Loose throttle

[Poncho]

On my wheelhorse lawn tractor, the throttle never stays wide open, either I hold it with my knee or wedge it. Anybody have a great solution or series of washers that I can modify this so it will stay where I put it. The kids are getting bigger and they would mow easier with it working properly! Thanks all.

[Lurker Carl]

Don't know what style that throttle control is so it's hard to give practical suggestions to repair it. I suggest Vise-Grips, the mechanical Duct Tape.

[Bigdog]

Poncho - is it the standard throttle cable style throttle with the throttle lever attached to a wire sheathed by a spiral wound cover? If there is no adjustable friction disk (there never is) then I'd take a hammer and punch and tighten the rivet that the throttle lever pivots on.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Sometimes you can kink the spiral sheath a little to provide extra drag.

[junkman1946]

Maybe the engine is trying to tell you it doesnt want or need to run "wide Open". Sometimes the vibration from a over revving engine will just back the throttle off by itself. Frank

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I don't know the age of his wheel Horse, but for the last 15 or 20 years, manufacturers have recommended air cooled engine be run at full throttle when working. Of course, that is assuming the governor is limiting speed at the correct rpm. The throttle on my old White incorporated a spring friction washer as part of the lever assembly, but it was not replaceable, the only way to get it was to buy the lever.

[Poncho]

The cable is the typical in the sleeve cable. The throttle switch is the kind with a rivet in so you can slide it up and down like on a push mower. The tractor is about 13 years old. The last 5-6 years it has been loosening. where it won't stay where I put it 9 3/4 OPEN ETC). I was thinking about removing the rivet that holds it in place and putting a bolt through with rubber gaskets of some sort so I could tighten it and then it would hold its position where I place it, 1/2 open, 3/4 open, wide open. Currently I mow with it wide open and adjust my speed of the tractor with the transmission(hydro static drive). I think the throttle cable is of poor design. Within a few minutes it idles down to an idle. I hope this helps. The tractor is great, but with kids wanting to mow it would be nice if the throttle stayed where it was put. Thanks again.

[Don McCombs]

If you try the bolt and washer method, I'd use fiber washers as opposed to rubber. Also use a Nylock nut on the bolt to keep it from backing off.