Alex: Look to see if the engine ground strap is missing or loose (should be
from block to frame). I think it usually is from the starter mounting bolt
to the frame near the starter. If this is not a good connection then the
current may try to ground through the cables like you mentioned.
Mike U.
At 09:50 AM 5/3/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Ok, this may be the weirdest electrical problem I've run across.
>
>I'm a Z guy, but my pops has a '69 2000. Yesterday evening, he was out
>"enjoying the ride" when his throttle pedal started getting "soft" and the
>engine died down to idle.
>
>He pulled over onto the grass by the side of the road and when he got out,
>he noticed smoke emerging from around the sides of the hood. He popped the
>hood and saw what he thought were "wires" on fire! He put them out with
>his hankerchief and walked home and gave me a call. I drove over to tow
>the little bulldog (that's what I call it) home.
>
>When I looked at the "wires" he told me about, I realized they weren't
>wires at all--they were his throttle cable and one of the choke cables.
>The main throttle cable's plastic sheathing melted right off along the
>whole length of the metal cable (from the linkage on the intake back to the
>pivot arm on the firewall). I looks like the throttle cable is a
>replacement, as there is no metal sheathing on this cable as there is on
>the choke cables.
>
>On the choke cable, it's metal with a plastic cover over that. The plastic
>has boiled along the whole length of cable and this cable is now bonded to
>the other non-melted choke cable.
>
>So, what is happening? My hunch is that there is a huge short running
>through these cables and this is causing them to heat up, etc. But where
>is the juice coming from? Has this happened to anyone else?
>
>Help, I'm terrible with electrical problems and my father relies on me to
>keep his little beast going.
>Alex Avery
>Churchville, VA
>
Michael A. Unger
Department of Environmental Sciences
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Gloucester Point, VA 23062
(804)684-7187
(804)684-7186 fax
munger@vims.edu
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