The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Throttle Cable

I have a hole in my Dash for a throttle cable..At least I think thats what its for...55 3/4 235...does anyone have a pic of were the cable links to the carb? M/G

Never heard of a throttle cable on a 55,
As far as I know the throttle cable setup was not used intell 1971 or 1972,
Before that the trucks used manual linkage.
Any body Please correct me if I am wrong?
But what you are looking at is probably for a choke cable

Luke - what he's asking about is the hand throttle, on all trucks up to 1960

Mike, cmayna has some pics of the setup here - see "img 1540", "img 1537", "img 1542"

Bill

Thanks Bill..

Just to add to this, the hand throttle could be had on trucks up to at least '72. Usually on the later trucks, it'll be found with a 4 speed with a pto operated accessory, like a pump or winch. GMC had a pto winch as an option up to '72 on 4x4 models. I do know a local guy with a '72 chevy C20 with the throttle cable on a V8 with an auto trans. We both throught it was odd, but there it was. This truck has another odd option as well, the 3.54 rear end gear in the Eaton diff.

Once your get the throttle cable installed, then all you have to do is figure out how to keep it out when you set it!
Even with a light tension spring installed, mine pulls right back to idle when I release it. No friction adjustment on these cables. I think we talked bout this before but never did find a solution.
Denny Graham

Denny, I was under the asumption that the throttle cable was just to make it easier,you know when I hit my floor starter i dont have to jump to the gas peddle, I could just work the throttle cable and choke with my hands...although, that is what i have been doing for a year now, ...jumping my foot from starter to gas pedle. I remember sitting in my Grandfathers 70??72??Ford stakebody?? Rack truck..working the choke and throttle.

Don't believe so Mike, could be used that way though. I always heal 'n toed the starter and gas pedal. Not exactly sure what the hand throttle was for. I’m sure there are a hundred opinions on that one.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Maybe I will just install it for looks..I hate messing with my carb...

my 58 just has the knob to fill the hole, I coiled the cable under the dash - the 57 just has the blankout plug, which I'd think may have been fairly common

the hand throttle was for running PTO stuff [remember these were designed as farm and work trucks], and for keepiing a high idle for warmup

Bill

Ya...I guess I will just coil it and add it for looks, gudda fill the hole..

For what it is worth, back in the early 80s I drove truck. Sometimes I would have to drive one of the new International bobtails. Nice little truck 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. Any way it had a throttle control that had a lock in it. Pull out the throttle to the desired RPM and twist the knob. It would hold that RPM untill you released the lock. I spent a lot of hours using that poor mans cruse control LOL. Jimmie.

I had that cable in my 41 Sedan. Never found out what it is usefull for as it snapps back when you relase it.

I also first thought, it is for easyer starting with the footstarter, but found out that the footstarter bow pushes on the accelerator linkage anyways and has a bolt to fine-tune that.

Got me one of those "twist&lock" cables at the local truck shop and use that as a "cruise control" on the german Autobahn as Jimmie said.

Frank

I think your assumption is partly correct Bill, “the hand throttle was for running PTO stuff [remember these were designed as farm and work trucks], and for keeping a high idle for warm-up”. The only thing I can see wrong with that is every truck came with the throttle, and it wasn’t an option and not very many had a power take-off. Also the fast idle cam should take care of the rpm till the engine warms up, no?
To you other two dudes, I’m not the cruse control police but I would certainly agree with the numerous replies in past threads cautioning against the practice of using a fixed throttle stop for a cruse control.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

No such animal as a fast idle cam on my 38. I imagine there were as many uses for the hand throttle as there were owners. I would be interesting to see some period advertising related to the hand throttle.

i used mine when i had to stop and take off on a hill

Sorry bout that Tiny, I thought we were being more specific and talking about AD's, especially a "55 3/4 235". It no doubt would have been used for a fast idle in your case. Maybe the hand throttle was one of those leftovers like the provision for a hand crank. Our experts here say your ‘38 came equipped with a hand crank but the crank tool itself was discontinued with the AD even though the balancer drive dog and grill hole still remained for years.
Yes "I would be interesting to see some period advertising related to the hand throttle." I'd like to discover what GM's intent was also. All manufacturers were always trying to save a penny so I'm suppressed they would have left it once they figured out the fast idle cam. You would have thought it would have been an option after that. Like I said before, people being as inventive as they are, there are probably a hundred different opinions as to how it cold be used.
Ahhh, those little details, what fun they are!!!!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I am still a bit green here..so bare with me.. AD.s and PTO..?? What do these abreviations mean? M/G

AD is a body style: Advance Design or Art Deco as many call it. PTO is an acronym for Power Take-Off.

Avance Design [term from Chevy advertising] = the 1947-54 Chevys .... the Art Deco [apparently enthusiast made up term] was the 1941-1946 series Tiny, different animal

Denny - I think the real reason the hand throttle didn't get dropped earlier is 'entropy'

it was around since forever, and they were building farm trucks, where [I'm sure some here can tell you] putting the ol 4 speed in low, pulling out the throttle an inch, you can jump out and load hay bales as the thing drives itself across the field

Bill

Kinda like a creeper gear... entropy??? I will have to look that one up in my slang section of my shop manual

My hand throttle has enough friction that it holds nicely. I think its a lot like the parking brake- it wasn't ever supposed to be lubricated, otherwise it won't hold. It may hold if you put a nice kink in the cable somewhere.

Don't bother with the slang Mike, what Bill is saying is that the message to discontinue the hand throttle got lost somewhere between engineering and the proguction department.
Engineering, lets see, isn't someone here an engineer? Ahhh yes, don't lubricate it, or put a kink in it, or tie a knot in it, or crimp it in the vise, or better yet, just hit it with a BFHammer. Just pullin your jeeber 4onthefloor!
This is probably one of those things that we'll never know, one of those things that the designer took to the grave with him.
"My big old wife" came up with another one, use it when you hand crank it?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I use mine all the time, and it does stay where I put it. I have my idle set so low that there is neither enough air flow nor water flow through the radiator in really hot weather in slow, stop and go traffic, so I crank the speed up with the hand throttle. I also use it for fast idle warm up. I push the choke in immediately when the engine starts, even in the coldest weather, and only use it temporarilly when the engine balks on gear changes.

My 53 has one. Pull it out and twist, and it stays. I asked my dad (since the truck is older than I am), what is this thing for. He said they used them like Red said. Out in the field - Granny gear and a little throttle and you could walk beside it and unload the hay. He told me just use it as the "poor man's cruise control" (since I'm not a farmer). Works good.

OK...So, I will file it under problem solved. Somewere in the Middle of 1955, the engineer and production guys went out ..got drunk,,,and are laughing in there graves right now. Or..My truck was put together on Monday morning or late friday afternoon...