Mechanical Throttle Linkage

[JMJ]

I’ve read that the Forte Mechanical Throttle linkage kit is a huge improvement over a cable however, how difficult is it to install without having to remove the body?

Thanks.

[CraigS]

If you don't mind laying on your back in the driver footwell, it's not too bad. My experience says that no matter how hard it is, it will be worth it. I did mine before Forte had put his kits together. I had a cable that was pretty well optimized but the first test drive told me how bad it actually was. I got half way down the street and the effort needed to move the gas pedal was so low it was nearly impossible to drive. I turned around and added another spring to the carb which at least allowed me to drive it fairly normally.

[Sdonnel]

The key to installing on a finished car is making sure that when you drill through the firewall, there is nothing that will be hit by the drill or be contacted by the bolt. Pull your steering wheel and that should make it easier. Removing the seat is not required, but may make it easier.

[TMartinLVNV]

I'm thinking about doing this as well. Did you have to remove your dash?

I was hoping to be able to remove the seat, the steering wheel, and be able to access everything while laying on my back like Craig said.

I talked to Forte a while ago about installing this on an completed car and he indicated that the dash would have to be removed and it was a PITA even then.

[Sdonnel]

I did not remove my dash, but was still flexible enough at the time to lay on my back and work above my head. If you can remove the dash, you may not have to worry about the seat, as you will likely be sitting in it while you are mocking everything up. I'm not an electrician, so I never considered removing the dash and disconnecting the gauges and switches.

[TMartinLVNV]

I did not remove my dash, but was still flexible enough at the time to lay on my back and work above my head. If you can remove the dash, you may not have to worry about the seat, as you will likely be sitting in it while you are mocking everything up. I'm not an electrician, so I never considered removing the dash and disconnecting the gauges and switches.

I'm going to have to give this a try then. Too bad I don't trust my 18 year old son with a screwdriver much less a drill. He would have a much easier time getting into that spot than I ever would. I just know that I will take 10 minutes getting in there, on my back, head under the dash, only to find out I need a different sized socket.

[JMJ]

So….sounds like not impossible, just a bit of a challenge. Worth the effort for those that have converted or have it?

[BadAsp427]

I made the change from cable to mechanical while I had my engine out...(built my own) but it most definitely could been done with the engine in as well.. Here is How I did it.. (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?29472-Carl-s-20th-Anniversary-8690-Final-Exams-Before-Graduation&p=393511&viewfull=1#post393511)

Here is a photo of the final installation. Well almost final, I did cut off the pivot rod to be the correct length behind the air cleaner.
151973 151974

[CraigS]

I drilled the hole through the aluminum from the engine side so it was no big deal. You will want to mount it as low as possible so the bellcrank inside the car will clear the aluminum top cover. I drilled the firewall just above the 2x2 frame tube. Close enough that I had to grind a flat on one side of the fender washers I used on the other side of the firewall. I think some have drilled through the 2x2. Probabaly a good idea to search for threads by others who actually used the Forte kit.

[Sdonnel]

When you mount the pivots(?), I placed a large washer on the dash side to prevent movement. Did the same thing on my new build and it's rock solid. As to whether it's smoother than a cable, no doubt. Before the swap, I could literally feel the inner throttle cable binding and releasing while driving. Never had that sensation after the upgrade.

Scott

[egchewy79]

i just drilled through the 2x2 frame and got longer bolts to anchor the pivots/pedestals. had to move my inertia switch from the manual-recommended location, but rock solid feel with zero flex.

[NC Cobra]

Can be done with engine in but when Mike tells you its a PITA you should trust him. That having been said, the work is WELL WORTH IT. First time the stupid set screw backs off and the cable pulls out will make you a convert I promise. Strongly suggest removing the steering wheel,drivers door and access panel behind the fire wall. Photos of mine attached. 152101152102152103 while you are at it consider the Russ Thompson thottle pedal assembly if you haven’t already considered it.

[ggunter]

Craig is right about drilling the fire wall as close to the 2x2 tube as possible. I didn't know the reason till I went to put the inside arm on and saw how close it was to the top of the box. Luckily It just cleared by an 1/8", and fighting inside that footbox is not a piece of cake, even with a lift and standing outside the car working in the box I lost my religion. The top acess panel made all the difference. I had to space my cross rod out a 1/2" from the firewall to clear my cut off switch. It worked out great and the smoothness of the pedal and being able to control the Sniper throttle responce made all the difference. I highly recommend this kit if you have a Sniper setup. I only wish I would have done this when the foot box was open form the side.152199152200

[SteveP]

My cable throttle is awful. The breakout force to initially move the throttle is so high I can't smoothly control the pedal. I'm afraid of the throttle. After reading all the forum posts and in spite of all the comments regarding installation on a complete car, I bought the Forte mechanical system kit. I'm working up the courage to start the installation. My Forte kit came with two springs on the crossover shaft. None of the pictures I've seen show the springs. What are they for? Will I need them for a Sniper hook up?
Thanks for any help. (It would also help if someone offered some encouraging words about the installation no being a big PITA. Like maybe it's better than a root canal.)

[egchewy79]

My cable throttle is awful. The breakout force to initially move the throttle is so high I can't smoothly control the pedal. I'm afraid of the throttle. After reading all the forum posts and in spite of all the comments regarding installation on a complete car, I bought the Forte mechanical system kit. I'm working up the courage to start the installation. My Forte kit came with two springs on the crossover shaft. None of the pictures I've seen show the springs. What are they for? Will I need them for a Sniper hook up?
Thanks for any help. (It would also help if someone offered some encouraging words about the installation no being a big PITA. Like maybe it's better than a root canal.)


Do you have pics? I don't recall any springs that came with mine

[RJD]

I didn't use the Forte mechanical linkage, but do the springs look like this? These are on my Holley Sniper.

153019

[jrcuz]

I copied edwb's throttle linkage he made for his 7750 build thread post #77 and it worked perfectly. I did get 1/4 x28 threaded connecting rod from Mcmaster/Carr rather than trying to thread the rod myself. I also used the FFMetal.com firewall forward upgraded thicker firewall. They are a forum vendor. If you go this route make sure you have a way to make sure the clamps on the stainless rod are secure by drilling for and installing roll pins through the clamps and stainless rod. I also used the Russ Thompson (forum vendor) throttle pedal.
JR

[SteveP]

Sorry, I don't know how to post pictures. The axis of the springs fit over the intermediate rod and they are "wind up" springs. I would guess they are to provide supplemental spring pressure to return the throttle pedal if the spring on the throttle body is not strong enough.
Thanks for the input. I'll call Mike Forte Tuesday and ask what they are for.

[SteveP]

I talked to Mike Forte. He explained that the springs are for carburetor return in case they are needed. My Sniper doesn't seem to need them.
I finished the mechanical linkage installation. Wow, what a difference. All the stiffness, excessive break out force, etc. was cured.
Luckily, I have right angle pneumatic drill motors and some stubby bits. With them I could drill the 3 holes in tight spaces. I would have been difficult with standard drills in a finished car.
I highly recommend the modification.
Now, I have a new problem. Something I did apparently changed things. I engine starts fine but just quits dead after idling a little while. It starts again but quits soon after. All I did was change the linkage. I'm at a loss to explain the cause. I would appreciate any ideas.

[D Stand]

Did you by chance unplug any sensors to get them out of your way for install? Another thought is go back to the initial setup on the sniper to make sure your throttle position is still accurate with the new setup. You might have to make mechanical adjustments for no throttle to wide open throttle…

My 2 cents

Dale

[phileas_fogg]

You need to install those throttle return springs if you don't have some already. Don't rely on the Sniper; the internal springs are much too weak for safe operation.


John

[txboiler]

I am getting ready to do the install of the mechanical throttle on a new build. The engine in not in yet and I wanted to get the pivots mounted to the firewall prior to engine install. I am installing a BPE 347 with Holley Sniper. As others mentioned, I plan to mount them just above the 2” tube. Does anyone have dimensions from the inboard edge of the DS foot box?

Thanks in advance.

[SteveP]

Good advice. Thanks.
I didn't unplug anything on purpose. I did push some wiring harness around under the dash. I guess I should check the connectors. I will go back to the Sniper set up and add more throttle return springs. Without the cable friction, the throttle is very light. I do need more springs.
This push rod linkage should be standard equipment. If a new builder ever asks me for advice about the most helpful mods to the kit, I think the mechanical linkage is number one.

[SteveP]

Tx: My installation is much different than yours but I can tell you about the reasoning I used to locate my pedestal mounts on the firewall. After looking at the comments and pictures posted on the forum, I realized the cross shaft needed to be low enough for the pedalbox bellcrank to clear the top of the box. Several people mounted the pedestals low, through the 2 inch tube. From the pictures, it looked like most who chose the tube mount had to mount the pushrod to the carb high on the inside bellcrank slot to get a straight shot to the carb. I didn't want to give up the adjustability available with that slot if I mounted the pedestals too low. But, on a finished car the mount through the tube is more accessible, so I compromised: I mounted through the tube as high as I could. I simply drilled out some of the upper rivets attaching the firewall to the tube. On my car they were the 1st and 3rd upper rivets, about 1 inch and 7 inches from the footbox wall. Mike has built so much adjustability into his system the mounting isn't really critical except as noted by others; the bellcrank has to clear the footbox top.
I congratulate you on your foresight in installing the mechanical linkage before you finish the car. You have saved several hours of contortions.

[2FAST4U]

Made my own that accurately replicates the original


https://thumbs2.imgbox.com/ef/61/fUs79BMP_t.jpeg (http://imgbox.com/fUs79BMP)

https://thumbs2.imgbox.com/b2/bb/5g4q1hnF_t.jpeg (http://imgbox.com/5g4q1hnF)

[WIS89]

Bill-

Like everything you do, it's a work of art!!

Thanks for sharing, and making the rest of us envious...

Regards,

Steve

[TMartinLVNV]

I ordered the throttle linkage kit from Forte. I might have time to work on it in the next few upcomming weekends. My plan is to study some photos on here then pull out the steering wheel and driver's seat. Hopefully, it won't be too much of a PITA.

[SteveP]

TMartin: I didn't take the seat out. Steering wheel for sure. The hardest part is drilling the 3 holes in a tight space. I did it from the firewall side. If you have a small angle drill and short 3/8 drill bit it isn't too bad. The worst part for me was studying the pictures and figuring out where to run things. Once I got over the fear of making a mistake it only took a few hours. There are a number of good pictures on the forum. Forte's website pictures also do a good job of showing you how.

[TMartinLVNV]

TMartin: I didn't take the seat out. Steering wheel for sure. The hardest part is drilling the 3 holes in a tight space. I did it from the firewall side. If you have a small angle drill and short 3/8 drill bit it isn't too bad. The worst part for me was studying the pictures and figuring out where to run things. Once I got over the fear of making a mistake it only took a few hours. There are a number of good pictures on the forum. Forte's website pictures also do a good job of showing you how.

I have a regular 3/8" cordless drill and a right angle adapter. But, I will have to get a set of drill bits that have the hex head that my adpter requires, Do you think a right angle drill will fit into the tight space easier?

[SteveP]

Yes. Whatever is smallest will work the best.Your heads are lower than mine and that should help too.

[JPI]

I just installed the linkage from Forte,
Awesome! 10x better than the cable.

[TMartinLVNV]

I just installed the linkage from Forte,
Awesome! 10x better than the cable.

JPI, did you install it with the body and dash on? If so, any tips?

[CraigS]

I found that the bell cranks on both ends of the shaft worked out real being parallel on the shaft. That was nice because I ground small flats on the shaft for set screws to tighten against. It was easy to rig a way to make the flats parallel also. Much easier than it would have been to make them different by X degrees. BTW this was done before Forte had his kit so my bell cranks were different from his.

[MVTV]

I'm in the middle of installing Mike's mechanical throttle linkage.

Does anyone know what the 90 degree chrome plate goes to or the two ~1 inch small tubes?

If no one knows, I'll call them tomorrow.

[egchewy79]

The 90* brackets are for the return springs for your throttle body. Do you have pics of the small tube? Are they the stand offs that the bar attaches to?

[Rdone585]

I just received Mikes throttle linkage and was wondering the same thing. The two tubes are actually small diameter drift pins. Still don't know what they are for yet. Insight would be appreciated.

[MSumners]

Not sure what he supplies now, when I installed mine I initially purchased separate roll pins (I think 3/32) to fix the clamps to the SS rods. Are they roll pins? I ended up drilling / tapping and placing long set screws through the rods.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=121370&d=1579992064



I just received Mikes throttle linkage and was wondering the same thing. The two tubes are actually small diameter drift pins. Still don't know what they are for yet. Insight would be appreciated.

[egchewy79]

If they are roll pins, they're meant to be used to secure the aluminum arm to the SS bar. Get some good drill bits, cutting oil, and slow drill speed to get through the SS

[MVTV]

I can confirm they are roll pins. By any chance, do you have a picture you can share?

[egchewy79]

154210
Not the best pic, but you can see the roll pin circled here before I pushed it in all the way. This keeps the bar from rolling with pressure. The set screw method could work but you need to file a flat spot on the bar.

[MVTV]

Perfect, thanks guys.

[MSumners]

Not the best pic, but you can see the roll pin circled here before I pushed it in all the way. This keeps the bar from rolling with pressure. The set screw method could work but you need to file a flat spot on the bar.

not sure if I would trust a small flat spot and set screw. maybe very well enough and overthinking this but I tapped through the arm and rod and the set screw I used was 3/4” to go all the way through.

[Rdone585]

Thanks, that clears up wondering what they are for.

[TMartinLVNV]

I finally got my throttle linkage installed on my completed car. What a nightmare! Big hands trying to work under/behind the dash and in the space accessed by the cover plate removal above the driver's footwell is not a good combination. I put my car up in the air on my Quickjacks, and removed the driver's door and steering wheel. I was able to access everything necessary somewhat comfortably in this setup. My hydraulic clutch lines were in the way of the linkage. So, I had to relocate those. Also, I had the reservoir mounted on the back wall of the engine bay. That was in the way too.

I mounted the cross shaft to the aluminum firewall directly and not through the steel cross tube. It feels very secure to me. I had to cut off part of the arm that goes inside of the footbox because it would contact the top aluminum panel as it rotates. The single most difficult part was trying to operate a hex wrench inside of the footbox, through the access panel, by feel alone. I dropped that wrench 100 times!

The end result was worth it. I took it out for a drive last night. The pedal operates with less effort and is no longer mushy. I can also get 100% pedal travel now. I adjusted it so that it comes into contact with the back wall of the footwell at WOT. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. I wouldn't have attempted this without it.