You know what? Why don't we just change the title of the Thread to: Throttle Cable Adjustment= Original Power Restored? I'm sure that might please all concerned parties. :P

I adjusted my XJ8 4.0 about 2 months ago and can say it was well worth doing!! The pedal response is still razor sharp and I'm getting much better MPG as I'm not having to mash the pedal to get any sense out the thing!!
S.

 

I second the motion!

Doug

 

Ok, I am going ahead and taking your request then

 

Sorted! Perhaps now all will be happy! Thanks Cadillac, you may have been the peace maker!!

 

No problem dear friend

 

I adjust mine yesterday. On the 4.0's that have the cable tie, you don't need to pull the adjuster up out of the holder. Just rotate the square holder in place. It will screw the cable sheath for easy adjustment.

 

This is easily one of the most important XK8/XKR threads around for those of us who've purchased earlier model year cars and never had the pleasure of knowing exactly what they performed like new.

After reading... And by the way... Thanks to hlgeorge for the detailed pics and instructions on the 4.0 liter, I went straight out to the garage, had my wife floor the gas pedal and and discovered my cars throttle had at least an inch more travel available.

I quickly adjusted it and took the car for a spin.

I cannot properly put into words just how happy I am. Originally I purchased this car because it was aesthetically beautiful... I had no idea that it was also a performer.

Thank you to all involved.

 

This is a very good tip for ANY car for that matter. On one vehicle I bought new (2000 Acura TL), one of the first things I checked was slackness in the throttle cable and I found that there was way too much. The cable tends to stretch over time or sometimes the cable becomes unadjusted when the car is being worked on for something else. I find that the throttle cable should be treated just like occasionally checking air in the tires or the various electrical connections and harness for good conductivity--ALL of these things should be routinely looked at.


Doug

 

I have this exact Car 2001 XKR Silverstone! I am going to do this as soon as I get home tonight!

 

The US Spent millions of dollars developing a pen that would work in the zero Gravity of Space (The Fisher Space Pen).

Russia used a pencil!

 

I did this on my 4.0.
I discovered that with the top down and the driver's door open I can reach the gas pedal while standing by the car, press it down fully with my right foot while observing the throttle. I'm "only" 6'1" and it works for me.
This helped me verify that the throttle fully opens and closes after the adjustment without requiring an assistant.

I am now going to check my other cars. It is such an obvious thing to do as regular maintenance, I am kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier for all my other vehicles.

 

I assume you mean that you are standing inside the car and looking over the windscreen while the top is down so that you can see the throttle body? If you are indeed standing by the car you must have the longest legs in history!

Doug

 

With the ignition in the 'on' position, but engine off, I found that a short piece of metal placed against the drivers lower seat cushion (with a towel in between, obviously) then move the seat forward to hold the pedal down, and the kickdown switch during testing of the TB plate opening.

 

The problem is what happens when the pencil tip breaks. Graphite is highly conductive. Which means your pencil tip will float around for a while and then get lodged somewhere, possibly shorting out some mission critical piece of equipment. Now you might be able to get around the conductivity issue if you used something like a grease pencil, but you still have some small foreign object getting wedged somewhere at random. (Like inside or under a switch, so you can't change the position of the switch...)

 

Doug,

I was actually standing by the car, with the door open and my right leg pressing on the gas. Try it, it works. You can just about see above the windshield and into the engine compartment.

 

I think we need a picture of this!

 

I've done it ..it can be done

 

I just found this thread today. Made the change tonight and of course had to give it a little test.

My first observation was that the pedal just felt smoother. It didn't feel lurchy or jumpy, just nice and smooth backing out of the garage.

I drove to my favorite on-ramp. As part of my daily commute, I go to this on-ramp and, if no one is in front of me, I floor it. It throws me back in my seat and gives me a little rush to start my day! It is a straight hill up to the highway. I usually get it up to about 70 at the top of the hill. Tonight ... 80!!!! I got a little extra throwback into my seat. Very nice!!! I had to do it twice. I wasn't imagining it. It definitely has more umph than I've ever seen in my one year owning this car.

Great thread!
Thanks everyone who contributed!

Also - I agree with sailrboy. You can stand with your left foot out of the car, your right foot on the pedal, and see the throttle pulley (with the convertible top down).

 

what will this do to the idle? does it make it rev higher from standing?

 

only if you overtighten the cable initially, just don't get carried away and you should be fine. Doug believes it will self-correct with holding the pedal to the floor. I didn't have to do it with mine, however.