Throttle Cable - Do you carry a spare?
Discussion
Recently had my throttle cable break about miles from home and although I had a spare in the boot I didn't have the tools with me to fit one.
Called out RAC who sent an independent garage and they had to remove the throttle pedal and open up the slot (allegedly crimped closed by the factory) to fit the new cable.
The mechanic told me he's been told he had to fix the car as they didn't have a low loader to put my car on available until the following day and I was up on the Epynt Army ranges in the welsh beacons.
I was surprised at where the cable broke, just near the nipple at the pedal end.
Just wondered how many of you have had a throttle cable break and were you carrying a spare?
Called out RAC who sent an independent garage and they had to remove the throttle pedal and open up the slot (allegedly crimped closed by the factory) to fit the new cable.
The mechanic told me he's been told he had to fix the car as they didn't have a low loader to put my car on available until the following day and I was up on the Epynt Army ranges in the welsh beacons.
I was surprised at where the cable broke, just near the nipple at the pedal end.
Just wondered how many of you have had a throttle cable break and were you carrying a spare?
I have never had one actually break as I was lucky to spot a problem with about three strands of wire to go. Mine was wearing at the plenum end where it emerges from the outer cable, not easy to see as it is under one of the throttle springs.
I carry a Halfords replacement pushbike brake cable which comes as a kit with spare nipples.
As above I had to remove the pedal as the nipple is clenched in place.
I carry a Halfords replacement pushbike brake cable which comes as a kit with spare nipples.
As above I had to remove the pedal as the nipple is clenched in place.
(at least with the TVR you can open the door, with a Caterham your feet are just stuck up in the air 
)Tyre Tread said:
.................I was surprised at where the cable broke, just near the nipple at the pedal end.................
The most common place for the break.The factory crimp the slot shut presumeably to prevent the cable jumping out but in doing so prevent the cable end from swivelling. The lack of movement then means the cable has to bend beside the nipple every time the throttle is pressed.
When I change a cable I don't crimp the pedal and have not had a customer come back complaining the cable has come off.
Steve
Steve_D said:
The most common place for the break.
The factory crimp the slot shut presumeably to prevent the cable jumping out but in doing so prevent the cable end from swivelling. The lack of movement then means the cable has to bend beside the nipple every time the throttle is pressed.
When I change a cable I don't crimp the pedal and have not had a customer come back complaining the cable has come off.
Steve
Yeah. If it’s tensioned correctly it should not come out surely. Only to much free play could cause that. The factory crimp the slot shut presumeably to prevent the cable jumping out but in doing so prevent the cable end from swivelling. The lack of movement then means the cable has to bend beside the nipple every time the throttle is pressed.
When I change a cable I don't crimp the pedal and have not had a customer come back complaining the cable has come off.
Steve
I spend time getting throttle cables set so I only have a very small amount of free play on motorbikes as it’s really hard to judge when the powers going to come in with a loose throttle cable. I spend valuable moments trying to take up the slack with my wrist. It wants to be sharpe and direct as possible. I have 2 mm movement at most.
It’s made me want to get my Tvr cable set perfectly now. Lol
A cable oiler is a great tool
Mines knackered so just use a plastic bag and elastic band
I do carry a spare, but only the inner cable (plus a selection of small spanners and pliers etc).
However, my local TVR agent lubricated the linkage at the plenum end, just after I bought the car, and I ran some PTFE lubricant inside the cable sleeve, which freed up pedal movement nicely, and no doubt increased cable longevity.
However, my local TVR agent lubricated the linkage at the plenum end, just after I bought the car, and I ran some PTFE lubricant inside the cable sleeve, which freed up pedal movement nicely, and no doubt increased cable longevity.
Sir Paolo said:
I do carry a spare, but only the inner cable (plus a selection of small spanners and pliers etc).
However, my local TVR agent lubricated the linkage at the plenum end, just after I bought the car, and I ran some PTFE lubricant inside the cable sleeve, which freed up pedal movement nicely, and no doubt increased cable longevity.
This ^ mine is just a bicycle brake cable kit with various drums and nipples, the trick to long life is making sure the cable is not stressed on full throttle mine is old as the hills at least 20 years old I would imagine , I also have a new old stock full cable because it was cheap on Ebay about 10 years ago However, my local TVR agent lubricated the linkage at the plenum end, just after I bought the car, and I ran some PTFE lubricant inside the cable sleeve, which freed up pedal movement nicely, and no doubt increased cable longevity.
Classic Chim said:
...........Yeah. If it’s tensioned correctly it should not come out surely. ................
Correct tension will not prevent it coming out.There are two adjustments you can make to the throttle.
You can adjust the cable at the throttle body which will change the height of the pedal relative to the brake pedal.
You can adjust the pedal end stop such that the pedal comes to a stop just before the throttle butterfly is fully open. This will prevent the cable being overly strained.
After these adjustments the pedal is just hanging on the cable so if you moved your foot and caught it under the pedal it would lift up and the cable could come off. This is likely why the factory crimped it.
Steve
Yes I carry one and whilst I haven’t had to use it, was travelling with a group and someone in a Griff had theirs snap half way to Le Mans one year. Was funny when they were looking at problem at service station and said what problem was and I said ‘I have one of those’. An hour or so later someone else fitted it and we were on our way again!
Wolvesboy said:
So, if I want to carry spare throttle cable - how long does it need to be?
Depends what you want to carry.A genuine cable is crimped at both ends so comes at the correct length out of the packet. However this is not an easy roadside repair requiring large spanners, removal of the plenum, very fiddly split pin, cable crimped into the pedal, upside-down in the footwell Etc.
A spare length (1.4M) of bowden cable inner (bike brake cable) and a selection of random screw on nipples would be a far more practical get-me-home solution.
Steve
I found that you don’t need to remove the plenum to access that end of the cable.
Once you’ve removed the throttle return spring, there are two 11mm bolts securing part of the throttle cage assembly to the main body of the unit, linking the cable to the butterfly spindle IYSWIM.
The bolts are quite fiddly to get to, being obscured by the honeycomb grill, but I simply bent an 11mm spanner to access the bolt heads.
It’s probably worth putting some rag or newspaper under the bolts, as it’s easy to drop them!
Once you’ve removed these bolts, it’s easy to slide that end of the accelerator cable (and large adjusting nut) out from under the honeycomb grill.
Once you’ve removed the throttle return spring, there are two 11mm bolts securing part of the throttle cage assembly to the main body of the unit, linking the cable to the butterfly spindle IYSWIM.
The bolts are quite fiddly to get to, being obscured by the honeycomb grill, but I simply bent an 11mm spanner to access the bolt heads.
It’s probably worth putting some rag or newspaper under the bolts, as it’s easy to drop them!
Once you’ve removed these bolts, it’s easy to slide that end of the accelerator cable (and large adjusting nut) out from under the honeycomb grill.
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff