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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Jerky throttle cable.

Hi
I have the standard type of throttle cable fitted to my MK3 Gan 4 midget, wire inner cable in wire spiral surround with black plastic outer cover.
I have applied oil to the inner cable, the hinged bar pedal mechanism and the throttle shaft assembly on the carbs but I still can't achieve a smooth cable movement when I work the accelerator pedal, tends to be quite jerky when setting off.
Can anyone recommend a practical solution to this issue or recommend an alternative type of throttle cable to try?
J Bond

J....I had the same issue on mine..turned out to be some free play in the inner cable/pedal connector..needed to make sure the inner cable acts on the carbs immediately you depress the loud pedal..
David Cox

Yes. The ultimate fix hands-down is easy and cheap. Use the Venhill kit and prepare to be astonished how good it is.
When I get home I'll try to post the link.

On my phone now and the battery is dying.
Greybeard

Oiling the inner cable is a bad idea, it attracts & holds grit which will create the problem you describe as well as causing premature wear. Try flushing out the cable and using a dry lubricant like graphite. Also, when the cable begins to wear it can fray inside the sleeve or wear a groove inside the sleeve, both will cause the symptom you describe. Were it me, I'd just buy a new cable assembly. For $10 and 15 minutes of work to change it, it's just not worth playing around.
Stan Kowznofski

Here's the kit:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Venhill-Universal-Blue-Throttle-Cable-MX-Enduro-Trials-Kit-U01-4-100-/181751026644?oid=201321212783

And here's a thread from the archive that might help:

http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/or17?runprog=mgbbs&access=&mode=archiveth&subject=97&subjectar=97&thread=201503222240206165

I've made four of these for different cars and they have all been successful.

OTOH if you're close to a pushbike shop they can make up Teflon cables for you on the spot inexpensively. Just use your original clevis and adjuster from the original cable. Easy-peasy.
Greybeard

By the way it's not always the cable at fault. Sometimes it's the butterflies being held closed by the intake vacuum, which is easy to fix with a tweak of the stop screw. But the Teflon cable is worth doing anyway because it's so much better than original.
Greybeard

Thanks for all the suggestions, after looking at this again the problem seems to be where the throttle cable runs under the fresh air intake pipe causing the cable to turn nearly at a right angle before it passes through the hole in the body above the footwell, because of the sharp change of direction of the cable at this point the cable is dragging on the bend in its enclosure before it reaches the slot in the hinged pedal rail.
Perhaps a longer cable might help to achieve more of a gradual bend at the point where the cable passes under the air intake pipe.
J Bond

Mine goes over, not under, the air intake pipe.
GuyW

Going over will still be tight other wise it rubs on the underside of the bonnet - unless you have it longer and strap it for a long smooth run that doesn't touch the underside of the bonnet as I saw on here - after I'd cut mine down.
Nigel Atkins

I think a longer cable is a good idea, if it allows an easier route.
A contributing factor to my sticky throttle which is easy to overlook was the hole in the footwell panel where the cable passes through. The panel was bent a bit so that the cable was pulling to one side with the throttle closed. It was easy to straighten by inserting a bolt and securing it with a nut finger-tight, then using the bolt as a lever to straighten the panel, so the cable was straight to the pedal. Made a big difference.
Greybeard

I suffered for ages with a sticky throttle and I will give another vote for the Venhill cable, if I remember rightly it cost about £12, you can cut the inner and outer cable to length and even though in hindsight I may have cut it a bit short I have never had a sticky pedal again, great value for money.

Tim Lynam

Yes, as Tim says, Venhill it. Works for me.
Dave Squire

Over the heater intake tube here too. It's tight but still smooth.
have you tried removing the heater tube and see if that makes a difference?
Jeremy MkIII

Thanks for all your help, I've ordered a Venhill cable to try it out.
Hopefully it will solve the problem.

J Bond

Venhill worked for me too..very smooth now
P Higgins

Hi
I fitted the Venhill throttle cable kit today, what a difference it has made compared with the standard cable in a wire core type, it's so smooth now.
Because the cable has the extra length I also have been able to flatten out the sharp bends I had with the shorter old cable.

John
J Bond

Well done John.

Continue to oil the pivot points of the pedal and connecting arm though - and the pedal hinge pin. I had a bout throttle strangeness once and it took a bit of finding but it was a bent pedal hinge pin, straighten it out and oiled it and it was fine after that.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 28/07/2018 and 02/08/2018

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.