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Spring Check-up

FM Former Member
Hey guys and gals,
Now's the time to make sure our cars are in tip top shape for the warmer weather ahead. Before you take that first drive of the season, check out all of the mechanicals in the car. I mention this because I now have first hand knowledge of what it's like to lose the throttle cable. It would have been so easy for me to check the clamps before I took the car out, and I wouldn't have been stranded miles from home. It's a really bad feling to have the gas pedal drop to the floor and not come back up.

Since many of our cars have been sitting through the winter, it's a good idea to give them a thorough check-up before their first trips. Make sure the fuel lines aren't cracked, check the fluids in the brakes and tranny, change the oil, etc. It's easier to do in the garage than on the side of the road. It's too easy to neglect a car when it is running well.

Drive safe.
-mike
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FM Former Member
Hey guys and gals,
Now's the time to make sure our cars are in tip top shape for the warmer weather ahead. Before you take that first drive of the season, check out all of the mechanicals in the car. I mention this because I now have first hand knowledge of what it's like to lose the throttle cable. It would have been so easy for me to check the clamps before I took the car out, and I wouldn't have been stranded miles from home. It's a really bad feling to have the gas pedal drop to the floor and not come back up.

Since many of our cars have been sitting through the winter, it's a good idea to give them a thorough check-up before their first trips. Make sure the fuel lines aren't cracked, check the fluids in the brakes and tranny, change the oil, etc. It's easier to do in the garage than on the side of the road. It's too easy to neglect a car when it is running well.

Drive safe.
-mike
FM Former Member
NAPA shops have the brass-ball fitting with a set-screw that can slide over the throttle cable and secure it. Keep one in the trunk with your spare fan belt, etc. You might also need a length of fairly rigid safety wire to use as a "messenger" to get the throttle cable back through the fan shroud.

Make sure your throttle linkage is set such that at WOT (wide open throttle) the carb throttle plates are very slightly shy of full open (not forced against the stops), e.g., the pressure on the cable is not trying to stretch it even when you heavy-foot the accellerator pedal.

Recheck this slack in the cable every time you check/sync your carbs.
FM Former Member
If you don't drive your car very much - and even if you do - it's a good idea to flush/replace brake fluid every year or two. This will keep your brakes working at their best and reduce the possiblity of internal corrosion due to any moisture that has made its way into your brake system. When you do this, carefully check all brake flex lines for signs of leaking, hardening, or cracks and replace any that seem marginal (a broken flex line can ruin your whole day - ask me how I know...).

It's also a good idea to check the master cylinder brake fluid reservoir regularly; I check my tire pressures visually every time I drive the car about and with a gauge about every three weeks, and check the reservoir every other time I use a gauge on the tires. This can give you an early warning on brake fluid leaks.
FM Former Member
Hi Mike,
I just read through your post regarding the clamps on the throttle cable and what it feels like to have the throttle drop to the floor.
It happened to me yesterday, but it's the clamp at the peddle. I searched all over the floor but couldn't find it. Do you know what kind I need and where I could pick one up?
Thanks
Brian
W Williams
Anyone using silicone brake fluid? I used it on my Stude Avanti and liked the results. The only thing bad was it seemed to destroy the fluid pressure brake light switchs after a couple of years but they were cheap to replace. I think the thinner fluid got in around the rubber seals on the switch. Buying a switch every few years was better than having to replace a rusted out brake line. Silicone will not attract moisture as will the normal fluid, also will not harm your paint job!
Bruce Williams
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