Throttle Cable

[85_Ranger4x4]

85 Ranger with a 302, Edelbrock 4bbl

Stock 2.8 cable worked for 12 years until it didn't.

Truck needs to leave for Kentucky next Saturday with a shoestring budget. Ideas?

 

[franklin2]

Rig it with one of these till you can get another one.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/national-hardware-3230bc-1-16-in-wire-cable-clamp-zinc-3511555?store=1388

 

[RobbieD]

If you're just wanting to rig it temporarily until you can score the right replacement cable, if it were me I'd look hard at doing it this way.

On the broken, it looks like the dirty part is cable which pulls back into the sheathing with the gas pedal, leaving the shiny part as what you have to work with, right?
I'd get a length of small braided cable, and then cut the plastic insulation off of two electrical butt connectors (you'll likely need yellow ones), leaving you with two crimping ferrules. Loop your new piece of cable around the ball stud, and cinch it by sliding and crimping the first connector. Then slide the two new ends and the old broken end into the second butt connector and crimp. Like this:

engineering drawing done in RobbieDraw 5.6

If it works, I'd lube the wrapped loop and not run it too long, to keep it from damaging the ball stud.

 

[Curious Hound]

Oohhh. Bummer. I don't have too many quick cheap fixes for that. I wonder if you could get some cable material, glue/weld the end so it doesn't fray and fish it through the housing. Then use clamps asmentioned or make some stage cramps to fix the ends as needed.

I have also seen solid wire used as throttle cables on other machines. Bailing wire might work in the original housing if it's not too thick and doesn't make any sharp bends.

Take one off a tractor. You won't be home to do any farming for the next week.

 

[SenorNoob]

Got a bike shop close by? They usually have a way to make those cables.

 

[Curious Hound]

Install electronic throttle positioner and electric accelerator pedal.

 

[SenorNoob]

That's not a shoestring budget...

 

[scotts90ranger]

Got a bike shop close by? They usually have a way to make those cables.

That's not a horrible idea...

If I was there I bet I could come up with something but it would be redneck... I was thinking something like Robbie's high tech drawing with a piece of scrap cable wrapped around the ball with a cable clamp around the nub of the stock cable, would get you by for temporary sake... maybe add some brass tubing crimped with wire crimpers for good measure inside the cable clamp and maybe some JB weld for some extra warm fuzzies...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Take one off a tractor. You won't be home to do any farming for the next week.

My tractors are not sophisticated enough for cables, they are all rod/linkage.

The picture didn't really show the whole thing, there is a spring (which is what pulls the pedal back up) and it slides inside of the tube part that clips onto the carb.

Shown in happier times:



Huge thanks to @r-hindl71 for doing an emergency may-day run to the only u-pull-it in Omaha that showed a first gen. Of course it was a 2.3 but the ends looked the same. Who knew that a 85 2.3 has over twice the cable as a 2.8...



Inside the cab portion was the same of course and it clipped into the firewall the same. The cable needed rerouted over the river and thru the woods but it is all together and it works.



It will work for now but I probably need to bump up an aftermarket cable on the priority list a couple notches.

 

[RobbieD]

Huge thanks to @r-hindl71 for doing an emergency may-day run to the only u-pull-it in Omaha that showed a first gen. Of course it was a 2.3 but the ends looked the same. Who knew that a 85 2.3 has over twice the cable as a 2.8...

So, does that mean the 2.8 motor has cable envy?

Glad that you're back in the saddle. Just make sure that the replacement cable is working all eight cylinders, instead of just four.