Hi all,

Q1, So, I just dropped my 73 Vette at the alignment place now that my car is drivable again (they're going to take a crack at bleeding the new Wilwood's too, lol!). While there the throttle cable pulled through the little plastic retainer clip that holds it in place. I went back and fixed it. It's a Lokar cable whom I called, and tech support said their products use a clevis on the cabin end. I used the factory type plastic retainer snap-in clip which worked fine for years. For those who've gone with Lokar how have you secured the cabin end where the cable goes through the throttle linkage?

Q2, Something I never thought about was that by replacing all the cast iron parts on the engine with aluminum pieces and in the engine bay with aluminum radiator and electric fans is how hot it gets. Is that because aluminum dissipates the heat more quickly? With the 7-blade mechanical fan I never really felt the heat coming off the engine. I'm guessing that's because it is turning all the time and as such blowing across the motor constantly. The electric fans don't come on unit 185* (fan controller runs both 12" fans, 2nd one 10 sec delayed start). I added a switch to supply 12 volts to the AC wire which turns the fans on manually with the ignition turned on to help when I'm in there. But the fans blow towards the bottom of the car so not much air goes across the engine. So, am I missing something or maybe have something not quite correctly set up? Maybe I need to fabricate something that redirects the downward air upwards like the factory shroud does?

Your feedback on these two perplexing questions would be much appreciated.

TIA,

 

I used a Lokar cable on my previous carbureted engine and a longer one on my current EFI engine with Edelbrock's Pro-Flo 4 XT intake. If I remember correctly, the clevis can be removed and the cable itself has a metal ball on the cabin end. But, that ball was too small and would slip through the opening in throttle pedal arm. I ended up finding a washer with a hole small enough the ball wouldn't go through and then I siliconed that washer in place on the end of the throttle pedal arm. Then ran the cable through that washer. Works well.

DC

 

Thanks DC. Well that's a pretty simple solution that I'll have to consider. I did find the clevis that goes with the Lokar cable but it doesn't look like it's too amenable to how the throttle rod it set up.

 

Q1. Don’t know about your cable, but make sure the alignment guy bleeding the Wilwoods know that an air pocket remains in the rear caliper unless the caliper is detached to get a more favorable angle for the air to get out.
Q2. I have both a modified car as a you describe with aluminum parts and electric fans, and an all original; they’re both f..ing hot to work on under the hood with engine hot, IN AUGUST. For hot tuning, work in the cooler parts of the day, wear long, thick sleeves and use a large floor fan at your back.
Charlie

 

Thanks Kerschmoler. Yeah, I did the unmounted virtical thing in my bleeding attempt before installing. Car stops but needs more pedal. Hope these guys can make it better. We'll see. 1

 

I had a friend machine a replacement piece for the cabin end of the Lokar cable. He machined it out of 1/2" aluminum round stock on his lathe. Works well and won't pull through like it did with the plastic piece. Pics.

Cable set in end of keeper.

Lokar cable in machined piece.

New piece and factory plastic piece.

Side view of new and old pieces.

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I meant to take pictures of the newly machine accelerator pedal rod to throttle cable end piece in the rod but forgot to do that!?
So today I got my trusty borescope to smart phone app and took some additional pictures (attached).

I also forgot to mention that after I got my accelerator cable fix project done, I found that my interior lights would not go out when the door was closed! So, I'm thinking to myself, dummy, now what wire did you manage to screw up while your arm was flailing around under the dash!? I search the CF archives and most things were about the dimmer switch or gounding issue or maybe the headlight switch was turned to engage the interior lights, etc. Well, what I didn't find in my searches was anything about that the courtesy light needs to be in its retainer bracket for it to work correctly! Pushed the light (driver's side of course) back into its receptacle, problem solved! lol

Machined piece in accelerator rod with cable (partial view, sorry)

View of cable in A-rod going thru Lokar bracket in firewall

Backside of A-rod with machined piece

Another view of cable in A-rod to firewall exit to engine bay

 

That's a nice solution. Certainly more elegant than my washer. I gotta get me one of those machinist friends. Seems like they would be handy to have around.

DC

 

Thanks DC. Yeah, he's helped me out with with a few machining details on the car. It's been a blessing indeed.