FREE modification to make your S feel more responsive

[frontfloater]

This is a very simple tip which will make your S feel faster, more responsive and less tiring to drive at zero cost. It takes about 10 seconds, and is fully reversible if you don't like how it feels.

Unclip the secondary throttle return spring from its little hole, as arrowed in the photo. It is unnecessary - I've been driving mine for over 20 years like this, and never had the slightest problem with the throttle sticking. Make sure that the coiled primary springs, shown at bottom-left of the photo, are oiled and turning freely before doing this.

If you don't like how the car feels afterwards, it's a 10-second fix to put it back - but I think you'll be surprised what a big difference it makes to how the car feels. On occasions when engineers have replaced mine, thinking it had come off accidentally, the car immediately felt sluggish and far less pleasant to drive.



And now he waits for the purist backlash ... ¦:¬)

BOB

[GreenV8S]

frontfloater said:

I think you'll be surprised what a big difference it makes to how the car feels.

Not a purist, but I don't like the sound of that. I suppose it'd make the throttle pedal slightly lighter. If you prefer a lighter pedal you might see that as a good thing. It does mean your throttle return has a single point of failure, and is more vulnerable to sticking if the cable wears or jams. Neither of these total deal breakers but still a negative IMO.

One of the things I find makes the biggest difference is aligning the cable correctly at the bulkhead and setting the pedal height. That address problems of excessive friction/wear in the cable, and a uncomfortable heal-and-toe position.

[Penelope Stopit]

Great find, so simple yet big changes

[Ceejay73]

Sorry but that "secondary throttle return spring" should not be there, should never have been there and is probably a bodge done by somebody previously due to something sticking in the past.
If the throttle closes properly without it connected do yourself a favour, remove it completely and throw it away so that it looks tidier and not bodged.

Cheers,
Carl.

[phillpot]

What Carl said, non original and shouldn't be there.

Ford built the engines, not TVR, they wouldn't bodge a spring under a plenum bolt like that!

[BIG DUNC]

I expect that in the past someone has used the car for sprinting or some other kind of motor sport and has done this because the regs say you need two throttle return springs.

However, even if you want an extra spring, but don't like it heavy, then fit a lighter spring.

[frontfloater]

If the spring wasn't original equipment, what is the small hole for? It appears to have no other purpose. And given that the car has been serviced by at least 8 different TVR specialists during my ownership, surely at least one of those would have spotted it as being non-original and mentioned that? Those who serviced the car included Richard Thorpe at RT Racing, Central TVR, and most recently Heath at X-Works (who was one of several engineers who re-attached the spring). The engine also had a rebuild by Ford experts Specialised Engines, and had under-bonnet work done by the factory many years ago. So these were not unknowledgable chaps. But not one of them even mentioned the spring, nor suggested that it shouldn't be there.

To my knowledge the car was never used for motorsport. It was the 1989 press car, registered by Haughins and given to "Fast Lane" among others to test.

BOB

Edited by frontfloater on Thursday 22 August 18:55

[GreenV8S]

I don't know whether the spring you're showing was original but it is very common for mechanical throttles to have two return springs.

[TVRees]

frontfloater said:

If the spring wasn't original equipment, what is the small hole for?

I also think that this is not original, mine does not have one and it does seem too much of a bodge for Ford, as mentioned below.

Weight reduction is important on all sports cars, so with the hole and no spring that's a win win situation.

[phillpot]

frontfloater said:

If the spring wasn't original equipment, what is the small hole for?

Someone drilled it so they could fit an auxiliary spring? Possibly a bodge to overcome a fraying throttle cable that was beginning to stick?


Standard set up has a spring here.........


Because I got shot of all that gubbins I added an extra spring (yes, I drilled the hole)

Edited by phillpot on Thursday 22 August 20:32

[spitfire4v8]

It's a long time since I even saw a V6S never mind worked on one, but surely there are 2 return springs anyway? One on the remote linkage bit mentioned previously, and one on the actual throttle body ?

[mrufcs1]

I have the 2.8 engine so maybe not too relevant but they have a similar spring....

I had 2x2.8 Capri's (same engine) in my youth and they didn't have one.

I also had an XR4x4 (same engine) which did have one.

The Capri's both suffered from sticky/notchy by throttle cable and I was always trying to lubricate and re-align it. The position of the linkage on the engine of the k-jet system always made me think it was designed for a left hand drive car and certainly in the Capri the cable route was very convoluted to get it to where it needed to be which was part of the problem in my opinion.

I had the cable on the TVR stick on a 360deg slip road, the resulting stains in my under garments are an indicator of the need for the spring !

[Bercilac]

Just one return spring on my S1 and it needs to be replaced as it is a bit rusty and baggy. I was messing with it yesterday.

I've only had a return spring fail once and that was on a 1969 MGB GT with an Aldon 1950cc unit and single 45 DCOE. I replaced it with two slightly weaker springs so I had some redundancy in the system.

[dontuna]

Hi. New to the group. I have an S2 and thought that I would check to see if I would have some quick tweak improvement. I don't have the spring. There isn't even a pre drilled hole. Is there a reason some do and some don't have this spring? Image attached in case I am missing something

[phillpot]

dontuna said:

Image attached in case I am missing something

Yes I think you are!

As said early, none of them had one, it's a modification someone has done.

[dontuna]

Thanks for clarification.

[GreenV8S]

If you already have two springs as standard, I don't see any need for the third one.

Another thing that can make a big difference is a throttle pedal stop. It is a bit crazy that the car doesn't have one as standard.

[robsco]

The Rover V8 engined cars have two springs as well, I take one spring off and keep it in the car as a spare. Much lighter, more pleasant pedal feel.

[Classic Chim]

Two springs on RV cars offer better mpg

I must be in the minority of people who like my firm pedal feel.

My 2.9 S which was my first and best Tvr,, I’ve only had two had a firm feel too, I thought it was Tvr’s way of saying “ are you sure you want to press that thing right now “ a sort of safety device

[richard sails]

It will almost certainly have been added for Sprinting or hill climbing as a previous poster said