Sticky TB

[icajewler]

I am not sure I understand the issue... if you have slop on teh cable, is the accelerator cable actuator arm pulled taught enough to NOT be resting on the throttle stop screw? If your actuator arm is setting on the idle adjustment screw and you still have slop in the cable, then your accelerator cable is NOT the issue. If your actuator arm is pulled taught by the throttle cable and slightly open then your accelerator cable is binding somehow.

The hunting I had (1500-2000 when warm) was because four reasons:

1. The throttle stop screw on the actuator arm was misadjusted
2. The TPS was misadjusted
3. The distributor timing was misadjusted
4. the idle air screw was misadjusted


If one of these values are off, you have to work all four values to correct it back to as close to factory as possible. As in, if the throttle stop screw is misadjusted, you will have to adjust the TPS, idle air screw, distributor timing, then the stop screw (then repeat... repeatedly) until you get the proper timing at the proper RPM range with the TPS within proper spec.

If it is the accelerator cable, you should be able to (while the engine RPM is hunting) open the hood, and grab the accelerator cable at the actuator arm and pull on it to create some slack.
If you force the actuator arm against the throttle stop screw you may stop it hunting but that would be because you're adding additional force that you should have to.

You can also just disconnect the accelerator cable from the actuator arm completely and see if it hunts still. if it does, get yourself a multimeter, socket wrench, screw driver and some feeler gauges and get to work adjusting everything.

Seems legit.

My cable was binding on the nut the cable goes through on the clip right before it attaches the rocker arm off the TB. It only got hung up after driving for about ten minutes when the car heated up. So I loosened the nut till it stopped binding. Worked great for me =]

[davmac]

All the above are true sources of hunting or high idle. The OP (this is a very old thread) and some others have perfect idle until their car warms up and especially when it is hot outside. The more recent comment about slop in the cable is almost certain to have a different source of bad idle.

IF you have all your idle control issues sorted and still experience high or hunting idle when engine is warm THEN check out your accelerator cable. Set it a bit loose when the engine is cold and route it to minimize resistance of the cable moving in the cable housing. This is the last step for a perfect idle, which, unfortunately, is sometimes a challenge.