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Throttle linkage from Ratco

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Brosky

Brosky

Great Pumpkin
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After a few days and many miles of driving, I feel that I may have to follow Bill's suggestion and switch over to the Ratco cable linkage package. I know that Erik has the carbs lined up perfectly and that Jeff's solid couplers are locked down tightly, but I'm having trouble with getting the idle down after it gets really heated up. It wants to stay up too long after driving and I'm sure it's in the linkage.

I know that Bill said this would probably happen, but being of a somewhat stubborn stock, I wanted to at least give the other linkage the old college try, if for no other reason than to have an alternative mechanical plan available.

So, I'll order a kit tomorrow, but I would like to know what the pitfalls may be with this and if I need any spare parts that you just can't live without if you drop them or cut something incorrectly.

Pictures that are better than Ratco's would be nice as well. Naturally, I'd do another Speilberg production for my website when I install the kit.

All suggestions and advice are welcomed.
 
Hey Paul.

Show you the mods that I made to the Ratco (Ab's) linkage.
First, the mounting plate on my particular setup was too close to the rubber coolant hose. I seated the hose as far as it would go and still too close. I ended up simply notching the bracket with a grinder.
Next, I fest that the attachment between the 2nd and 3rd carbs left me with too much loose cable hanging down near my headers. I simply moved it to between the first and second carbs to make for a more straight run. The pulled the armored cable back with a ss tie to the metal gas line.

ratco1.jpg
ratco2.jpg
 
Oh, and because Ratco used a standard Lokar cable, I bought an extra while at an area speed shop.
 
Bill, can you take a couple of photos a little farther back each time. I'm interested in this mod and I'm trying to figure if it will fit with my Masters Panel there. None of the photos from the Ratco site even do service for how it mounts.
 
I second Bill's post about modifying the Ratco firewall plate. Although I didn't need to trim mine as much as Bill did, I none-the-less had to.

After seeing what Bill did with moving the linkage to the #1 and #2 carb instead of between the #2 and #3 carbs, I tried the same on mine.. for some reason (I can't remember why), I couldn't get it to work. However, having it in the original location didn't present any clearance problems and I've had no binding problems.

Lesson learned: All these cars are different, so pick the best route that works for your application.

All this being said, I've had a high idle problem since I've installed these carbs... haven't been able to cure it yet. I suspect that it's a timing/fuel mixture problem so to that end I bought a air/fuel logger that I'll be installing in a couple months.... from my investigations, I might have to move to leaner needles. This might not cure my high idle issues, but just from the smell of the exhaust, I know my little TR is running pig rich...even with the needles adjusted to lean.
 
Tom,

Actually, I feel that my couplings are just fine. I think that Jeff did a great job with them. The problem is with the linkage. I think that it's binding a bit through the modified stock setup.

This bears further investigation as well as setting the carbs with and emission analyzer to determine exactly how rich they are. But I want to get all of the mechanical issues out of the way first.

I've got a new distributor wanting to jump off of the workbench and into the car, but no can do until all other issues are ironed out.
 
Bill - you know you can cut the cable, right? I did that with my fi manifold, and now it's a straight shot with no loose.
 
Thanks for the photos, Bill. It looks as though I will have to move my pedal lever back over to the right again to allow room for the bracket to fit near the hoses. And I'll probably have to grind it out as you did.

From the looks of this, it appears that one would want a nice radius or drop in the cable from the bracket at the lever to the bracket at the carbs. Can you tell me how far yours drops down at the bottom of the radius to allow for proper operation with no strain on the cable?

I've never cut any of these cables. Is there a trick to it or a better method used to attach whatever will go on the end of the cable to secure it in place?

Again, the Ratco pictures are not very clear, even in the instructional pdf.

I appreciate your help.
 
Like any braided line. Tape it and use a hacksaw for the sheath. Sharp wirecutters will do the inside. The sheath end is a push on. The cable end is a screw stop. It is dead easy. Don't have miles of loose line in the car - cut it to the correct length and save yourself some grief.
 
Alan,

That's my question, what exactly determines the correct length? A few inches of drop in the cable from one hook up to another? I can cut it shorter, but I can never cut it longer after the first cut.
 
I'd cut it so it's not likely to hit anything and you have no kinks. There really aren't any hard and fast rules.

Be cautious - the first cut is the hardest, and you can always shorten it a bit more...
 
Just thinking about this. Will a standard tubing cutter cut the sheath?
 
But doesn't the inside cable need to be longer that the outer cable? Tin snips might make that a bit tricky, whereas a hacksaw can be moved around the O/D of the outer cable.
 
The cables slide apart to be shortened individually as needed. I took the slack out of mine as needed. That is why I ended up buying an extra(s), 'cause I screwed up one.
 
Don't flatter me, Paul. That is why my car cost so much; many, many screw-ups. OJT is the tough way to learn to restore a car. Ask Tinster.
 
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