After 10 inches of rain last month, & warm, 33 C days, the grass is
growing like crazy. When I pulled the John Deer ride on mower out of
its winter hibernation, it started OK, but was knocking like a 50s
diesel, when it was asked to take a load.
I dropped the float bowl off the carb, & the stuff in there did not
smell like petrol. It was about 5 months old, & pretty much more
like thin oil. New fuel, & a new plug, was enough to put it into a
better mood, but I had seen how dirty the air filter was.
As a trip into town, in the 7, was more attractive than 3 hours
mowing, [1.5 acres around the house], I decided to go & get a set of
air, fuel, & oil filters for it.
Still 3 Km out of town, when I put my foot down to pass a smelly
cattle truck, the accelerator pedal went to the floor, with no
increase in road speed. When I stopped, I found the throttle cable,
broked right at the lead ball, at the carby end.
With just a screw driver, all I could do was advance the idle up to
2600 RPM, & putter into town. She got up a moderate hill at 12 Km in
3Rd, & hit 85 Km down the other side, in 5Th.
No, the biggest spare parts shop in town did not stock screw clamp
cable ends, but a 1/4" bolt, a couple of nuts, & a couple of Zip
ties got me to our only motor bike shop, who did, & to the John Deer
dealer, my reason for going to town.
Back home, the cable end did not really suit the job, so at 4.30 PM
Wednesday afternoon I rang my Triumph bloke. Yes he had 2 slightly
different TR7 cables in stock, & he could just catch the mail with
the most likely one, if he hurried. He did, & would you believe, I
had it, at 11.30 AM the next morning, in my mail box. How's that for
service?
So did my little lady stick me up, or just play with me? Which ever,
it's great to have a local suppiler as good as I do.
A word of warning. The cotter pin, the cable end drops into at the
carb linkage, had locked up, in its bracket, & no longer pivoted, to
align with the cable. This ment my cable was bending at the end,
every time I applied throttle. It had to fatigue, & break, so It was
my own fault. However, it's not something you can see easily. I
suggest you check yours, before it causes you trouble too.
Hasbeen
