New throttle cable/wire help

[1987PARCAR]

I am new to this and need some tips putting the new throttle cable wire on my 87 Columbia. Going by what the service manual says, it doesn't seem to work. there must be a something I'm missing. If someone has done this before, would love to have some tips or insight

[Lochlin]

This has been talked about a few times here in the forum so take some time to do a forum search for more information.

I think that the most important thing to note is that, when nothing is acting on them, the springs in Columbia carbs hold them wide open. In other words, if you were to start the cart with no throttle cable on it (this in very possible to do) the cart would be screaming at full speed.

The throttle cable has to pull the throttle shut. As such, when attaching the cable, the hook on it has to pull the throttle butterfly toward the front of the cart so it closes.

[1987PARCAR]

What seems to be the problem is...when you attach it to the pedal and do what the service manual says, following the steps, what is happening is when you step on the pedal, all it does is the spring bends down with the cable and the wire doesnt move.

[1987PARCAR]

This is a new cable/wire from VGC and its the right one by number and matching them up side by side.

[Lochlin]

Bare with me as I am going by memory here as I don't have one of my carts with me at the moment.

Your new cable should have a shepherd's hook loop at the end of it. Your carb's throttle butterfly should have 2 or 3 holes. The hook goes into one hole and they back out of the other so that it will pull the lever to the front of the cart.


The new housing of the new cable must be fastened to a mount to the front of the carb. I believe that there is a specialized holder there that uses the front nut / bolt of the starter for mounting. This mount is critical as it holds the cable housing in place while allow the actual cable inside the housing to move while the housing stays put. It sounds like you entire cable is moving rather than just the inside part.

[Lochlin]

Deleted post.

[1987PARCAR]

So going by what the service manual says to install the throttle cable. I have done what they say to mount it and set it up to attach to the throttle several times. Everything Ive done will look exactly as the picture shown in the service manual. All that happens when you press the pedal is the return spring, the cable protruding out from the cable guard and the cable to the cable clamp...bends downward and the wire doesnt move.

So a question would be ...how stiff is that spring supposed to be? If you hold the spring, cable guard, cable shield all straight, so it doesnt bend, and someone pushes the pedal, the wire will move as it should. So am thinking maybe the spring is wayyy to soft? I dont know Im pretty sure its the original spring due to the fact that the clamp screws snapped off trying to get them out to get the old cable out because they were rusted.

I have a new carb mounted, F22-270 from VGC and the new cable from them also. There is just the straight wire out the end of the cable...no shepards hook. Once I can get the wire to move and the cable to work as it should then I will be able to hook it up to carb. I do understand the way the throttle is supposed to work on the carb...thats not the issue I am having.

[Lochlin]

Got it. I had this exact thing happen on a cart that I restored a couple of years ago. The issue was the cable guard thing was weak and bent when the accelerator was depressed. This took all of the action away from the throttle wire itself. My fix was that I had some fairly small diameter pipe, maybe 1/2 inch maybe 1/4? I don't remember but it was just a little smidge bigger than the cable guard. I slipped it over top of the cable guard and used a little bit of JB Weld to hold it there. That did the trick. I can take and post a pic when I am with the cart this weekend.

Regarding the shepherd's hook, those cables are meant to be bent so you can put your own one on it. I prefer using cable stops, though, as they don't bend the cable at all.

[1987PARCAR]

Thank you Lochlin!!! Yup I got the cable stops, thats what I was gonna use due to the fact I didnt want to bend the the wire and it end up being too short and breaking off then my new cable would be useless. Im also gonna use a nut on there as well, like you also suggested in a previous post, so it wont shake loose.