Braided Gen 3 TV Cable

Another common problem with some after market stainless steel braided cables is their overall length shrink factor. As the cable is pulled, linear pressure is placed on the nylon tubing inner liner (see picture at the far left) of these cables. This causes the cable to physically become shorter in length as the apply pressure is increased. The factory throttle, detent and TV cables all use a steel lining (see the picture on the right) which maintains its length under stress and resists becoming shorter when pressure is applied!
The plastic tubing shrink problem gets progressively worse as the engine compartment warms up since the plastic tubing is a thermoplastic that becomes softer as it gets hotter! As this occurs, the actual cable pull distance becomes less and less. A throttle cable with this problem will stop reaching its full W.O.T. position; this results in loss of high rpm power. Our personal experience with customer's cars, that enter our shop which, have this style throttle cable system, over 60% of them will not cause the carburetors linkage to reach wide open when the engine is at operating temperature! The owners are stunned to say the least! This condition can be easily checked. Once the engine compartment is up to normal operating temperature, shut the engine off and immediately have a friend press the accelerator pedal to the floor, while you try to rotate the carburetor's linkage further, if you can, you have the problem!
Lack of power if the throttle fails to reach its full wide open position is not a serious problem, disappointing maybe, but will not cause damage to anything. The effect this condition has on a Th-700R4 or Th-2004R is an entirely different situation and can have very serious consequences. If the throttle linkage doesn't reach its full wide open throttle position, the communications to the transmission via the TV cable can't possibly perform its function correctly!
The critical function of the TV cable system is to boost the operating pressures as the throttle is applied. Increased boost pressures are necessary to offset increased torque output from the vehicles engine as the throttle is applied. A cable that changes length cannot maintain its proper pull function. If engine torque production becomes greater than the transmission hydraulic clamping pressures, clutches and bands will slip, which can shorten the transmissions life dramatically, especially in overdrive (fourth gear). This problem can dramatically affect the shift characteristics of the transmission. Precise consistent management of this critical system is absolutely necessary for correct transmission operation and longevity. We prevent this problem by using a steel lined cable instead of the nylon tubing as a conduit.