cable to linkage conversion?

[ERA 626]

Can some one help me figure out a way to make a conversion from a cable to using standard 427 carb linkage? I have a fuel injection set up that requires a cable its a crossram. and I would like to use my standard linkage that came with the car that attaches to the foot box and attaches to the gas pedal in the car... I dont want to run a cable directly to the gas pedal... cam some one post some photos of what I should do?

[Gaz64]

Does your MPFI throttle linkage need a push or pull from the rear?

[my427cobra]

And did you run carbs before the efi? If so, you may have had a throttle cross shaft assembly to operate them.

I face the same challenge and I'm extending my throttle cross shaft to allow the throttle arm to pull on the cable operating the efi throttles.

Cheers
Greg

[olddog]

All though the ERA linkage is period correct, you should know that was very unsafe technology.

I woke up one morning and hopped in my 66 Cyclone, started it, and dropped it into reverse. When I hit the throttle to back out of the drive way, the engine raised up and hit the hood, pulling the throttle wide open. With me standing on the brake peddle and the car digging gravel with the back wheels and front wheels sliding, I was able to get my wits about me and turn the key off before it got to the road. I don't know if the engine mount had broken sitting over night or if it finish breaking as I was driving home, but I backed out of a parking space before driving it home the night before with no problem.

I only had a 335 Hp 390. What would happen if your monster did that?

[1985 CCX]

I have both cable and linkage each in my two cars. The linkage has been way easier to control and keep tuned. The cable stretch's and then reqiures attention now and then. I do lubricate each rod end with a drop of oil annually as it takes about 3 minutes. Then I check for play or bind, top quality components are key I think as is looking things over once or twice a year.

Both work, if your linkage in a Cobra catch's on the hood your setting it up wrong.
Call John Bessey! He has a bunch of experience with linkage.

[olddog]

I should clarify what I said. There is not a problem with linkage that both ends connect on the engine assembly and nothing is connected off of the engine. The problem is when the linkage is connected to the body and to the engine. If the motor mount breaks and the engine lifts up, then the linkage becomes too short and pulls the throttle open. Once it pulls the throttle open, the engine will not set back down onto the mounts. Now you have kill the engine by turning the key off or shove the clutch in an let it free rev until the engine drops back onto the mounts and closes the throttle.

My mother was driving a 64 Plymouth with a linkage set up. She was hit head on by a person who came left of center. The impact broke the motor mounts. She was knocked out for a few seconds. When she came too, the engine was screaming, the back tires smoking, and was pushing the other car back down the road. She had to turn the key off to stop it. The studded snow tires had dug up asphalt for about 50 feet.

[my427cobra]

Olddog has a valid point. But a severely broken motor mount and a displaced engine could have the same effect whether the carb linkage is a rod setup or cable setup (dependent on how the cable is routed).

Older classic cars often suffer from motor mount problems, age deterioration and the "unsafe" design of the motor mounts pre 70's.

My Cobra, and I'm sure most modern build reproductions, have near solid motor mounts or the "safer" new designs. So a motor mount failure is not a high risk.

That said when I complete my efi project, I will probably mount the Cobra cross linkage to the firewall and cable it from there.

Cheers
Greg

[ERA 626]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Does your MPFI throttle linkage need a push or pull from the rear?

needs a pull

[davids2toys]

Back 7 years ago I had a crazy scary experience that almost cost me my life. I guess it was not my time and lady lucky was with me. I had only owned my ERA for 9 days after purchasing it used.While test driving the car and driving it home I did notice for a split second a very very light sticking of the throttle when accelerating in a turn or going into a turn or going up a grade from a dead stop. Thought nothing much about it at all and thought maybe because of the very light easy revving aluminum flywheel that was not like my first Cobra which had a steel flywheel. The next turn of events happened in no more than 2 seconds total. Long story short, 9 days later I turned into my very steep driveway and floored the car as I always had done in the past for that huge burst of power in first gear going up the hill. When I went to let off the gas, the pedal was stuck fright to the floor. I did everything I could just to keep control of the car and steer it away from my detached garage which i did but when it hit the gravel i did lose control and now the car was going sideways and ended jumping thru/over a small stone wall and landing in the gravel below about a foot away from a steel storage building. In looking at the pics, I am still surprised the car did not flip over. So after lucking out and with very minimal damage to the car, mostly cosmetic and 1 bent trailing arm, I started my investigation into what went wrong. linkage all looked perfect and functioned fine. I decided to check the motor mounts and the drivers side nut was still there but totally loose. This allowed the engine to lift up on drivers side binding up the linkage and locking itself there because of the Torque of the motor combined with being in 1st gear and the steep grade. I guess once I lost all traction in the loose gravel it freed up the linkage, unfortunately too late. I still have the feeling the prior owner/builder failed to ever torque this nut down that is why I was getting inklings of this problem even while test driving it. After this event and findings, I torqued the nut to spec and the whole throttle sticking issue was 100% gone! I have checked it periodically since then and it is still perfectly tight. I also did the bolt thru the motor mount safety mod. I love the look of the mechanical linkage, but since then, I do give everything a good look every once in a while.

[1795]

A good reminder to all of us to periodically check bolts, nuts, etc., on our cars. I know that when I had my ERA, because it was a street driven car that I did not re-check things as much as I should have. With the SPF race car I do check everything a lot more often. Given the power of these cars compared to their weight, it is a good idea to give it a once over much more often than some of us do.

Glad everything turned out to be minor issues.

Jim

[PDUB]

I am sure that it was one scary ride, Dave. Glad you are here to warn others of the potential danger!

[davids2toys]

Definitely up there on my 3 most scariest things in my life list!

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by davids2toys

Definitely up there on my 3 most scariest things in my life list!

I'll bet it was. I've never had the throttle stick on me ever in any car, but I have blown u-joints before and I found that I instinctually threw the clutch in when it did. I think I would do the same thing with a stuck throttle and the engine would just bounce off the rev limiter until I came to my senses and shut the ignition off. But that's easy to say sitting here in my Barcalounger with a laptop on my knee. Who knows, in real life I might just skillfully aim the car at a fat oak tree.

[davids2toys]

Yes, much easier said than done I can assure you. Cannot tell you how many times I have replayed the chain of events and wish I could have reacted differently

[my427cobra]

As I move along with my 8 stack EFI set-up (more pics to follow) I am zeroing in on a traditional Cobra throttle cross shaft to a custom made cable conversion.

On my set-up, I did not like the pulley/capstan and solid throttle linkage arms to the throttle bodies due to the excessive angularity of the linkage arms.

So I wanted to do a cable (pull) setup which would eliminate the pulley and solid linkage arms in favor of a direct cable pull.

So here is my initial design with one cable coming from my Cobra throttle cross shaft lever to a "Y" cable connector then thru two 90 deg tubes with cables going to the throttle bodies on each side.

Attached is a pic of my idea.

Cheers
Greg

[PDUB]

Originally Posted by davids2toys

Definitely up there on my 3 most scariest things in my life list!

The car looks remarkably good, Dave, for having been partially airborne!

[ERA 626]

Originally Posted by davids2toys

Back 7 years ago I had a crazy scary experience that almost cost me my life. I guess it was not my time and lady lucky was with me. I had only owned my ERA for 9 days after purchasing it used.While test driving the car and driving it home I did notice for a split second a very very light sticking of the throttle when accelerating in a turn or going into a turn or going up a grade from a dead stop. Thought nothing much about it at all and thought maybe because of the very light easy revving aluminum flywheel that was not like my first Cobra which had a steel flywheel. The next turn of events happened in no more than 2 seconds total. Long story short, 9 days later I turned into my very steep driveway and floored the car as I always had done in the past for that huge burst of power in first gear going up the hill. When I went to let off the gas, the pedal was stuck fright to the floor. I did everything I could just to keep control of the car and steer it away from my detached garage which i did but when it hit the gravel i did lose control and now the car was going sideways and ended jumping thru/over a small stone wall and landing in the gravel below about a foot away from a steel storage building. In looking at the pics, I am still surprised the car did not flip over. So after lucking out and with very minimal damage to the car, mostly cosmetic and 1 bent trailing arm, I started my investigation into what went wrong. linkage all looked perfect and functioned fine. I decided to check the motor mounts and the drivers side nut was still there but totally loose. This allowed the engine to lift up on drivers side binding up the linkage and locking itself there because of the Torque of the motor combined with being in 1st gear and the steep grade. I guess once I lost all traction in the loose gravel it freed up the linkage, unfortunately too late. I still have the feeling the prior owner/builder failed to ever torque this nut down that is why I was getting inklings of this problem even while test driving it. After this event and findings, I torqued the nut to spec and the whole throttle sticking issue was 100% gone! I have checked it periodically since then and it is still perfectly tight. I also did the bolt thru the motor mount safety mod. I love the look of the mechanical linkage, but since then, I do give everything a good look every once in a while.

I am glad you are OK, That being said I see issues with the events. #1 "flooring" a cobra in 1st gear? that alone is crazy... please dont do that...

[NROTOXIN]

Originally Posted by ERA 626

Can some one help me figure out a way to make a conversion from a cable to using standard 427 carb linkage? I have a fuel injection set up that requires a cable its a crossram. and I would like to use my standard linkage that came with the car that attaches to the foot box and attaches to the gas pedal in the car... I dont want to run a cable directly to the gas pedal... cam some one post some photos of what I should do?

Is the Morrison unit engineered or designed to utilize a throttle cable?

[strictlypersonl]

One thing that I'd like to know is how progressive is the connection to the cable. If it's strictly linear, I would set up an intermediate link that gives only small response initially so that the car is easier to drive in traffic.

[my427cobra]

Hi strictlypersonl. I installed, when I built my car years ago, an original style Cobra 427 style gas pedal assembly, levers and throttle cross shaft.

That assembly has a fair amount of "progression" built in as the pedal travel is about 2.5 times (from idle to WOT) the amount of travel at the lever pulling the cable.

The current 2 X 4 barrel setup is quite manageable, so I'm thinking the EFI setup should be just fine.

Cheers
Greg