Big Blue's Transformation

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, will the cable casing allow the bracket to be turned 90°? If so do that and bolt it on the plate sideways, other possibility is use the cruise control cable bracket. Neither of those (cables included) will be of use to you once the plenum and throttle body are mounted.

Bill - I think that's an excellent idea! I do believe the casing will allow it to be twisted 90 degrees, but will give it a try later today.

However, there's really nothing special about the bracket. Both the throttle cable and speed control cable just go into a u-shaped slot with a hole below. The throttle cable has a tab that is supposed to snap into the hole, although the one on Big Blue doesn't stay so I'll replace it. And the speed control cable has a screw hole through which a screw passes and secures it to the bracket. So it wouldn't be too hard to make a slot and hole in a piece of angle to accept the cables.

The biggest issue is that the speed control cable needs to clip in maybe 2" back of where the throttle cable clips in as it has to allow the throttle to open w/o hitting the speed control cable. But the speed control bracket screws onto the side of the throttle cable bracket, so I might be able to re-use it.

Anyway, good idea!

[85lebaront2]

Bill - I think that's an excellent idea! I do believe the casing will allow it to be twisted 90 degrees, but will give it a try later today.

However, there's really nothing special about the bracket. Both the throttle cable and speed control cable just go into a u-shaped slot with a hole below. The throttle cable has a tab that is supposed to snap into the hole, although the one on Big Blue doesn't stay so I'll replace it. And the speed control cable has a screw hole through which a screw passes and secures it to the bracket. So it wouldn't be too hard to make a slot and hole in a piece of angle to accept the cables.

The biggest issue is that the speed control cable needs to clip in maybe 2" back of where the throttle cable clips in as it has to allow the throttle to open w/o hitting the speed control cable. But the speed control bracket screws onto the side of the throttle cable bracket, so I might be able to re-use it.

Anyway, good idea!

Gary, do you really need the speed control for engine break in? I thought it was 2500? RPM for 20-30 mins to break in the cam. After that aren't you going to finish installing the EFI system before driving him, and even if you are going to drive him, do you really need the cruise control for that?

You did note my comment on the EFI cables didn't you? They are longer and may have different ends.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, do you really need the speed control for engine break in? I thought it was 2500? RPM for 20-30 mins to break in the cam. After that aren't you going to finish installing the EFI system before driving him, and even if you are going to drive him, do you really need the cruise control for that?

You did note my comment on the EFI cables didn't you? They are longer and may have different ends.

I think I'll be running the carb for some time, far beyond break-in. And I want to put some miles on it. In fact, I have a dream that I've not typed nor voiced, and that is to take Big Blue to Colorado this fall. So speed control would be a big help.

As for the EFI cables, yes I saw that. And I should have those cables as well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim - I'll confess I didn't follow all of that. But I appreciate the suggestions. So let me ask some questions and make comments to try to understand:

• Turning the fore/aft piece so the horizonal part faces out would work, and I like that. And hopefully I could cut a divot in it to miss the boss.

• I'll have to check the height of the top of the boss to see if I can use it in some way and still get the bracket down where I want it.

• Agreed that the throttle cable won't care if it is rotated, but there's also the speed control cable which parallels the throttle cable. And while it uses a chain so can probably be rotated some, it would be best to keep it horizontal to the throttle cable.

As for placement of the bracket, perhaps this pic will help. The carb bolt spacing is 5.16", so I'd guess that the throttle cable is roughly 3 1/2" outboard of the left carb bolt.

I'll have to do a lot more playing with things to figure out where it can all go. But that probably won't happen until Friday as the kids have come back as of last night for a few days before leaving for Charleston.

I wish this was a candidate for CAD, but I fear cardboard is too flimsy. But perhaps I can c-clamp a couple of pieces of angle together with the bracket bolted to one of them and get a better handle on where that boss is and how to get around it. Or at worst case tack weld them together.

Maybe I misinterpreted your drawing.

I think a gusset from the arm pointing back to the lower edge of the piece across the back of the carb will be plenty stiff.

I have to admit, never having had speed control I don't give it much thought.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Maybe I misinterpreted your drawing.

I think a gusset from the arm pointing back to the lower edge of the piece across the back of the carb will be plenty stiff.

I have to admit, never having had speed control I don't give it much thought.

Well, as usual I'm making this too difficult. Turned out that I had the piece of angle shown below in the dip stick stay testing laying around and the bolt holes are the right distance apart so it bolted right on. And then I realized that the back edge was sticking up and it was almost in the right position.

A bit of measuring said that if the edge was 5/8" farther back it would be perfect for the cable to mount on. Right height and right distance. So I looked around and I have a piece of rolled angle that has large enough flanges to allow the back one to be at just the right spot. And, the flanges are ~.088" and the cable can handle .100" in the slot.

So, all it will take is to cut a piece of the angle, drill the holes in it for the carb bolts, relieve it for the back of the carb, cut a slot in it for the cable to slide into and drill a hole for the cable's tab to snap into. And for the speed control cable, I suspect that if I box the ends of the angle I can use the one on the driver's side to screw the speed control bracket to. Done.

[Gary Lewis]

Well, as usual I'm making this too difficult. Turned out that I had the piece of angle shown below in the dip stick stay testing laying around and the bolt holes are the right distance apart so it bolted right on. And then I realized that the back edge was sticking up and it was almost in the right position.

A bit of measuring said that if the edge was 5/8" farther back it would be perfect for the cable to mount on. Right height and right distance. So I looked around and I have a piece of rolled angle that has large enough flanges to allow the back one to be at just the right spot. And, the flanges are ~.088" and the cable can handle .100" in the slot.

So, all it will take is to cut a piece of the angle, drill the holes in it for the carb bolts, relieve it for the back of the carb, cut a slot in it for the cable to slide into and drill a hole for the cable's tab to snap into. And for the speed control cable, I suspect that if I box the ends of the angle I can use the one on the driver's side to screw the speed control bracket to. Done.

Ok, I have a bracket that will work. It isn't perfect and I think I need to slot the bolt holes by ~1/4" to take the slop out of the cable, but I'll show you that in a bit.

Here's the bracket itself, ready to go for the throttle cable but w/o the add-on for the speed control cable. That will take a plate on the right end to which the factory speed control cable bracket will attach, but that's no problem and I'll get to that probably later in the week. But in this pic you can see the red marks which show where I think I need to slot the holes to in order to take out the slop.

Here's the bracket "installed", although the carb is on the bench, and while the pic isn't the best you can see that the cable lays right to the ball on the carb, meaning the bracket is at the right height.

However, in this pic you can see that the cable is 5/16" too long. So I'm thinking I'll slot the bolt holes by 1/4" to allow adjustment. Trust me, you don't want to take all of the slop out or you'll have problems getting the idle to drop down where it should. DAHIK.

So, this is a pretty easy fix for people going with an aftermarket intake. Once I get it the way I like it then I can provide dimensions so others can copy it.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ok, I have a bracket that will work. It isn't perfect and I think I need to slot the bolt holes by ~1/4" to take the slop out of the cable, but I'll show you that in a bit.

Here's the bracket itself, ready to go for the throttle cable but w/o the add-on for the speed control cable. That will take a plate on the right end to which the factory speed control cable bracket will attach, but that's no problem and I'll get to that probably later in the week. But in this pic you can see the red marks which show where I think I need to slot the holes to in order to take out the slop.

Here's the bracket "installed", although the carb is on the bench, and while the pic isn't the best you can see that the cable lays right to the ball on the carb, meaning the bracket is at the right height.

However, in this pic you can see that the cable is 5/16" too long. So I'm thinking I'll slot the bolt holes by 1/4" to allow adjustment. Trust me, you don't want to take all of the slop out or you'll have problems getting the idle to drop down where it should. DAHIK.

So, this is a pretty easy fix for people going with an aftermarket intake. Once I get it the way I like it then I can provide dimensions so others can copy it.

Looooking Goooood! 👍

[Gary Lewis]

Looooking Goooood! 👍

Thanks, Jim. It is such a simple solution that it is hard to believe I didn't think of it first. In fact, someone ought to make it commercially as I've seen so many people trying to figure out how to get the slop out of their throttle cable on an aftermarket intake.

I'll have to check to see if it would work on a Holley but it'll work on my Street Demon, although the PCV hose fitting will be held on pretty tightly between the bracket and the barb.

The downside of this design is that it doesn't have a handy place to attach the speed control bracket, which was an add-on from the factory. But the plate on the end to box the angle will provide that, although it will have to extend down a ways below the lower flange of the angle to take both screws on the speed control bracket. However, I see no reason to use the factory bracket as is. I'm thinking that I'll cut the dog leg off and just weld the bracket onto the plate on the end.

You can see what I'm talking about here. The speed control bracket is screwed onto the side of the throttle cable bracket, but it attaches behind the point where the throttle cable attaches, so my plate will have to come back past the rear flange of the angle.

You can see from this pic that the hole the catch of the throttle cable snaps into is right at the bottom of the back flange of the bracket. So the top hole of the factory speed control bracket would be close to the bottom flange, and the bottom hole would be well below. May just make a new bracket out of another piece of that angle for the speed control.

[salans7]

Thanks, Jim. It is such a simple solution that it is hard to believe I didn't think of it first. In fact, someone ought to make it commercially as I've seen so many people trying to figure out how to get the slop out of their throttle cable on an aftermarket intake.

I'll have to check to see if it would work on a Holley but it'll work on my Street Demon, although the PCV hose fitting will be held on pretty tightly between the bracket and the barb.

The downside of this design is that it doesn't have a handy place to attach the speed control bracket, which was an add-on from the factory. But the plate on the end to box the angle will provide that, although it will have to extend down a ways below the lower flange of the angle to take both screws on the speed control bracket. However, I see no reason to use the factory bracket as is. I'm thinking that I'll cut the dog leg off and just weld the bracket onto the plate on the end.

You can see what I'm talking about here. The speed control bracket is screwed onto the side of the throttle cable bracket, but it attaches behind the point where the throttle cable attaches, so my plate will have to come back past the rear flange of the angle.

You can see from this pic that the hole the catch of the throttle cable snaps into is right at the bottom of the back flange of the bracket. So the top hole of the factory speed control bracket would be close to the bottom flange, and the bottom hole would be well below. May just make a new bracket out of another piece of that angle for the speed control.

All this talk of throttle cable brackets has made me realize my engine didn't come with one. Will have to save a photo of the finished product so I can remember it down the road as I will need to make one as well.

[Gary Lewis]

All this talk of throttle cable brackets has made me realize my engine didn't come with one. Will have to save a photo of the finished product so I can remember it down the road as I will need to make one as well.

Shaun - I'll have this factory one left over and you can have it. If you are using a factory intake it'll bolt right on. But even on the 460 Edelbrock's bosses it seemed to work ok. It was the Edelbrock 351W & 400 intakes that appear to have the bosses in different locations. Or, perhaps they didn't move the bosses but moved the carb on those intakes?

However, I'm not sure I'll have the speed control bracket left over. We shall see.