GT 14 Choke and Throttle cables advice and suggestions sought

[ztnoo 2,300]

I've been lurking around the fringes here for the last week or so following the death of my wife on December 8.
I now have more time to address all sorts of issues and chores that were previously ignored when most of my time was consumed caring for her for 28 months.

One of the issues has been the choke and throttle cables on my 1969 GT 14 that I still mow with.
I've fought the throttle for years because it lost its twist lock capabilities long ago and I have been using needle nose vice grip pliers to hold it at the desired setting.
It works, but admittedly it it is a bit of a PITA.

Likewise, I started having issues with the choke cable last year when the plastic knob pulled of and stripped the threading that attached it to the cable end.
Again my home brew, temporary solution was to use a second pair of needle nose vice grip pliers to be able to control the choke.
It works but as with throttle cable jury rig, its a poor long term solution.

So, what are my best options to replace the cobbled current solution?
The original part numbers from the WH parts sheet are:
8696 - choke
7889 - throttle
I briefly snooped around on RCPW and located what they claim are replacements for the original parts:
Choke:
       Toro - 102118
       Stens - 290-148
Throttle:
       Toro - 102119
       Stens - 290-130
There may be other manufacturer's options I am unaware of or have not yet found.
I'm honestly not hung up on using a WH or Toro part, I'm more concerned with getting the right length for each replacement cable so I'm not fighting a problem of too short or too long (which would require modification).
Given we're already into mowing season, I intend to leave the existing cables which I believe to be originals in place until I can have the proper replacement parts in hand to be able to make a reasonably quick turn around with minimal down time rather than waiting for a parts shipment after I have removed the cables and measured the originals to determine exact existing lengths.

Can anyone confirm the replacement numbers I cited?
Can anyone give me the cable lengths based on the OEM parts?
Or can anyone offer additional suggestions or parts options I have not yet located?
I'm all ears and eyes on this issue, and if anyone can provide info or other leads to the proper parts, it would be very helpful and greatly appreciated.

 

[pfrederi 18,563]

Sorry about your loss.  I still use clothes pins on some of my horses. (1 pin fast idle 2 pins full throttle...) Your part numbers look to be correct.

Edited April 29, 2022 by pfrederi

[953 nut 59,256]

Sorry to hear of your loss and extended time as a caregiver. As Paul said Stens and Toro numbers should be accurate.

[roadapples 6,983]

So sorry for your loss 

[Achto 29,229]

Deeply sorry for you loss.

 

 

[rjg854 12,055]

Sorry for your loss.

[peter lena 9,190]

@ztnoo  first off , very sorry for your loss , your requested help on those cables ,  had to get fed up with mine to do a functional lay out / function redo . first off , disconnect cable lay out , to find easiest movement , thats your base line ,along with  SUPER LUBE , TEFLON  OIL . small bottle , on line or h/w store , installed light pull springs on my cable return ends , eliminating cable drag . added small perforated , metal spring pull points to related , bolt mounts . lubricated and adjusted as I  laid it out . have this on my 3 horses , because it works , lubricate every swing point . ever try to push a cable ? think about it , just enough spring assist to make it work without effort . note yellow wire lug on top photo , added rectifier ground wire , eliminated  charging gage function . experiment as you set up . only a suggestion , don, t  be afraid to try it ,  pete 

 

[peter lena 9,190]

@ztnoo  when first trying to better this typical problem , just disconnect the end connection point , verify how just an unconnected cable works , hard ?  binding ? , work on that first , loosen cable clamps , work easier ? I  just kept tweaking on it , looking for a smooth gain. then went to , linkage lever points , lubricate , rust run out , once I  got smooth total function , I  added those very light springs to assist pull to stop point . added lubrication , worked like butter.  typically problems are not a 1 and done . many problem areas along the way .  thats how I  look at problems now , detailing  every step, making it better as  I  go . this problem  only enhanced my addiction  to lubrication , hope you find it , once you do , you will marvel at how easy it works , keep it oily , pete

[stevasaurus 23,233]

Welcome back Steve.  Sorry to hear what you have been going through and your loss.  Lowell at Wheel Horse Parts and more might have your cables.  He is a vendor down below.  

[ztnoo 2,300]

I've been researching further concerning exact cable lengths, and found some interesting information regarding the cables.
The only place I've been able to find lengths of the two cables I inquired about was at RCPW.
There wasn't a direct quotation of the length of the WH cables on the WH parts pages, but RCPW provided links to Stens replacement parts, and the length info was listed on the website's links for the Stens parts pages.
In addition, I noted that two WH parts numbers for chokes (8696 & 8104) both equated to Toro 102118, which were the same lengths provided for the Stens replacement part 290-148.
The given dimensions for this part are: length (conduit) = 40" ; length (inner cable) = 43 3/4".
Similarly, the two WH parts numbers for throttles (7889 & 8105) both equated to Toro 102119, which were the same lengths provided for the Stens replacement part 290-130.
The given dimensions for this part are: length (conduit) = 47 1/4"; length (inner cable) = 53 1/2".

I'm puzzled why WH would have listed two separate numbers for OEM parts which would appear to be exactly the same according to replacement parts information. On the surface, at least.
Normally a different part number should indicate something different and distinctive about a part. That doesn't appear to be the case here.
I don't know if this is commonly known info or not, but maybe it could prove to be helpful to someone else other than myself.
Anyway, its provided a lot of clarity as to what I'm going to order. I guess the final test will be when the parts arrive and I have the chance to remove the original parts and compare lengths.
I will report the findings as they become available.

Edited May 1, 2022 by ztnoo

[pfrederi 18,563]

Many after market parts are "about right" The may cover a couple different length OEM cables with one that is "close"

[kpinnc 14,283]

One thing I found to preserve the twist locking function on these old cables is to install a roll pin in them.

 

Harbor freight has a cheap pin assortment, and they include smaller ones down to 1/8 diameter. These work very nice and I've never had any more issues with the throttle lock after installing them. 

[peter lena 9,190]

@kpinnc  good example of the ( tweaking )  I often refer to , cable works , but  not like it should , more often than not , the original intended set up was ok , but with some functional detailing , it will work even better . also did that on linkage start / stop points , lubricate all related metal to metal areas , add flat washers to firm up sloppy Kotter pin end / start point , just that combination , takes the effort out of the problem.  every horse we have is different , but they all share areas that you can improve , if you want to . don't care for the bigger hammer  to repair mindset . greasy , pete