towing a speedster

Alright, so the throttle cable is on the fritz in my speedster, so it looks like it has to go into the shop. The mechanic is only a mile down the street, but how should I tow the speedster down there? Can I attach a tow rope to it & if so where? I need to get this thing going again & enjoy the summertime cruising!

FLAT BED.

Quick fix, I had to use was to tie a piece of string to the throttle rod that actuated the trottles. It looked a bit silly with me driving and pulling the string to speed up but it got me and my Spyder home one day.

I second Nolan's fix - I've also done the old pull-the-string-attached-to-the-carb-linkage trick (as well a other MacGuyver fix-its).

It's only a short distance, go for it!

P.S. - just don't sneeze as you drive in this manner, otherwise you may experience a sudden accelleration that may cause temporary loss of control. Fart = OK, Sneeze = no good!

Take the engine cover off. Have kooky friend sit in back seat and adjust throttle according
to your yelling. You'll have fun.

Extreme throttle cable emergency.......gather shoe laces !

Throttle cable is easy to replace:

Unhook the S hook from the pedal and pull the cable out of the tube in the tunnel (careful it will be greasy) remove the broken section from the carb linkage. Make sure... that your new cable has the correct matching S' style hook on the end as the old one did...these are a bit different on some years cables.

Put a small amount of grease on the cable as you feed it into the tunnel tube, about 4/5 of the way through it may hang up
against the metal tube on the back side of the fan shroud, pull the cable back and forth an inch or so to get it to pass this point an it will pass through the fan shroud cable tubw. Fit through the cable stop over the cable and have someone step down on the gas pedal to WOT position making sure that you have WOT at the carb linkage. Also be sure...... you also have full return to the idle position before you fire up the motor.

A) Turn in the idle screw on the throttle linkage to get you to the shop, use caution here as this isn't the best choice should you have, slow reaction times.
B) Gather shoe laces from the neighborhood kids, they don't use them anyway and make a temp "exterior" you pull it throttle cable
C) Same group of charming kids, offer free ice cream if they'll push you to the repair shop.

Seriously, replacing the cable yourself is easy, it's a 1/2hr job at most.
Pull the old cable out from the tunnel tube being careful as it will be full of grease.
Remove the broken cable end from the carb linkage.
Check and confirm that the new cable has the same style S hook as the old cable has.
Wipe a small amount of grease on the cable as you feed it into the tunnel tube.
Insert the S hook onto the pedal arm.
Slip the cable stop over the new cable and adjust it at the carb linkage for full travel i.e full throttle position while confirming that you have idle position........ before starting the motor.

...Bruce / Alan, I think you guys are onto something here!

Let me see if I understand your suggestion (1) Remove engine cover and (2) have kooky-hoser-girlfriend sit in back seat to adjust throttle linkage position (3) according to how hard you pull the shoestring you've attached to her bazooms, then (4) lick the ice cream off her...

In fact, why wait for the throttle cable to break? I think I'm going to try to convince my neighbor I need her help to get my car to the shop!

This website is the BEST!!

Jim, I though you lived in a retirement community. You're sick

He does live there, that's why he can attach to boobies for their ability to sretch the distance you need to get the motor to Rev-up! My only concern would be a nasty "Back-fire" you could lose a Senior! Ahh, use Duc tape Jimbo.. that could solve the problemo!

Speedster "D"

Bet two teenage boys $25 that they CANT push your car to that shop.

Sit in a drive while they push.

angela

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/70beetle/49.jpg

Fortunately I didn't have to tow the car. A friend of mine (who is very proficient in vw's) came over & installed the cable for me. The original had snapped. His biggest complaint was that it took him about 20 minutes to do the job instead of 10!

Oh yeah, & I want to buy this fellow at least a twelve pack & pay him for the cost of the cable. What does a replacement cable go for approximately?

Glad that it worked out for you it. I'm sure that you watched your friend to the cable R & I.
It will happen sometime again down the road, just the nature of the beast.
Replacement accl. cable $5.00

David, Not being a Monday morning Qtrback but "Why did it break".
Just to prevent it happening again. Was it chaffing against something? guide tube/cable angle? pinch barrel on carb linkage not rotating? Or just one of those things?

...Replacement throttle cable = $5

...Expert advice on this website = Free

...Someone helping a friend in need = Priceless

David - glad to hear that it all worked out with your throttle cable. Now get that bad boy out on the boulevard!!

Peace - Out!

From what I understand & what my friend told me, it happens because the cable is not that heavy duty. I was actually surprised it is so skinny. Thanks Alan for all of your help & thanks to everyone else as well. It is fixed just in time for some weekend cruising!

For possible future use ... My old throttle cable was fed forward through the original tube, through an "S" on the firewall end and then into the tunnel. That "S" has been remedied since, but cost me two cables prior to the hack-job. It was located about where the pans were cut initially, and was about six inches from the beginning of the first curve to the completion of the "S" shape. There was a burr on the forward end of the "S" which sawed through the cable when tension was applied. I'm using flared brake line this time.

David, It not thick because it doesn't have to be. It just actuates
the carb linkage. "Usually" but not always there is a contributing factor(as in Cory's situation). Just measure back to the break and look. I'm sure it's nothing but it only takes 5 min. to check.
enjoy your driving.