Throttle Lock

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

Just in case my previous post was a little ambigous..

A throttle lock doesn't LOCK the *PEDAL* down per-se, but locks the actual
linkages on the carb.  In effect, the pedal is "locked" down as well, since
it can't return with the carb linkages due to the hand throttle holding
things "partway open".

But yes, a 2x4 will accomplish the same thing when properly placed agains
the floor pedal, but it's NOT recommended for street or trail driving.. 

I used it just this weekend on my mom's 67 Chevy pickup w/ a straight six.
Darn thing woudn't run well enough for me to set the timing and see what was
wrong, and I couldn't check timing from in the cab while pumping the
throttle.. so it got the 2x4 treatment until things got cleared up.

Turns out the *biggest* problem was the dough-head owning the truck before
us had hooked the distributor up to the wrong vacuum port.. it ran great
when I timed it w/o the vacuum hooked up, then ran like crap (a lumpy idle,
and it *doesn't* have a lumpy cam!)

Anyhow, the backyard engineer's throttle lock (2x4) can come in handy.. one
size fits all, just trim to fit. :-)

(oh, and the Chevy now runs great w/o load, but apparently pops and kicks
around 2nd gear when she's trying to accelerate.. makes for a lot of fun on
ice!  Glad I have my corn binders..  She talks of swapping to a gear driven
setup (afraid the bad timing might blow a chain).. here I'd gone and
forgotten they used to (still do) build TRUCKS with timing chains and not
fully gear driven like our IH's..)

-Tom