THE FIX: Binding Accelerator, NOT Pedal or Bell Housing BUSHINGS, not even @ Tunnel
 

OK Fellas, Here is another DIY:

Amongst other things, I was chasing down a STICKY Accelerator.

Symptoms:

Infrequent Heavy Acceleration, the pedal would at times feel like it was binding on its way down. It was fine on the way up but I generally do not ride my accelerator on it's way up. I hope that makes sense. In anycase, I remove move foot from the pedal when I decel.

The Usual Suspects:

Pedal: New Bushings
Bell Housing: New Bushings
Tunnel: New Bushings

Cruise Control cable at TB, GOOD

Cleaned and Lubed all pivots

Entire Accelerator Assembly Free CLEAR, absolutely no SNAGS or Objects in its path.

Needless to say I was stumped, I pulled the accelerator at the Throttle Body and it still felt sticky on the pull and slow release.

Doubled check buddy's '87 Coupe, absolutely no binding on pull or release :confused:

The Not So Usual Suspects:

Throttle Body, Pivot and Bushing or even the TPS may be worn and binding on the potentiometer???. Found Bushing is not Available and calls for a New Throttle Body :eek: $510 OMG! :eek:

I was already to tear apart the TB until I discovered another set of bushings hidden away that no one had mentioned, at least on my search and Inquiry Thread.

I always thought the rod at the throttle body went thru the tin and down to the bell housing, damn even a well respect Pelican thought so too.

Following is my findings and repair:

Culprit:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_125412.jpg

The Two Metal Bushing are worn and rusted at Pivot :eek:

3 13MM Hold Down Nuts and Washers on Assembly
1 13MM Retaining Nut, 2 thin Washers, 1 Spring Washer on Pivot
1 Circlip on Accelerator Rod at TB

You will need to remove the Heater Motor and Plastic Heater tube.

If you've worked on the Unholy Trinity of Oils Leaks then you can do this with the Engine in but an Engine Drop would makes things much easier and faster, my 2 cents.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_113351.jpg
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The FIX:

Pelican Part number: 999-924-069-00-OEM $15.00 (set of 2)

When I picked it up, I was expecting nylon bushings like the pedal & bell housing. To my surprise, it came in a box and sealed in an anti static metallic sealed bag. When I opened the box, it was vacuumed sealed. WTF? I still thought it was nylon until I opened it up.

It was metal, not aluminum but steel and some sort of coating :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_124707.jpg

Removal:

Carefully Remove Circlip and place in safe area, you do not want to lose this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_113610.jpg

Remove Assembly
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_123120.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_122809.jpg

Clean and Remove the old Metal Bushings using a punch tool and rubber mallet, they will pop right out, just take care not to scar the Magnesium Assembly.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_123129.jpg

Using the Mallet and Block of Wood, carefully tap the news one in. The seamed side goes down. MAKE ABSOLUTE CERTAIN THEY GO IN STRAIGHT, these suckers are expensive:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...521_131221.jpg

Tips:

On the car, if you detach both rods from the assembly and disconnect the right side pivot arm with the 13MM retaining nut, the assembly can actually be removed out the side and in between the manifolds, just turn side ways and it will slip right out. Besides an engine drop this is the only way to remove it from the engine bay.

Use a Magnet stick to retrieve all washers and nuts.

A hand mirror helped allot to see what you are doing.

Patience, it is really tight in there, not for the faint of heart. One good thing, you don't have to stick you head behind the Throttle Body.

If your little kid likes helping you out, take the offer, his/her small hands and skinny arms will come in handy to squeeze through the manifolds to reattach the 13MM Retaining Nut on the Pivot arm. Just show him/her what you want them to to do when you remove the assembly from the engine for cleaning and installation of the new bushings.

This was another satisfying DIY. NO MORE STICKY PEDAL!!!

Will be doing this repair on my buddy's '86 Targa :D Thank Goodness we do not have tear apart the Throttle Body.

Humbly,

Jim

I had the same issue. Did my bushings when the engine was out, greased it up, installed new bushings. Happy throttle again! So light I thought something was wrong with the car!

Lucky you Dude, I just don't understand why wrenches don't replace this when they replace all the other bushings on the accelerator assembly, especially if they have the engine out twice in my case, I mean WTF???

Well... I ended up not finding out WHAT the issue was till we almost put the engine back IN.

We checked the linkage and one of the bushings fell apart. I took it apart and they were crumbled to bits. So we ordered the part, waited a few days and installed it and put it back in.

Totally agreed.... while you're down there, may as well do the little crap too!

Amen Brother Amen!

I need a buddy like you living nearby to help me with these pesky repairs. I have an accelerator cable issue. Looks like something is broken and I need to investigate what it should look like.

Good one , Draco!!!!!!!! Thanks!

Doyle

Not near by but will help if you need it.

What is going on with your accelerator assembly?

Jim

Jim,

Where the accelerator cable comes to the throttle body something is broken and the PO put electric tape on it. Everything works but I would like to fix it. This next weekend I am going on a road rally trip with a buddy who has an SC so I will get a good look at his so that I know what part it is that I need to replace.

I like your photos and descriptions. Tomorrow night when I go to my shop I am going to see if my accelerator is sticking at all.

Thanks for the offer.

Rob

To isolate parts of the assembly, disconnect at the bell housing to and from it all cable/rods.

This will allow you to check if the binding is coming from the pedal, bell housing pivot or in the engine bay.

I doubt it is the the throttle body but more like the engine pivot, if your SC has one.

Please post a pic of the PO's tape attempted fix.

Jim

I'll get pics tomorrow.

Thanks,

Copy That!

Pictures of Broken Part
 

Here are two photos of the broken taped up part.

Looks to be plastic. Do I just replace that or do I have to do the whole cable.

What is the part No. for this.

Robhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1306261951.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1306261976.jpg

Oh my.

OK first, remove the tape so we can see how bad it really is.

2nd, the metal tab is bent forward, it must be perpendicular to the car, "vertical", bend it back.

No wonder your cruise is sticky and possibly your accelerator getting stuck on it's end travel path. Limiting your full throtttle!

You see, the accelerator at the Throttle Body glides along the Cruise Cable, the cable should be straight as possible. Guys tend to pull the accelerator by putting their finger right behind the arm and on the cable tip resulting in a bent wire, instead use two fingers and like a side way pinch grab the arm and pull without touching the cable tip.

You can go cheap and straighten everything out, use JB Weld around the broken part (but will need to see without the tape) then use zip ties to keep it from every breaking again, not freakin electrical tape, sorry PO was a MOron.

Once fixed, adjust to leave about 1-1.5 MM of slack on the cable, of course after you insure you have full throttle ( you need a helper to press the pedal up front while you check the arm to see if it will go further, if so adjust for full throttle :D, you will discover more hidden HP ) it must not be tight to the accelerator arm.

911-617-124-02-OEM at $225, do my fix

Jim

Rob, what the heck is that loose tied metal wire below the cable?

Don't have a clue. I just discovered this a week or so ago when I was removing the pieces of Sound Blanket. Don't have one right now and it doesn't seem to loud to me.

Going on a road trip this weekend. Probably wait till I get back to screw with this.

Thanks for the info.

Jim,
Also you mentioned the Cruise Control.

My Cruise control does not work at all. Would this maybe fix that?

I love the board for stuff like this among other reasons. I put these in my project car and install them next winter when I have the motor out.

Ok, That wire should not be there, I hope it is not functional?

Possibly, for sure it would have binded, the notorious culprit is the small vacuum line connected behind the larger breather hose on top of the cruise control barrel in the engine bay.

Jim,

Looking at my photos, I am not clear on what I am JB Welding to what.

The threaded part to the washer looking thing?

I will post a pic for you, in a minute.

That helps. I can visualize what it should look like.

Any tips on how to hold it straight while the JB sets up.

Also once I straighten the bracket, isn't that going to make the cable tighter, requiring some adjustment?

Clamps?

I would first, straighten the metal mount, then adjust the plastic threaded part to insure you have 1.0-1.5 MM of play at the end of the cable that passes thru the Accelerator Arm then JB Weld the Hex End on to the Threaded part. Make certain the glue does not go inside the shaft.

Then Zip Tie it. Using 4 zip ties, make a box of zip ties, surrounding the Hex, the threaded and the metal housing together.

From the pics you posted it looks like it was adjusted all the way out, so you may have some thread left to feed back in towards the rear to actually tighten it.

Jim

It ain't pretty but it works.
 

Jim,

Thanks for your help. I go to the throttle tonight.

The wire was holding cable tight against the bracket. I think this will work. I threw the wire and some tape in the glove box just in case.

Thanks again.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1306377388.jpg

Oh my, well? As long as it works :D

The zip ties are temporary until I the JB Weld hopefully does the job.

Hewh!. OK If I may suggest, I know this is not OEM but.

If you use Alluminum Foil to lightly wrap the plastic Hex and Thread after you spread the JB Weld, it will keep the adhesive from dripping away from the component.

Set over night, and it should be solid and functional to adjust to proper settings.

Look for the 2 hoses {1 vacuum (small ) 1 breather (larger)} on the Cruise Control drum , reconnect and your cruise should start working.

If the foil color is not acceptable, you could always paint it black.

Jim

Jim,

I'll look into the Cruise tomorrow and over the weekend.

Thanks for the tips.

Rub a little wax on the foil paper, ( raid the birthday candle box) before use, and it will peel off.

Oh, nice idea

I drove about 250 miles today. Top off and the throttle worked perfect. Idle is a bit high but I will adjust that.

I think I have an idea for a replacement of the little broken plastic part on the throttle cable. If it works I'll post photos. Probably be about 3 week before I get to in.

My buddy and I drove our cars, my 80 SC and his 2001 Carrera 4 from Provo Utah to Moab Utah. Going to drive all over around here for the next three days. Supposed to be about 85 degrees tomorrow so it should be awesome.

Actually my buddy trailered his behind his Diesel pusher 40' Motorhome. Staying in style. AC, Satelite and 3 large flat screen tv. Rest and relax then drive like crazy tomorrow.

Enjoy Brother, Enjoy!

Draco, nice job! And thanks for the pics. Very helpful. I will be checking mine shortly.
Cheers, Brian.
'87 Carrera

My Pleasure, if you can borrow a kid to reach between the manifold and the damn 3MM allen bolt, it would be a great help. :D

Break A Leg Brother!

Jim

Same sticky problem on 2000 Carrera
 

Is the fix you describe on a model similar or same as mine referenced above? Problem not bad but annoying.

Not sure on your model, take a look in between the #2 & #3 manifolds, if there is a similar component, then yes it should be the same.

What I suggest is to test by disconnecting the cable,rod from under neath and at the Throttle body to isolate the component and just move from the upper rod connector, if the gritty/sticky feel is evident then most likely it is the same issue. Especially if she in a wet enviroment.

My baby was originally from Tennessee, so 4 seasons will definitely play a part in rusting out the component over time or if the engine compartment is frequently washed and not thoroughly dried before sitting.

Jim