1960 Throttle assistance

[oregonjam]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone tell me what the correct location is for the throttle return spring for a 4 barrel setup?

My series 62, non AC car had two springs linked together to reach a tab bolted to the water neck housing. Is that the correct location? Where on the carburetor should the spring be attached to?

Also, I have a tab on the back of the passenger side head as well that I do not know what should be attached to it. can someone clarify what this was for?

Thank you in advance to all those that have been assisting me. Your help is much appreciated.

Thank You all,
John

[35-709]

The tab on the water thermostat housing is the correct place for what should be a long single spring.  Nice that you still have that tab, they often get tossed or misplaced the first time the thermostat is changed, then you see all kinds of weird solutions to where the spring can be hooked up.  Used to have a picture of where it hooks on to the carburetor linkage but cannot find it now, no doubt someone here will know.

[35-709]

Oooops, I found the pic that I have --- still can't promise it is correct however.

[60eldo]

   I hope this will help. Mine is a 60 carter carb I dont no which carb you have, so heres some pics

[Daryl Chesterman]

Hi John!  These pictures are of the throttle return spring for my Carter AFB on a 1959 Deville 390.  It is a carburetor from a 1961(Carter model 3177S), but essentially the same as yours.  The mounting tab for the front of the spring is located in a different place than Johnny's, shown above, and looks different.  I don't know if mine is original or not--it looks to be original. 

Ebay has a reproduction throttle return spring, that is currently available for $27.99.  Just type "Cadillac throttle return spring" into the Ebay search window.

Daryl Chesterman

[papas52cad]

I have a 390 in my 52 caddy, with carter AFB.
Another variation on how the spring is set up, and mine came with 2 springs...for what reason, no idea
Hope the pictures are useful
Peter

[59-in-pieces]

John,
Here are some pics from a 60 - 390 - 4 barrel, transplanted into a 59 Eldo.

Note the front part of the spring is attached to the tab at the thermostat housing - as said before, see pic.
However, the end of the spring which attaches to the carburetor has an intervening heavy wire, as you can see from the pic.
I think it is original, but have no way of knowing, except it looks as old and crusty as the rest of the engine and compartment.
Also, the design is so precise in its compound curves with gross and subtle bends, it's no Rube Goldberg.
Also, it takes only a single spring, not 2.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[35-709]

   The last picture above is someone's method of making up for a too-short throttle return spring. 

Edit:  Or, since I am quite sure the forward spring attach tab is located under the wrong thermostat housing bolt, maybe the spring is the correct length and only the attach tab needs to be moved to under the rear bolt.

[papas52cad]

Geoff
Do you think there is any reason to keep the 2 springs on mine...what difference would it make in your opinion...and based on your comment about the thermostat housing being  the correct place to make that compnnection, it would then mean mine was reconfigured but the interesting point is that the spring is in a straight line from carb to the tab being used...it seems if the thermostat tab was being used the spring would be on an angle toward center of car...

[35-709]

Hello Peter,
As long as you are not worried about complete originality, the setup you have is fine.  Many of the modern aftermarket throttle returns (for streetrods, etc.) have that dual spring setup for safety's sake --- in case a spring should break there is a backup in place.  With the single spring, if that breaks you have pretty much lost throttle control, although the single spring is the way they did it for darn near forever.   
Yours has indeed been reconfigured which often happened for the reason I mentioned previously. 

[papas52cad]

Thank you that helps and makes sense and no originality is not my thing especially given all the changes already made to  this restomod...but just in cSe I wNted to make change do you think the correct piece can still be found? BTW, where are you located in FL.
Take care
Peter

[35-709]

You might get lucky and find one on another old 390 or maybe someone here has one in their stash.  Easy to make one by bending up a piece of flat steel 90* and drilling a proper size hole for the thermostat bolt and a smaller one for the spring.  Just what I did when I did a cosmetic restoration on a '60 coupe I owned several years ago. 

I am on Florida's east coast in Vero Beach, about 35/40 miles south of Melbourne.

[35-709]

BTW, just to split hairs, the throttle return spring tabs shown in Replys # 3 and 6 are the correct tabs but are installed incorrectly.  All the rest are incorrect, but, of course, get the job done.   

[60eldo]

OK,,,can you post a pic of the correct way? You say all above is wrong

[35-709]

Yours is in the correct place, but see that little tab that bends DOWN?  Your return spring tab/connector should be rotated counterclockwise so that downward tab is over the edge of the thermostat housing and the spring hole is facing the carb not the fenderwell.  Sorry, I do not have a picture of it, perhaps there is one in your shop manual.

[60eldo]

  Heres my 59 cad,,not sure if this is correct

[35-709]

Could be, dunno about the '59.

[oregonjam]

Awesome thanks so much. This conversation helps a lot. Here is a pic of how the tab was. I think it is installed correctly per description. Please let me know if I did it correctly.

I did pick up a reproduction throttle spring. Also attached a pic of the refresh project in the works. Water pump will go on tomo. I tried my best to keep it as stock as possible. Picked bolts that were correct from a wrecking yard or ordered them. Still a few more to get.

Also, I added a pic of the bolt and tab on the rear of the passenger side head. I put it back as it was there but not sure what it is for. Isbthisbtelated tobthe carburetor as well?


Thanks again for all the replies.
Cheers,
John

[35-709]

    A thousand pardons!  The spring tab in Johnny K's Reply #3 appears to be correctly positioned, I am very sorry and most embarrassed at my gaff.  Oregonjam, turn your tab back clockwise just a little so that the downward facing part is positioned as in Reply #3 and the spring hole is facing the carb. 
Again, my apologies for sounding off before looking more closely.
Geoff N.

[oregonjam]

To clarify. Maybe I’m misunderstanding.

I need to loosen the bolt and turn the tab sonit faces the carb and tighten the bolt back down with the downward tab on top of the thermostat housing? This will bend the tab in doing so. Why have thevtabthen?

It looks like if it were turned 180 degrees it would be 1” further away from the carb but facing the carb with the downward tab against the rear edge of the thermostat.


Let me know what you think.
Cheers,
John