Vintage Mustang Forums banner

throttle linkage for edelbrock carb

24K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  Wildpat  
#1 ·
I've got an edelbrock carb (1400 right now, soon to be a 1403) with original mustang linkage which has worked but not optimally (I have a cotter pin in the end of the rod to keep it attached to the carb but the rod isn't a tight fit in the smaller hole). I've seen that some people will replace the original linkage with something like Total Control Products or How to Make your own Custom Throttle Linkage - FordMuscle but in my case straight linkage won't work because laterally the carb hookup doesn't line up with the accelerator assembly hookup. I wonder why mine seems different. This is a 289 66 and originally had AT but the prior owner converted it to manual. Not sure if that would be why? Wondering if someone can explain why I have this issue and if there is a solution to it. Is my setup non-standard? Or are people bending their accelerator assembly to make things line up or something?

I am not opposed to using the original linkage but I'd want to find a bushing so it fits the carb's hole a little better. Thinking that's probably the simplest but on the fence as to which would be "better".

Ideas or explanations? I could get some pictures if that would help.
 
#4 ·
Can you post a photo of the linkage and show where it doesn't line up. Most of the holes for throttle linkage are ÂĽ". Moroso makes a bushing for the large linkage hole on a Holley, but don't know if it can be used in an Edelbrock carb.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mor-64920
 
#5 ·
If all you want is a bushing, you might try Grainger or McMaster-Carr. they should have anything you need to repair your linkage or build a new linkage of your own design.
 
#7 ·
A picture would help. This may be comparing apples to oranges as you have a manual 66 and I have an auto 68 but here's a pic of my Edelbrock linkage. I took the original linkage rod, cut the 90 degree bend off the end, and then tapped the end of the rod to fit a ball-joint on the Edelbrock:



Hope this helps.

I'm in just a few miles from you in Tualatin, BTW.

- Alex O.
 
#9 ·
Ditto " a picture will help"! Insure the distance is such we can get a fair perspective.
There are any number of ways to approach your issue. It ranges from throwing money at it to fabricating your own design. Many of us fabricate and go with it........
 
#10 ·
Coming from a six cylinder I had no appropriate linkage at all. I fabricated basically what Aolshove shows us. Though his is rather more professional looking. I might have to upgrade mine a smidge now. :)
 
#11 ·
Aolshove, that does look like the best solution to me.

For those still curious, here's my current setup. You can see from the side picture that the original rod doesn't quite fit the hole (rod is 3/16 and hole seems to be a smidge under 1/4). I looked for bushings last night but from what I could tell it doesn't seem like bushings that thin are made. From the front picture you can see in the upper left quadrant of the red rectangle the cotter pin that holds it in place currently (I don't have it all the way in at the moment), and you can see how a straight rod just doesn't line up. It needs to be a bent rod like the original.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Other ideas are welcome and will be considered but as it stands currently I think Aolshove is the winner here.
 

Attachments

#16 ·
I fabricated linkage in the attached photo. Disregard the Holley carb. I made the linkage up when that car was equipped with a 1406 Edelbrock.

BTW- The linkage was exactly the same length on both carbs.
 

Attachments

#17 ·
Looks great, but for some reason your accelerator assembly appears to line up laterally in such a way that a straight rod works for you. That's the mystery for me... why straight rods work for some and bent rods (like the original rods) are required for others. Do you know?
 
#20 ·
I just went out to the car and measured the offset between the carb linkage and the accelerator linkage. On my car, the offset is 1". I was running the offset linkage like what you have currently. When I had it adjusted properly and used the proper clips on both ends, It worked great. I'm sure with a little TLC, yours can be made to work well.
 
#23 ·
I found a top view of a 1400 carb and in Photoshop, I superimposed a linkage on it (similar to mine) and it appears to clear. Notice that the heim joint stands about 1/4 - 3/8" off of the linkage surface. If you look closely at my linkage in a previous post, you'll see that I had to use a small spacer as well!
 

Attachments

#24 ·
Yeah, I think that actually would work on second glance. With the rod pushed outward by the mounting studs on both ends, it does look like it would clear OK. So that is an option. Though a bent rod just looks more appropriate to me even if the rod itself doesn't look quite as pretty so I think that's the route I'll go, though at least now the mystery is solved. Thanks for taking the time to illustrate it.
 
#26 ·
Finally coming back to report that I did a modified version of the DIY straight linkage described online. I used a torch and a vice to bend a steel rod and threaded each end. Then polished and clear coated. I love how it turned out. Here are pics.
 

Attachments

#29 ·
Thanks guys!

Bought the key ingredients at Summit (part numbers AAF-ALL54164, GAR-10219, SUM-MSF4). I bought the lock nuts at Ace and the steel rod at Home Depot. You've seen the page that details this project, I hope? If not I can find it for you.

Also, I found that the bushing was just a hair too large to go in the end of the throttle rod, but it's aluminum so I stuck it on a bolt with a nut tightened down, stuck the bolt in my drill, and used a chisel to gradually whittle away a tiny bit of the diameter. Yeah I know. Pretty mickey mouse way of doing it but I couldn't think of a better way with the tools at hand and it worked well enough. I preferred doing that over drilling out the hole in the throttle rod (I don't like to hack my mustang parts if there's another way to accomplish a goal).
 
#30 ·
Thanks ShanMan for the info. I'll keep that in my notes for future project.
I have a 4V Edelbrock carb all redone and a Weiand intake on a shelf, I may get to install them in the spring. Part and parcel of working on the car outside... ^^