Whilst driving the car a good bit this weekend I spent a fair amount of time on the expressway and got the car nice and toasty. I noticed that after an extended expressway run the throttle would seem to stick a bit in that it wouldn't return all the way to idle without giving it a blip or two. I verified that it's not in the gas pedal itself (first suspect since I just put in new pedals), so it must be at the crossbar linkage or a sticky cable. It goes away and works fine once the car cools down. I know my crossbar is in need of the "fix" that a bunch of you have done. Could that be it, or could it be a lack of lubrication somewhere?

Thoughts and suggestions, please.

The crossbar "fix" using rod ends or (heim joints) will help but probably isn't the problem.

If you have a braided accelerator cable, often times, they will cut the guide tube and cause friction. Check the cable by removing it and inspecting both ends.

Another problem could be where the cable exits the tube and attaches to the linkage. Not having a photo makes it difficult to diagnose but check the area's I mentioned.

BTW, go back and re-check the accelerator pedal and make sure it moves freely and, check for accumulated junk at or near the pedal assembly. Sometimes "junk" can cause this problem but probably not in this instance.

In addition to that, get out your oil can - with motor oil, not PB Blaster - and lube everything related to the throttle linkage that moves: hex bar ends (move the bar back and forth sideways while lubing it), the cable termination (it rotates) a drop on each end of the throttle plate shafts, the tiny little heim joints from the hex bar to the throttle actuators, all that stuff. Work it a few times as you lube things - bear in mind that you'll probably flood it while doing this, or you could do it with the engine running - be careful of the fan belt!

You can work oil into the tiny little heim joints my simply rotating them back and forth in position without actually moving the throttle plates.

Then, go up to the accelerator pedal and put a couple of drops on the pedal hinge and on the pin of the actuator lever (that the cable attaches to). Make SURE everything is loose and moving freely up there, as the assembly tends to attract dirt and sticks.

If you really want to go crazy, remove the throttle cable from the front (by the gas pedal), lube it with automotive grease (I like the molybdnum stuff 'cuz it gets all over everything within a 50 foot radius) and replace it. Wild Bill and I replaced his throttle cable on the side of the road in about ten minutes using only a Leatherman tool, so you should be able to pull it, lube it and replace it in 20 minutes.

Neither of us were wounded in executing this roadside repair, and neither of us dirtied our Hawaiian shirts, either!

Lane.......My last trip to Charleston was the occasion for my throttle cable to shred itself......

The culprit was the lack of a pass through tube in the fan shroud, which allowed the cable to cut into the fan shroud and cause the cable strands to unravel, causing the sticking accelerator pedal.....Made it home with 1/4 inch pedal travel.......

Just do a visual of the exposed (stranded) section of the cable....Any fraying is cause for replacement.....

My cable now rides in UHMW (poor man's teflon) guide tubes from the cable housing to the crossbar..... And yes , I did install a steel tube (lined) through the fan housing....

Thanks again Special Editions for a rush replacement unit.......

Thanks guys. I have the pass-thru tube, but it could be showing some wear by now. I have lubricated most things, but will check everything mentioned here. I can pretty much eliminate the whole accelerator pedal as revs will stay up even if I force the actuator all of the way to the stop.

I've inspected as much as I can see of the cable, and it looks fine. Guess I'll be pulling it out this week.

Uh, I really think you should have it checked out by a qualified Toyota mechanic...

Think I can get some coin from Toyota if I run it into a wall? ;-)

So whats happening Lane??? If you do remove the cable, inspect it closely....It only takes one teeny tiny broken strand to cause the problem.....I'm hoping Its those TOYOTA floor mats you got at their "Going Out of Business Sale" last month....Or a load of carpet debris in the pedal pivot.....

Haven't looked at it yet. Work's had me hopping this week (you remember work, don't you? ;-) so I've been kinda waiting for the weekend. Might tweak it a bit when I get home. I do know that the cable isn't visibly fraid at the throttle crossbar, but I can't easily see it at the pedal.

My cable broke at the cross bar during Carlisle last year.

Today was so beautiful that I spent it driving rather than detailing (hey, I have another weekend before Carlisle). Even though the weather was cool, I got the car warm enough for my sticky throttle to resurface. I verified that there was no problem at the throttle pedal itself, as well as the cable connection in the engine compartment. It seems to be the driver's side carb sticking a bit. If I rev the engine and leave it racing, I can press on the crossbar with no effect. Sam with the passenger's side carb linkage. If I do the same to the linkage on the driver's side, the engine returns to idle.

So it appears that either pushrod or the butterfly itself on that side is a bit sticky, but only when hot. Do you smart folks think that removing the carbs and giving the linkage a thorough cleaning and lube would solve the problem. What should I lube it with? I tried white lithium grease, but that may be what caused the problem as it appears to have caked a bit as it dried out. This is little more than an annoyance so far, but I don't want it to worsen, and I'd like to fix it before Carlisle. Since I believe the throttle cable has been eliminated, what else should I look at? Could this be a symptom of the deterioration of the crossbar ends? I can tell it's getting a bit floppy.

Lane--I know if anyone will solve this, you will.

I had a self-caused problem in Amarillo, TX on the way home from Morro Bay after getting gas.

The station attendant wanted to see the engine and as I showed it to him I traced a spark plug wire to a plug to show him the flat four engine and I managed to get the wire between my throttle adjustment so that I had a 2,500 rpm "idle". What a pain and I thought something happened to the engine. I quickly spotted what I'd done when I looked.

On yours, I now you have lubed your engine. After I lubed mine this w/e it really was much easier to move the acc cable by hand at the engine---much better with a good lubbbing of all the joints. I'll start doing that with every oil change.

Looking forward to seeing you at Christiansburg on the way to Carlisle!

Lane:

DO NOT REMOVE THE CARBS!

YOU'RE TOO CLOSE TO LEAVING FOR CARLISLE!!

I'm assuming that either you haven't adjusted your carb linkage since I last set them or someone like Ken Erwin has adjusted them for you and they're adjusted OK. However, you might remove the heim joint end from the throttle actuator on the suspect side and , with the engine running gently blip that throttle actuator a few times to see if it returns to idle properly. If it does, then it probably isn't adjusted to the linkage properly and needs to be re-adjusted between the actuator and the hex bar arm. See next-to-last paragraph, below.

If it doesn't (i.e. it acts the same and sticks a little high in idle), then get a can of Gumout Carb Cleaner and make sure it has one of those little red tubes to shove into the spray head.

Spray the livin hell out of the heim joints to clean them out. Move them around (back-and-forth, twistie sideways, that sort of thing) while blasting them to make sure you thoroughly clean them. Then move on to the throttle shaft on the Carb. Spray the outside ends of the throttle shaft throroughly while moving it manually (yes, you'll flood that side...too bad. Just spray it while moving it for a couple of seconds). Once that's done, re-lube the heim joints and one (1, Uno, Un, Eins) drop of light motor oil on the shaft end where it enters the carb casting (This is often better done with the engine idling, believe it or not, and I often dip a long screw-driver blade into an oil quart and then let one (eins) drop fall off the end onto the throttle shaft. ) There might be debate about using any oil at all on a throttle shaft, but I've never seen it harm things by gumming up.

That's it.

Once you get to Carlisle, buy Danny a beer better than what he brings as home-brew (it'll have to be pretty good stuff) and ask him to re-adjust the linkage on both sides for you. It'll be OK until you get there, i.e.; it shouldn't get appreciably worse.

Maybe Larry or others have some ideas, too, but this should help and it shouldn't make anything worse.

gn

I have to laugh at Gordon's post because you all know I have a knack for doing something at the last minute that I learn to regret.

G-dawg, I have been thinking along the same lines since my last post, but I don't THINK it's the heim joints. I can see the idle tab on the throttle not reaching the adjuster unless I press against it. At the same time, the pushrod appears to move freely at both heim joint ends, hence my belief that they aren't the problem. I will try the carb-on lube method first, before I remove them. I will DEFINITELY clean all of the caked, dried lithium grease as step 1.

Lane, I am having exactly the same problem, same carb. When cool, the engine will idle as smooth as silk at 850 RPM, and will return to that with many throtle blips. Once fully warmed up it will sit at 1500-2000 RPM until I blip the throttle once or twice. Then it gpes down to about 1200. It is the driver's side carb not returning to the stop by about .016. I'll try the clean/lube suggested by Gordon and see if it helps. Keep the faith!

Lane, just add an extra return spring in the middle by the throttle cable pickup. I had the same problem and added a return spring on each carb to the air cleaner base. Problem solved! Also, my cable housing expanded with heat so I loosened the cable a bit and reset the full throttle stop.

Either way, I will bring some tools and will be available for the low price of a beer(or two!) See you all soon!!

Sounds like a bargain, Danny!

Will, keep me posted on your solution, and I'll do the same.

I just realized why this happened. My former chronic engine leak used to cover everything with a fine film of oil, assuring adequate lubrication, not to mention totally unnecessary rustproofing. See what I get for fixing that. Darn!

Unintended consequences.....

Gordon's post is way funny and frigg'n accurate as can be ...
My Webers on the Spyder are declared junk, I'll will replace them before Carlisle. The good news is the tonneau had two forward tenex fasteners pulling out of the material, a quick trip to the local shop and $5 bill fixed that. ~Alan

Bought two springs at lunch today. Should have fix done before dinner.

Detailing it this coming weekend (carbs with hats AND covered) and the I'll be ready to hit the road. WOOHOO!!!

The fix is in (snicker!) but I haven't driven the car yet.

When I was in high school I had a friend who also had a dune buggy - this one had a pair of some model solex carbs (little, itty-bitty ones) with what I think was an EMPI stamped-sheet-metal linkage. He had a similar problem (wouldn't consistently return to idle) so I told him the same stuff, which he did, with no change. I think his Dad told him to add a couple of return springs to the carbs, cuz those little roundy-round ones on the throttle shafts couldn't be strong enough to be doing the job, right?

So next time I see him we're about 10 minutes from Al Gallo's place in Orleans and meet at this roadside clam shack on the way to Provincetown (Skip's? - I forget - on the right about halfway out) Anyway, he gets out of the buggy and grumbles about how stiff his right leg is from pushing on the gas pedal. I try it and, Holy God!, it IS pretty stiff. So I go back and look and his Dad has installed what look like a pair of screen door closing springs. Honest-to-God, these things are about 6 inches long and as big around as my index finger and really stiff!!!!. Problem solved.

Then, all he had to do was figure out how to swing his dead right leg out over the side of the car to get out.

gn

Lane, I noticed your problem occurs when the engine is "tosty" warm. I had a similar problem with hexbar linkage when running my Spyder at speed for a good while. Both the block and the hex bar expand when hot, right? In my case I did not have any "end shake" in the hexbar....when the engine was hot the hex bar would bind up on the bearings. The fix was to allow about .030" of side to side movement in the hexbar when cold. When hot it did not bind up any more....and I was able to take my screen door spring off and put it back on my screen door.

Thread drift....by the way, I went into a Houston area Home Depot last week to buy a screen door to put on my garage to get some cross ventilation...comment was "oh we don't sell those anymore, nobody wants screen doors". Huh?

Lane, If the springs don't work, try closing the air bypass screws if they aren't already ( this would slow your idle down). Then you might be able to turn in the idle screw so it now touches the throttle stop and increase the idle speed with the screw. You would need to re-balance the carbs after this.
Also,I once had dual weber idfs, and one carb out of that pair was missing the choke plungers under the choke block off plate . The idle rpms always varied when warm. It was a nightmare trying to tune until I fixed and re-installed the plungers in the 1 carb. Might be worth a look?

Lane, they didn't make just one set of Dell'Ortos and quit.
I'm just sayin' ...

Nah, my Webers are doin' just fine except for this. They've been so well balanced that I don't want to fiddle with anything if I can avoid it. I noticed that, even when cold and with the crossbar disconnected from the offending side, the butterfly could be opened slightly with the fingers and would not close that last smidgen. Cleaning the caked up lithium grease off and replacing it with new, clean 30w motor oil appears to have fixed it. a new, very slightly stiffer return spring was also added, so I expect the problem is solved. It'll be a couple of days before I have a chance to drive it much to find out, but I'm reasonably confident (knock wood).

Lane.....stop hitting your head.