Hand throttle adjustment - '30 Coupe

[huddy]

I am away from home and all my books, so excuse the question if there's an answer in one of them.

It's been bugging me a bit: my hand throttle has to move quite a bit before the throttle linkage moves at all - probably 4 or 5 notches. This doesn't seem right to me, and I was wondering if there's an adjustment somewhere or perhaps something that could be (gently) bent? I've looked at it and there's a little tab that engages the linkage from the foot throttle, and that tab has to move some distance before it touches the linkage and starts to open the throttle.

TIA,
Ed

[Tom Wesenberg]

I most often find the long arm on the passenger side of the cross linkage is bent. Do you have a picture of that arm?

[huddy]

Thanks, guys. Can't take a picture 'cause the Coupe's in NY & I'm in CA. Dunno when I'll have a chance to look at it; I'm mostly making a "to-do" list for Spring, and wanted to know what to look for before I forgot completely about it. (I tend to do that a LOT lately!). However, I do recall that the throttle cross-link isn't straight.

[Tom Wesenberg]

The uprights for the cross linkage are supposed to be bent forward, otherwise the linkage would hit the firewall. (See my pictures) If one upright is bent slightly different than the other then the shaft can bind and not return as it should. The arm on the right side should be straight, but angled outward. The arm can easily be bent cold.

[gweilbaker]

also could be wear:

[huddy]

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Thanks again. Great photos.

I think my foot throttle works OK. Seems to move linkage immediately with no slop. Don't know if it reaches full throw - I'll have to have someone operate it while I look at the carb - but I think it does. It may just be that the linkage from the hand throttle lever to the main assembly (where the little tab engages the linkage from the foot throttle) is off a bit. If it's OK to cold bend the longer piece (with the ball that connects to the link) then I can probably fix it. I'll also check the length of the link between the steering column and the "bell crank" (dunno what else to call it!).

-Ed

PS It'll have to wait until after Thanksgiving as I won't be home until early Dec.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I was always "chicken" to bend them cold. I heated them until they were just barely "cherry red", then it was easier to bend them "just the right" amount, without the "trial & error" method. Bill W.
(A cheep propane torch will heat them well enough! I also pour kerosene on the weeds of my driveway cracks & use the torch to burn 'em OUT! I wuz gonna' use GASOLINE, but Buster T. sed, "We don't got NO HARDHATS, when you blow up the DRIVEWAY, DUFUS"!!!!!!!) I think he secretly wurks fer OSHA!

[Roadster Rich]

Just seeing the picture from GWeilbaker above makes me shudder remembering my entire brake connector assembly that had every arm and bushing look like this, from the pedal to cross shaft to each wheel. A lot of work but unbelievable change after it was done.

[huddy]

Fortunately my friend had just rebuilt the brakes and they work fine with no slop - I checked that pretty thoroughly!

I think the throttle linkage is just going to require a small "adjustment" but I'm with Bill, I don't want to crack something and I'll probably heat it before bending. The most likely suspect is the longer tang on the main linkage bell crank. (Apologies for using incorrect terminology - I don't have my books handy to look them up!).

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by huddy

Fortunately my friend had just rebuilt the brakes and they work fine with no slop - I checked that pretty thoroughly!

I think the throttle linkage is just going to require a small "adjustment" but I'm with Bill, I don't want to crack something and I'll probably heat it before bending. The most likely suspect is the longer tang on the main linkage bell crank. (Apologies for using incorrect terminology - I don't have my books handy to look them up!).

Huddy,
Chief always tole me, "Buy you books, send you school, & you still STUPID" Forget the books, Huddy, it's FUN to make up/read FABULOUS terminology wurds. Forgive me for bad spellin' & grammer, I think the Dog's tipin' is rubbin' off on me. I think the Dog had schoolin' 'afore I rescued him, but I think he didn't wurk hard & made D's in everything, BUT he's very STREET-SMART/HOUSE-SMART/YARD- SMART/MODEL A-SMART! Bill W.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

the steering column on a 30/31 rotates to adjust the throw of the distributor advance arm. If that is off, it affects the throttle too. Some repro rods are the wrong length too, which also affects the movement.