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I was working on adjusting my throttle, pedal, kickdown and cruise cables yesterday. I went through many of the threads on this including this one which was quite helpful:
Here's my issue. I was unable to get the ball cup to turn on the thread to adjust the length of the kickdown cable. Throttle and pedal cables are now adjusted. I wanted the take just a touch of slack out of the kickdown cable. I was holding the cable with pliers (can't find my vicegrips), but the cable would turn in the pliers as I attempted to turn the ball cup with the 7mm wrench. Yes, I released the locknut first. I didn't want to crimp down so hard on the cable to crush it so I abandoned the effort before I ruined something (specifically the cable) to double check here if I am doing something boneheadedly wrong.
Here is a pic with the steps that I think I should be doing to adjust the kickdown transmission cable. The pedal and throttle cables are now nicely where I want them with the idle switch reliably engaging / clicking.
Pic:
Am I doing this correctly or is there some other way to adjust the length of the transmission kickdown cable?
Cameron,
Got your PM. Didn't see this post as of yet.
DO NOT hold on 'C', the cable.
Note in your pic, just North of the letter 'B' the piece that is in the shaft to the cup is scored for a wrench. Use that to hold while loosening the lock nut. I then released the cup from the ball in order to turn the shaft to tighten/loosen. Then when you're properly seated, re-attach and tighten up the lock nut.
Also note that if you are all 'hooked up' and the throttle cable seems way out of adjustment length, the cable may have fallen off the pulley wheel down under. Pull the airbox and give a look if that is the case. This happened to me once and the fix was relatively easy. I used a long Craftsman pick with a right angle on the end and got hold of the cable, lifted it, and re-fitted in the groove of the pulley wheel. Then re-hooked/adjusted all.
Thanks, Craig. I don't have reason to believe that the cable is off of the pulley wheel. Would there be symptoms like a sticking cable, or inability to adjust and get the idle switch to click?
I still am unable to understand your advice. Sorry for being so daft. But here's the thing:
1. I had no problem releasing the lock nut - 7mm on the shaft to the cup, 8mm on the nut
2. I had no problem getting the cup off of the ball
3. Problem - I can't get the shaft + ball piece to turn on the threaded part of the cable. The whole cable turns.
How am I supposed to hold the cable from turning if not by holding it in area marked 'C'?
Bertrand - it sounds like I am doing it correctly. But I want to make it abundantly clear what I am trying to do before I give it another go with PB Blaster or heat.
Maybe someone has another way?
Can I kill the cable if I hold it really tight in a vice grip at location C?
I seem to remember when I last did this the first thing you do is remove the cup from the ball to facilitate rotation which is done one complete rotation at a time- then you put the cup back on the ball and lock it up. You also have to remove the locking pin first before removing the cup-presumably you know this. I cannot remember what the correct adjustment is but the factory setting sucks. If my memory serves me correctly you align the cup against the ball and back it off one turn. I always set mine about 3 or 4 turns tighter- then you can set off in first at mid throttle.
On the other adjusters you have to be very careful to get the adjustments correct. Very easy to end up in a position where the throttle does not open fully. To test get someone to depress the throttle fully and then check to make sure the butterfly can not open any further.
Fred. Thanks. Yes, I know I need to remove the cup from the ball first. I am not showing that in the picture because I had to put the car back together to drive it!
I had removed the locking pin and then lightly pried the cup off of the ball. Then I was doing the steps that I outlined. I was unable to easily turn the shaft / cup piece on the thread to adjust the cable length and I wanted to double check that I was doing things correctly before clinching the cable at location 'C' much firmer.
I recognize that it won't turn for adjustment while I have it locked onto the ball as shown in the pic.
Sorry for the confusion.
BTW, I have done the throttle and pedal cables adjustments already. I did verify that the idle switch triggers every time. I also verified with a helper that butterfly will not open further when the accelerator is depressed fully.
Interesting- when the lock nut is released adjustment is very easy. Makes one wonder if someone else has cross threaded it. If you align the cup with the ball does it sit on the tight sid eof slack side? If it is a bit on the tight side just try running with it as is.
If it is too slack then I would advise you to attend to it.
Stuck cable aside, I just did this a couple weeks ago and I followed Greg Brown's post (post #10) that you ref in your first post. I'm glad I followed it--I never would have guessed that's the purpose of that spring on the pedal cable.
In my "tweaking" I had my quadrant to throttle cable too tight and I don't think the butterfly was closing all the way. I knew I dorked something up when the check engine light started coming on. Anyway, you're going to love it once everything's adjusted.
Just curious, did you also adjust your kickdown switch under the pedal? That's one thing I think I still need to do as I really have to mash it to the floor to get the second jolt.
BTW - your quadrant looks pristine compared to most
I certainly thought the adjustment would be easy as well. I went at it with my fingers at first (after loosening the lock nut). I don't believe that this has ever been adjusted. The vehicle had a bit over 19k miles when I acquired it last fall and none of these show signs of having been adjusted / wrenched / touched. But I suppose it's possible.
The cup and ball actually line up perfectly right now. No slack, but no 'tightness' either. Just slips right on. I wanted to tighten it a bit to see if I could get 1st gear starts with a bit less pedal deflection. Right now, it's pretty good, but I would like it to start in 1st even easier.
I am wondering if they put blue locktite on these threads at the factory.
As far as I know, there is no adjustment for the kickdown switch under the accelerator pedal. It is a switch that must be physically depressed by the back of the pedal which means you just have to push the pedal down far enough - mash it to the floor like you say.
Yeah, the quad and pretty much everything under the hood is pretty clean on this one. I bought it last fall from the original owner and it had a bit over 19k miles on it. I have about 24k miles now. Here is a pic from before I started to look at the quad and cables last week. I have not done anything to clean the quad or the intake. That's just how she looks after, oh, 28 years!
As far as I know, there is no adjustment for the kickdown switch under the accelerator pedal...
Hi Cameron - If you go to this url, you can see the adjuster. It's not actually the switch that's adjusted--it's the lever from the pedal that contacts the switch. https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...wn-switch.html
08-24-2015, 10:43 AM
Cable adjustments
