acceleration issues

[Birdibus]

This is on the 71 bus. A couple days ago I began experiencing a racing engine. I was thinking the choke was stuck, but eventually we figured out the accelerator pedal was sticking. I ran some errands and used my toe to lift the pedal at stops. On the way home though I seemed to lose acceleration. I could put my foot to the floor yet experience almost no revving, a non reaction from the carb.

Is this a sign of a cable about to break? Was the frayed wire sticking in the tube, and now has stretched too far?

The other worrisome possibility is compression loss, but that would not explain the sticky accelerator pedal.

[sped372]

Pull the splash pan down and get a friend. Work the throttle while observing the mechanism underneath up front and then also back in the engine compartment. It should be fairly obvious where the trouble is.

[RSorak 71Westy]

I bet the throttle started sticking because the cable was fraying and is now strecthed thus no throttle action. You need a cable.

[Birdibus]

I bet the throttle started sticking because the cable was fraying and is now strecthed thus no throttle action. You need a cable.

Yes, thanks for confirming my feeling about it.

[Birdibus]

The issue turned out to be with the throttle pedal linkage, not the cable. The pedal was tipped over to the right. I took it to a mechanic who fabricated a repair. They said some things were bent and some were broken. Sorry, but I could not learn specifics.

No one seemed to think the frayed cable idea was plausible.

[kreemoweet]

The accelerator cable is a solid wire, it frayeth not, neither will it "stretch".
Neglected and/or abused cables sometimes just snap.

[Westy78]

The accelerator cable is a solid wire, it frayeth not, neither will it "stretch".
Neglected and/or abused cables sometimes just snap.

What kind of accelerator cable are you using? Never seen a solid wire. They are cables and will fray and stretch and break. Same as the clutch cable but larger gauge.

[Amskeptic]

The accelerator cable is a solid wire, it frayeth not, neither will it "stretch".
Neglected and/or abused cables sometimes just snap.

What kind of accelerator cable are you using? Never seen a solid wire. They are cables and will fray and stretch and break. Same as the clutch cable but larger gauge.

Early buses had a single wire, like your average lawn mower. Worked quite well but demanded a straighter shot than stranded cables can live with.

Birdibus, I have a fix for accelerator pedal links. They wallow out the hole in the pedal and jam around the corner and it gets all nasty after that. My fix uses a big flat washer ground down on one side to fit against the underside of the pedal. This washer prevents the link from going in too far then trying to go around the bend and jamming up. I put another flat washer on the other side of the hole to keep the link from slopping around.
Colin

[Westy78]

The accelerator cable is a solid wire, it frayeth not, neither will it "stretch".
Neglected and/or abused cables sometimes just snap.

What kind of accelerator cable are you using? Never seen a solid wire. They are cables and will fray and stretch and break. Same as the clutch cable but larger gauge.

Early buses had a single wire, like your average lawn mower. Worked quite well but demanded a straighter shot than stranded cables can live with.
Colin

Ahh well there you go. That's my learned thing for the day. How early are we talking here? Bay Windows or Splitties? My experience with pre '68 is nil.

[RSorak 71Westy]

My 71 has a multi strand cable.

[Birdibus]

I've been through the frayed and stretched cable scenario before. I didn't just make it up. It happened before. The cable seemed to be sticking, then it broke. It's the explanation my mechanic told me. It might have been the clutch though, I forget. Too many years gone by.