Throttle sticks open, then releases with clutch!

RallyJon · 10-20-2002, 12:57 PM

I took the 911 on a PCA road rally today, which involved a lot of bumpy SE Pennsylvania roads. Other than the rear swaybar (or maybe the headers) bottoming occasionally, the old car was really doing well!

Then, just before the end, the throttle started getting very stiff--feeling like the cable is rubbing or caught on something. It requires a hard push to get it just off idle, then it sticks open!

Curiously, pushing in the clutch seems to release whatever is sticking, and with the clutch depressed, the throttle works as normal.

I did a search and found some threads here that talk about the clutch cable getting "crossed" with the throttle cable. Sounds like a good place to start.

Can anyone provide or point me to instructions how to access the place where they would get crossed? Is it part of the pedal cluster, in the tunnel, or what? I'm still waiting for the manuals to show up, so I'm flying blind here.

Thanks! -Jon

PS, we got third in the rally.

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Jack the rear of the car up and look on the left side of the transmission. The bell crank sticking out of the transmission on the left side is part of the throttle linkage.
-Chris

RallyJon · 10-20-2002, 01:49 PM

OK, found it. This is pretty stupid, but the throttle bellcrank was catching on the tunnel just to the right of the pedal cluster. Bizarre! It looks like the metal here was bent out of the way by someone earlier, just not quite far enough. Anyway, some more persuading made room for it to pass freely. The bellcrank does seem to have a bit of axial play, though--anyone know what the tolerance is?

And that doesn't explain why depressing the clutch freed it, however...

john walker's workshop · 10-20-2002, 03:01 PM

standard problem, and standard temporary cure. replace or repair (weld) the throttle lever because it's bent or loose on it's shaft. the lack of a pedal stop can cause them to bend when the throttle on the engine is all the way to it's stop, and there's still room to push the pedal farther. it gets close to the clutch cable lever in the process.