Throttle cable

[prezoom]

I used a tandem bicycle rear brake cable (LHD Elan), which I cut to length. Most bicycle shops stock bulk cable outer housing and ferrels for the ends of the housing. This allows you to custom fabricate to the desired length. Works quite well, as either cable or housing can have a teflon or some other sort of coating, which does not require any additional lubricant. Was easy to make a second cable for the traveling spares kit, along with a couple of the widgets that secure the cable/housing to the carb.

Rob Walker
26-4889

[Elan45]

Have you given any thought to putting it back to the way it left the works, with the end of the cable clipped into the hole on the arm of the airbox and the sheath of the cable assembly actually moving the throttles. I have this and then there is a clip, about 2 inches high that is on one of the rear cam cover bolts that takes some of the arch out of the cable assembly. This last clip is more to keep the cable from rubbing the inside of the bonnet and wearing off the outer covering of the sheath and taking the paint off the inside of the bonnet.

Roger

[alfert]

Thanks for the various pictures and ideas. It looks to me that my cable/sheath is longer the most I have seen(not the story in real life). Mine sticks up at least 6in. above the hood/bonnet line, and when the hood is being lowered, I can see it moving the linkage. I would greatly appreciate it if someone would measure the length of the sheath from the adjusting mechanism to the linkage(total length of the sheath in engine compartment). The I will know for sure.
Thanks again,
Brian

[Jeff@Jae]

The throttle linkage Sarto is using is what RD Engineering sells and what we (JAE) use as well. It is low height and after fiddling with the arms a bit works better than anything else we've tried. I have the same cable stay but I use it on one of the thermostat cover bolts. I will be converting to that system soon even though my standard set up works well with a helper spring to assure it always returns to idle when warm there seems to be now way to adjust full throttle and still have the throttle pedal at the correct height for heal and toe downshifts. That really annoys me.

[jk952]

Hi,
My sheath length is about 29.5 inches from the throttle pivot to the surface where the s/n plate is. Subtract or add for whatever distance your adjusting mechanism / sheath end sits above or below that surface.
Mine likely moves a bit with the hood down, but not a lot; it is not clipped to the cam cover.

Jack

[spanner]

Hi Brian,

Shown is the cable on my S2, that left the factory new in '65. It's 31.5 inches long (carb-to-shelf). The routing is along the firewall before turning 90? towards the carbs. This route positions the cable for a direct (in-line) pull against the air-box fixed point. The cable follows the arc of the throttle lever effortlessly while moving slightly left or right. The bowden cable barrel moves imperceptibly in situ. There is no interference with the bonnet structure or rear carb.

When the original Weber return spring broke (30-something years ago), I welded-up a bracket to accommodate a basic pull spring.

Good luck,

Spanner-Jim