Throttle Cable

[Brad Robbins]

I' not very car savvy, but I assumed I would be able to replace the throttle cable on my own. I'm beginning to think I was wrong.

I cant even remove the old one! There is a plastic hose that the cable slips into, and then disappears behind the engine. I was hoping I could simply detach the cable from the pedal and pull the entire cable out from the back of the Esprit. The throttle cable just doesnt want to move an inch, its as thought its been bonded with the plastic hose that is around it. Any tips?

[Jonathan]

As far as I remember I dont think you can pull the pedal end through.....

I took the throttle end off and used a heat gun to blow the lead to pieces without shortening the cable then pulled it back out from inside the car.

The replacement was my own one not a Lotus part so I poked it back and then used a thing I turned up on the lathe to fit back onto the throttle.

It was a piece of small bar with a grub screw pinch inside.

[Brad Robbins]

Well I've taken apart most of the interior trying to get to the cable. I'm a little stuck right now, heading to the mods and maintenance section too see how to remove the rest.

I'm trying to finish it up tonight... wish me luck.

[Vulcan Grey]

I've replaced two of these on my 89SE and an 89 non-SE.

The 89's cable was glued in with silicone RTV. I used PB Blaster penetrant to loosen the silicone's grip, and an awl to pok it through. Also probably used a knife. Then I pulled the old cable out from the engine bay side, hard enough to unravel the steel jacket.

My 89SE was a piece of cake compared to that.

The cable does go in from the engine side towards the footwell.

tie a string to the old cable, and use that to pull the new one through.

[Brad Robbins]

My original plan incorporated using a string to pull the cable through, but the original was wedged in there so tight it made it nearly impossible. I ended up removing the entire cable and then running the new one in its place. Which has lead me to my next problem. The replacement cable from JAE seems like it's about 4-5 inches too long. There is quite a lot of slack in the cable, how can I get around this one?

[Jonathan]

See if they have the correct cable ?

There are a few different ones for different models iirc - I bought a few of them up at the Lotus sale as spares becuase they were so cheap and had to make absolutly sure they were correct.

You could always make a new end piece as I say or send the thing back for the right length.

[Brad Robbins]

That is really lame. I told them the model of the car, I assumed they would send the correct cable.

I was soooo close... Now I have to wait another 4-5 days.

[Jonathan]

Tis the way of things - it should have a colour code iirc

The turbo's are green, the SE is red or something along those lines - when you get the right code buy 2-3 of them (they should be very cheap) and that way you'll never have to go looking again.

[Drfatz]

This may seem like a silly question, but what is the purpose of changing the cables all the time? I only ask because I currently have my interior completely removed and can "easily" change the thorrle cable.

-Graham

[Jonathan]

Dont replace them all the time - just that when they break they can be an arse in the pain (becuase they always go when you least want them to go !)

LRG Machine (Jezza) had his stick open causing the car to go wide open throttle - it's just one of those things to keep an eye one and handy to have a spare.

[Drfatz]

Dont replace them all the time - just that when they break they can be an arse in the pain (becuase they always go when you least want them to go !)

LRG Machine (Jezza) had his stick open causing the car to go wide open throttle - it's just one of those things to keep an eye one and handy to have a spare.

Good to know!

On the note of throttle cables, how stiff should one be? When I press the accelerator pedle its rather hard to push. Of course I am used to much more modern cars, but even our 1967 Morgan has a lighter throttle peddle.

Is it a normal Lotus thing to have a stiff pedle?

[Jonathan]

Mine is - as long as it's smooth it's not a big problem - the throttle has quite a spring on it.

The Exige 240S I drove last had a flappy accelerator (fly by wire) and it felt horrible - I like something with a bit of resistnace but it has to be smoooooth and no stutters in the travel

[Brad Robbins]

Ha!

I just didnt know what I was doing. The cable fits just great, I simply hadnt adjusted it correctly.

[Artie]

Good deal! HOw's she runnin?

Artie

[Brad Robbins]

Well... she's running. Although idling a little too high at times. I swear this car is like the mythological Hydra. I fix one problem and two more show up.

Passenger side window wont move at all, left headlight seems to be stuck. I'm now getting a strong gas smell after driving, and the connection to the brake lights is a little shabby.

Headlight will soon be fixed once I get the parts from JAE, and I'm also replacing the knobs for the air conditioning. The seats will soon be redone, and the seal around the windshield will also soon be replaced. Its all worth it though.