[MacIntyreMustang]

Who has had the pleasure of trying to slow down a 67 Mustang 289 4v after the throttle stuck wide open off the lights into a curved parking lot road and over a curb(distance 30 feet) and you couldn't turn the key off because both hands were turing the wheel and both feet on the disc brakes? Check your linkages guys! It will save you $1000 bucks suspension work and a trip to the frame straightener. Who would have though an innocent shot (not even a tire skreech) would do so much damage. Anyone else have a throttle sticking story. Everyone does.

 

[coupster]

My first rebuild of a 351C in my torino during High School. I decided to rev it up a little in the parking lot. Throttle stuck wide open. Luckily I was in a parking lot, and had very little speed. I was able to get the car to stop using just the front brakes, but the back tires were burning up like I was trying to do a power-brake-spin-out. I quickly pushed the T-handle to neutral, as I was killing the ignition at the same time. My friends thought the smoking tires and brakes looked cool, but I instantly knew what the problem was. I lifted the hood and re-attached the spring for the kickdown that had gotten stuck in the throttle linkages...boy was that lucky...I should have blown that fresh "C".... tp.

 

[dailydriver]

Ouch! Glad that nobody was injured. The car can be fixed. I'll bet you have the smoothest linkage in town before the car ever goes back on the street....

 

[gwstang]

Ouch, sorry for your misfortune. Kinda makes me glad I have a clutch, but I will recheck the spring and the little plate that it attaches to... ::

 

[L20068]

That's when I hit my nitrous oxide and point it straight and pray to Allah. LOL!!!

In all seriousness, the throttle stuck on my old 6 cylinder with the Weber 2 barrel before I did much other work to it. I was able to turn the key off, but I did end up going over a curb... It sucked. Big time!

 

[jaeger83]

That brings up another point. Make sure your floor mat is anchored in some way. Have had one move forward and jam my gas peddle years ago. These days if it's a relatively new car, there is usually a small hook to make sure the driver's mat stays put. Have picked up a couple of new cars in the past and found it was just tossed in. Mark

 

[camachinist]

Good sales pitch for a rev-limiter. Race cars use them all the time. If the throttle sticks, we neutral the car and let the engine bump the rev limiter until we can figure out what went wrong or can cut the ignition (if ignition has stuck on as well)

Stuff happens...

I've had stuck throttles a few times when street racing; just neutralled the car when I noticed the rpms weren't coming down, let the engine hit the limiter, and cut the ignition.

Using double return springs ( a requirement at the track) usually overcomes most throttle-related problems.

 

[sycostang67]

Happened to me in my 67 about 7 years back, No title yet, still an auto tranny, fooling around in the wet dirt driveway, shaped like the letter P. I step on it to slide through the last turn on to the straight and the throttle sticks. I simultaneously stomped the brakes, and pulled the gas pedal up with my right hand and stopped just inches from the telephone pole at the end of the driveway. Made some nice ruts too.