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tj924 · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:49 am Post subject: Accelerator pedal return spring

Went for a short test drive last night after I finished repacking the rear wheel bearings & everything was fine. When I got out I thought I felt something strange hit my right foot, but thought nothing more of it. Jacked the car up again to check the wheel & make sure everything was tensioned, lowered it & jumped back in to have a nice long test drive, but found the accelerator pedal now pushes in but doesn't return out automatically.

I have checked the operation of the throttle control on the intake manifold & it isn't sticking. Moving the accelerator pedal by hand (hood up), I can see the cable is moving freely & the slightest push causes the throttle contol to move as it should.

I had a closer look at the peadl & I think there is a "return spring" missing from above the pedal itself (PET illustration 702-10). Must have bumped it off &, of course, it has vanished!

I am assuming the spring shown in that diagram (944 423 831 00) is the one I need & connects to the top of what PET calls the "accelerator control" above the actual pedal itself. There is another assembly, not shown in the PET diagram, above that again which actually attaches to the cable & it looks to me like the other end of the spring connects there, which would cause the pedal to be pulled back out if there is no weight on it.

Anyone know anything about that spring (untensioned length etc)? I can drive the car but it is a real PITA to have to manually push the pedal back out with my foot.

TIA
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TJ
Silver '82 924 NA 5-Speed Manual

D Hook · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 3158 Location: Omaha, NE

When you jacked up the car, where did you jack it from? I had a shop put my car on the rack soon after I bought it for some new tires and they lifted it right under the floor boards instead of on the unibody and bent the floorboards under the gas pedal just enough so it wouldn't operate correctly. I didn't realize this for quite some time.

If you might have accidently gotten the jack misplaced, it may have effected the movement of the pedal. I've taken mine out of the little plastic holder and now it just rests against the steel linkage piece. Been working like this for about 20 years now and one of these days, I need to take a 2lb. sledge to the floor to knock it back down a little.

YMMV.
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'80 924 n/a SOLD

tj924 · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:08 am Post subject:

D Hook · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 3158 Location: Omaha, NE

Not sure. My problem is that the linkage, when traveling through the plastic slot on the back of the pedal, goes in the wrong direction. I believe the metal should travel up when you push down on the pedal. Mine goes down and jambs in the plastic and the pedal sticks. (Or may be the opposite directions.) Kinda' scary the first few times it happened. Might want to check the back of the pedal and see if the metal linkage is freely traveling in the slot.
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'80 924 n/a SOLD

tj924 · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:20 am Post subject:

D Hook · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 3158 Location: Omaha, NE

I'll have to go look at mine now 'cause I don't recall which way it should travel. Mine travels freely, just gets stuck at the end of the travel. But I'm sure it's getting stuck in the plastic casing on the back of the pedal.
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'80 924 n/a SOLD

tj924 · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:30 am Post subject:

leadfoot · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:50 pm Post subject:

No return sping on my accel pedal, only for clutch/brake...
I do however have a hole in the firwall below the accel cable hole but no mounting point in the top of the accel pedal, would have to drill one I suspect.
Although your right in thinking your missing one as the PET does show one.. I got a new return spring for my clutch at autobarn, they come in any length you want, as for tension they seem pretty uninversal...

I made a dead stop on the bake of my pedal to stop it from travelling to far and getting stuck on the floor...
Leadfoot
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1981 ROW 924 Turbo -
carbon fiber GT mish mash
LS1 conversion in progress...

tj924 · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:42 pm Post subject:

Went to a few places & ended up getting a few springs of various lengths to try. I'm currently using the shortest one but it didn't really make any difference & I think it's stretching. Maybe I need the same length (around 3/4" long) &/or stronger spring (ie thicker metal)?

I think the pedal is getting stuck at some point, but can't really see why. On the back of the pedal is an elongated hole (I'll call it a slot) that the metal linkage goes into & it slides upwards along this slot as the pedal is depressed. The metal linkage on mine doesn't move upwards along the slot initially, it just pivots in place at the bottom of the hole. At the point where it is sticking I think is when it starts to slide along the hole. Anyone able to tell me if their pedal moves upwards along the slot as soon as they press the pedal?

I guess a plausible theory is that I have dented the floor a little right under the accelerator pedal & the metal linkage is riding a little lower in the slot than it should, which is why the pedal is now sticking. Hmmm!!! Maybe a good whack or 2 with a sledge hammer in front of the pedal is needed?
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TJ
Silver '82 924 NA 5-Speed Manual

Ozzie · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject:

The linkage in the pedal on my car kept popping out of the slot in the pedal.
Drilled, washer and R clip sorted that.
The spring does exist and I have it on mine.
Its fairly long so its probably under your seat.
Else just experiment til you get it right.
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Porsche 924 1984 (UK import) NA
Its AUTO and its BLACK
Montego Black on black/red
Engineer of Electro/Mechanical Systems Maintenance

tj924 · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:43 am Post subject:

All fixed! Don't know if it had a return spring or not, but putting one on didn't resolve the pedal, which was definitely sticking in one spot.

Yesterday, got a big block of wood & a hammer (just a normal hammer, not a sledge hammer or anything) & banged on the floor (well, actually banged on the block of wood which was on the floor) around the accelerator pedal a few times, tried out the pedal & no more sticking (ie it sprung right out as it should). Took it for a decent drive yesterday & again today (30-odd km to work), & definitely no more sticking.

Looks like D Hook was right. The impact of my floor jack right under the pedal was enough to push the floor up slightly & cause the metal linkage to stick on the pedal. Fortunately for me it was an easy fix (< 5 minutes).

Thanks again guys...
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TJ
Silver '82 924 NA 5-Speed Manual

Paul · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:52 am Post subject:

See, Porsches can be fixed with a hammer!!!
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White 87 924S "Ghost"
Silver 98 986 3.6l 320 HP "Frank N Stein"
White 01 986 "Christine"
Polar Silver 02 996TT. "Turbo"
Owned and repaired 924s since 1977
Porsche: It's not driving, it's therapy.

D Hook · Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 3158 Location: Omaha, NE

FIVE MINUTES?!!!

I guess I better fix mine one of these days. It's only been 20 years since it happened!
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'80 924 n/a SOLD

sadlotus · Joined: 17 Feb 2017 Posts: 1 Location: Cambridge

RESURRECTED!!
Thanks all!
This had me stumped. Little mirrors and torches.
A few blows with a hammer and all back to normal.
The clues:
Overcam feeling of the pedal - linkage and pedal worked fine separately.
Really difficult to unclip the pedal.
Remembering when the car slipped off the axle stand when jacking down.

Sorted.
Joined the board just to thank you.

Fasteddie313 · Joined: 29 Sep 2013 Posts: 2595 Location: MI