Quote:
Originally Posted by lnfletcher
There is much more of a chance of the cable sticking than the engine mount breaking allowing the engine to torque enough to cause WOT.
I have had a number of vehicle in the past with cables that stuck, only one with a broken engine mount that would cause this problem and even with a cable it caused the same situation. (68 Firebird 400 with cable).
Using this logic seems more of a way of justifying your setup than reality. After all, push the clutch in and let her blow!
I'm in much more danger from my showing out than equipment failure in one of these cars!
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Lets see, there have been approximately half a billion cars sold in the US since direct throttle linkage was dropped. There have been instances of throttles sticking for sure, but a tiny percentage of total vehicles produced.
Throttle cables must be routed correctly observing minimum bend radii and staying away from high heat sources. They are extremely reliable when installed properly with far fewer moving parts than conventional linkage with rod ends and clamped arms that can slip on shafts. Drive by wire is even better if you can program opening rates but if you can't, linkage would be a
2nd choice over cable. I can see using linkage on a show or concours car that must be absolutely correct from a judging stand point. Conversely from a functional stand point they can be very trying. My linkage broke at the arm that mounts on the pedal cross shaft in 1966 when the car was new. I then had a series of slippages on linkage arms till I welded then to the engine to body cross shaft. I broke a motor mount at an autocross in the late 1970's that gave enough throttle to slide the front wheels and over ride the rear brakes while headed toward a group of people at the finish of an autox. Turning the key off saved the day, it wasn't full throttle but it was enough.
Slowing down the throttle opening rate really improves car control unless you are dealing with less that 400 HP where you probably don't need it. I would bet that some of the accidents that have occurred with Cobras over the years could have been avoided with a long pedal slow opening throttle.
Personally, I would much rather have a car that is drivable over a car that is eye candy but that is an individual choice that only you can make.