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Throttle cable clipped?
John Lendon called the V8 Registrar saying "I want to pick
your brains - should there be an anchor clip for the throttle
cable where it passes over the pedal box housing? On the MGBGTV8
in a 1975 publicity brochure I have, it shows it clipped but
it is not on mine. Is this correct?" The postings on the
V8BB were useful and clarified the position. (Feb
09)
The brochure is the Factory Publication No 3089 10/74 for the
MGB GT & V8 released in 1974 with the cover message - "You
can do it in an MG". A copy was posted on the V8 website
as a news item with the query "What do fellow members think?
Was it a clip intended for the US market?" It looks as
if the throttle cable is better without the clip as then there
is an easier sweep on top of the offside air cleaner to the
linkages.
Graeme Don responded "I've read about this before,
mine didn't have one when I bought it and as you say fitting
one would put a tight bend in the cable. The things I've read
say it was not fitted and a few pictures I have seen of engines
seem to be the same, but owners may have added them thinking
it was missing - was the pedal box clip maybe fitted for the
1800 engine throttle cable?
Dave Wellings was clear "The answer is 'no clip'.
The bracket on the pedal box was a hangover from the 1800 as
Graeme has already posted. They were sometimes shown on the
publicity photos, and it is certainly possible that some early
V8s had them, although the cable does not sit right when located
by that clip." Victor Smith added "It's a pity we
cannot check with the late Geoff Allen as I am sure he would
agree with Graeme and Dave. I cannot think the car used for
the photo session would have been prepared in Rectifications
Department for the publicity brochure. It is interesting how
often you see in photographs of V8 engine bays that the throttle
cable passing under the offside air cleaner rather than passing
over the top.
Graham Cornford recalled that "back in the early
90's, after my car had been restored, I met Geoff Allen at an
MGCC weekend lunch venue near Abingdon on Thames. He, in what
I believe was his |
Throttle
cable clipped to the pedal box. (Factory publicity brochure)
usual style,
enthused about the car but did ask me if I minded any criticism
about it. He pointed out where my restorer had attached the
throttle cable to a clip on
top of the pedal box. This he said was wrong, and the cable
should be detached from that fixing and just rest on top of
the air filter. In fact with my consent, he rectified my car
that afternoon and just for good measure, guided me round the
factory test route, to see if the car was OK, before inviting
me back to his home where Jean had prepared a tea for many of
the lunch crowd. This does not really help, other than to confirm
from the greatest MG guru that I had the pleasure of meeting,
that the throttle cable should not be attached to the pedal
box clip."
Tony
Lake posted a note of his recent experience saying "I
removed the clip on my V8 en route to the Exeter trial in early
January. I was travelling with Brian Osborn on the M5 and noticed
that lifting off the throttle had no noticeable effect to the
point where we were climbing gradients with my foot off the
pedal. We stopped at a service area to have a look and concluded
that the cable route was not as smooth as it might be so off
with the pedal box clip along with copious application of WD40.
It all made a big difference - problem solved. I have also noticed
that the idle speed is now much more repeatable, so I have probably
had incipient sticking for some time."
See also V8NOTE4 with a caution with
a sticking throttle cable. (Jul 79)
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