Practically Classics Forum

Dear Harvey

I was in that area then i was dealing with a broken manifold on the left hand side of the engine. I will take a look at it this week and see if i can trace the cable over to the throttle assembly. Its a bit of a learning on the job type problem at the moment as its all new. Body and chassis I can deal with, most engines Im ok with but this is a whole new ball game.

any help is greatly appreciated...

I will be in touch after I get under the car and see whats going on.

best regards

lee

lhubbard wrote: I will be in touch after I get under the car and see whats going on.

If the cable has been dislodged it will be under the bonnet where it connects to the carbs or throttle linkage, not underneath.

Dear harvey

thats intersting as I have had all that linkage off the car. suddenly it all becomes clear. I think you have solve a big mystery for me. many thanks I hope I can get you a beer for this mate.

best regards

lee

Lee - I told you he was good didn't I? Lol!

Cheers all

You did.mate and there is a beer for you cheers one and all

Hi there guys

well i had a good look around the car and the throttle controls and I could find no evidence of a kickdown cable attached to the controls. There also seems to be no cables other than the column change attached to the gear box so I am guessing the cable is missing. However to be sure anyone got the details of where the cable attaches to the throttle controls on the dailmer V8 engine. I am guessing up by the carbs but could find no evidence of this.

cheers

lee

In that case it looks as though you will be laying underneath the car then.......

On the passenger side of the car, on the front of that side of the gearbox, just above the sump gasket, and just behind the bellhousing, to the rear of the very lowest gearbox to bellhousing securing bolt is where the kickdown cable screws into the casing. Find that and then trace the cable to the end, and see what you find, and where you are......

If the cable is just loose somewhere then with some pics we should be able to work out where it should be fitted to, but if it's unconnected then that wouldn't cause the harsh engagement unless the inner cable has been pulled out and jammed up somehow.

Hi there Harvey

I did some work yesterday and got the car on stands so I could get under it. There was a cable attached to the gear box as you indicated and I traced it back up into the engine bay where I found the end tucked under the bulkhead. I also found what looks like an attachement point on the throttle bars which accepted the sleeve of the cable and allowed the inner cable to be attached to a waiting mounting point. I adjusted the cable using a new cable adjuster I had in spares so that with the throttle undepressed there was tension but the cable was in the rest position. I then checked the extension of the inner cable using the throttle control and has a good extension of about an inch and a half to full throttle. I checked for free movement on the cable and all seems well in the cable movement with no sticking and the sheeve stays put

I was unable to test if this solved the problem as I felt the matting appeared to be rather wet. on closer examination the master cylinder had givenup the ghost and deposited brake fluid all inside my carpet underlay. A new one is on order and should be in on saturday latest monday. When thats installed I will test the car again but I am imagining i will need further adjustment of the cable.

many thanks for all your help here it is greatly appreciated...

best regards

lee

lhubbard wrote:
I did some work yesterday and got the car on stands so I could get under it. There was a cable attached to the gear box as you indicated and I traced it back up into the engine bay where I found the end tucked under the bulkhead. I also found what looks like an attachement point on the throttle bars which accepted the sleeve of the cable and allowed the inner cable to be attached to a waiting mounting point. I adjusted the cable using a new cable adjuster I had in spares so that with the throttle undepressed there was tension but the cable was in the rest position. I then checked the extension of the inner cable using the throttle control and has a good extension of about an inch and a half to full throttle. I checked for free movement on the cable and all seems well in the cable movement with no sticking and the sheeve stays put

I will test the car again but I am imagining i will need further adjustment of the cable.

Why do people think that hiding the end of the cable makes any problems go away......

It sounds as though you have found the attachment point. With the throttle at rest, there should be no free play on the inner cable, but it shouldn't be so tight so as to be holding the valve open inside the box. In case you have the wrong attachment point carefully check that when you have full throttle the kickdown cable still has some extra movement, otherwise it will act as a throttle stop and that will break the cable. On a roadtest it shouldn't change up too early, or change up so late that you have to lift off the throttle to trigger the upshift. There are shift speeds in the WM if you have one. I can fine tune the adjustment with you if needs be once you are able to roadtest it.

Sorry to thread hijack but If a ZF automatic box requires you to lift off slightly to change up (when you have your foot to the floor) which way does the kick down cable need to be adjusted?