While my girl sits on jack stands awaiting her new calipers, I thought I'd try and tackle another issue of it's many. The throttle cable.

This is what mine looks like:



It comes out of the metal bracket that holds it in place very easily. I'd barely nudge it and it comes popping out of place. Is this normal? Also, is the damage to the outer rubber where the bare cable is showing something to be concerned about?
Also, my accelerator pedal is really goofy. You need to press the on the bottom for it to actually do anything. It'll tilt, but no gas. This forces me to use my heel to accelerate rather than the ball of my foot like I'm used to. Is this normal? I've never driven a car as old as my fiero before and certainly not one with a cable driven throttle. Was that just the way it was back then? It's also very sensitive, it's almost like she's either full throttle or nothing at all.

You probably need to check the trottle pedal and see if its all OK?
You should have a fairly proportional throttle travel / engine revs. Shouldn't be all or nothing!
As for the engine side fixing, a couple of small zip ties will hold the end in place. The plastic clips age badly and break off: thats why your cable comes loose.
Tape for the chaffed sleeve.

If not, buy a new cable. But it's a bit of a pain to replace.

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"Turbo Slug" - '87 Fiero GT. 3800 turbo. - The fastest Fiero in France! @turboslugfiero
https://youtu.be/hUzOAeyWLfM

quote Originally posted by Frenchrafe: You probably need to check the trottle pedal and see if its all OK? You should have a fairly proportional throttle travel / engine revs. Shouldn't be all or nothing! As for the engine side fixing, a couple of small zip ties will hold the end in place. The plastic clips age badly and break off: thats why your cable comes loose. Tape for the chaffed sleeve. If not, buy a new cable. But it's a bit of a pain to replace.

wanted to add on.
grease the exposed metal and clean up the plastic before wrapping electrical tape 1.5 inches before and after the worn section. if you still have the push lock (definitely gone) use 3 zip ties. one around the cable and 2 going from that zip tie to the bracket in kind of a y shape.

First, I want to say... the rest of the engine (from what I can see) is really nice and clean. But you probably need to replace that throttle cable.. Cables, whether it's the throttle one, or the transmission cables... if the mounting points aren't correctly fixed, the pedal (or shifter) will simply not function properly. It's imperative that the throttle cable be properly seated, otherwise your pedal will feel crazy. I've attached a picture of the brand-new throttle cable for my daughter's Fiero, which we'll install after we put the engine in... but you can see there's a rubber grommet where it slides into the bracket, and it should be perfectly seated. It's also fraying and damaged (from what I can see).





Here is a link for the 85-86 Throttle Cable: https://www.fierostore.com/...0%20%20%20%20%208586
And a link for the 1984 Throttle Cable: https://www.fierostore.com/...0%20%20%20%20%201984

... $49 bucks, so well worth it. Address the pedal after you've replaced the cable... I think most of your problems are because of the cable.

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 08-16-2024).]

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: if the mounting points aren't correctly fixed

What exactly do you mean by mounting points? I've also discovered that my pedal is floppy, it naturally sits lower than the brake pedal and it'll jiggle around just by playing with it. However, there's a good 3/4 inch of slack in the cable so when I pull up on it at the retainer thingy that sits in that groove, it'll pull the pedal back up to where it's supposed to be. Could be just old stretched cable?

[This message has been edited by Doggo (edited 08-16-2024).]

quote Originally posted by Doggo: What exactly do you mean by mounting points? I've also discovered that my pedal is floppy, it naturally sits lower than the brake pedal and it'll jiggle around just by playing with it. However, there's a good 3/4 inch of slack in the cable so when I pull up on it at the retainer thingy that sits in that groove, it'll pull the pedal back up to where it's supposed to be. Could be just old stretched cable?

It's kind of hard to explain, but in order for the pedal and throttle to work, the throttle cable has to be braced at both ends. The bracing occurs around the cable cover at both ends. If either end isn't fixed... the cable is essentially loose. It doesn't get longer or shorter of course, but the throttle cable has to be fixed AT the point where the pedal is, and AT the point where it connects to the throttle bracket, otherwise there won't be any tension on it. The casing / shell of the cable (when mounted) is what provides the "tension" for the cable, and it's what prevents the pedal from flopping around (or should). I'm not sure if I explained that well... does that make any sense at all?

On another point, the cable shielding is also worn and the cable itself is exposed... so you'll absolutely need to replace it regardless. But the new throttle cable will slot right in there, and it should fix all your problems.

Wrong tread

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 08-17-2024).]