[Claymore12]

I am in a learning by doing conundrum on a long (seven years I think) 51 chevy pickup (3100) project.
I can't get my throttle to feel like anything other than course sandpaper being dragged across a glass rod - how do I get that to stop?

I have a quadrajet on top of a Pontiac 350

sitting in the driver's seat the cable bracket is about 6 inches to the right of where the cable exits the firewall and and the bracket (where the cable clips to the bracket) is not quite 6 and a half inches from the firewall itself.

My first attempt at running a cable made a rather tight bend and while it worked both ways it felt not good. What you see in the pics is my second effort where I left a 2' cable intact and tried a couple gentle routes and it wasn't really better.

I tried a 2' throttle cable from CSR Performance (think boats) but my radius was too tight for it so...

What the heck am I doing wrong? I'll do anything if it'll get me close to smooth I don't even expect silky at this point

 

[Irelands child]

Does that cable have a Teflon lining, i.e. like the Lokar? If not, that stainless steel sheath will have that grating sound. If it's a boat cable, they usually are set in one position by the hand lever and generally left there while a car type is modulated depending on the driving conditions.

Now, my question - since you don't show that engine compartment, can you run a rod type throttle? I had originally bought a Lokar cable, but have so much engine set back, would have needed to do an ugly loop so built the rod system using some 1/4" rod ends and some steel rod I threaded. This ends up being super slick. I still have cables, but for the trans kick down and cruise, but they weren't needed to be coiled - like this;

 

[Claymore12]

Actually I'm not sure about a rod type, I've gotten so frustrated with it I'm having a hard time being creative. I like the idea of the clean look and firmness of a rod though

How would I get the rod the six or so inches to the right of the pedal to line up with the throttle linkage?

 

[Irelands child]

Actually I'm not sure about a rod type, I've gotten so frustrated with it I'm having a hard time being creative. I like the idea of the clean look and firmness of a rod though

How would I get the rod the six or so inches to the right of the pedal to line up with the throttle linkage?

I would probably come up with a 1:1 ratio bell crank, mounted, most likely on one of the usual intake bracket bolt bosses. Also, from a trip to the local salvage yard you might find one on an older carbed car that would work, or at least be the basis for a design