking down like it use to....that's why I had to hit it twice sometimes...I don't anymore...and as far as the magnet thing, ect...that's was uncalled for....

 

[Dale Carter]

If the cable is stretched, mashing the pedal to the floor may not open the intake completely. Moving the seat forward doesn't have any effect, so Bill E apparently didn't read my previous post.



Besides the magnets only work if you also install a Tornado. :lol:

 

[Cory Richards]

So have we decided that this mod isn't for everyone. Mainly for people who believe, for whatever reason, that they have too much slack in the throttle cable.

 

[Yardsale]

Bill-E - I hear your mother calling you ...

 

[Tom Higbee]

Think of the pedal as a lever and a fulcrum..but it only can travel a certain distance because of the floor. Now add a certain length cable that is pulling something...the throttle....a specified distance. Now add 1 inch to that cable...length plus 1 inch...the distance the lever can travel is still the same....to the floor...but now that specified distance it is pulling is 1 inch more.....it can't go that extra distance.....because of the floor. Perhaps mine was just a fraction of an inch short of the entire distance it needs to travel and when I double hit the pedal to get it to downshift normally it may have traveled that extra fraction of an inch...but now it will pull the required distance...that is until the cable stretches to far again. IF WORKS FOR ME!!

 

[Wes Davis]

It seems if two people were to get together and look at this thing we could get the definitive answer. One under the hood and one on the pedal. Step on the pedal use a sharpee on the throttle body and mark a reference point. Add the spacers step on the pedal use a sharpee on the throttle body and mark your new reference point. Case closed either way. Doesn't anyone here have a dyno in their basement. LOL

 

[Todd Z]

Me, I did exactly that, and all I did was tweak the throttle bracket when I installed my TBS and I still have slack at the pedal, BUT when my foot is to the floor the throttle plate is at 100%wot. I am sure as the cable stretches i will need to tweak it more...If i took out all the slack, I would definitely damage something if i try to push the pedal to the floor...

Todd Z

 

[Tom Higbee]

I didn't take ALL the slack out... I could get another tie or two on there...it just shortened it up enought to now go the full distance.....as it did when it was new and unstretched....it reacts better than it did before the ties.....the same thing happens on my boat cables....you adjust the slack till finally it can not be adjusted anymore and a new cable must be used.....no place to put the ties on!!!!