Replacing the accelerator cable tutorial

The mystery of the slowest van is finally solved.

The cable of my LDV Pilot van snapped off the other night while I was driving.

I rang Channels Commercials but they didn't have it in stock and offered to order it for early next week.

I needed the van operational for Saturday morning so it wasn't good enough. I rang KSL garage services who didn't have it either but directed to LDV Parts. They had it and could deliver on friday morning.

When I bought the van 2 years ago I was told its only downside was that it had been fitted with a speed-limiter and sometimes would run slow. It didn't do it when I test drove it.

Then it was getting slower and slower. Driving was harder and harder too as I had to press the gas pedal hard t get the van to pull its own weight only. I tried changing the oil filter but nothing much happened. It was getting slower. I heard about some of these vans had been fited with long rear axles to protect the gearbox (exRM van) which requires double work from the engine.

When I changed the cable today I tried it out and to my surprise the van is very responsive and fast... as should be I guess... It's like having a new van! No more gym work for my right leg.

Here is a tutorial on how to replace the accelerator cable. It's an easy enough task.
First I unscrewed this part to let the cable loose with spanner 9 or 10 (metric system. Correct me if I'm wrong on this.)

It's a bit tricky to take off and fit back the cable end from the (beige) plastic part

(which is not supplied with the new cable = breaking it is not an option).

What worked for me is to hold back the spring and push down the end. This released the cable.  

I removed the accordeon pipe (2 philips head screws)

to access the nuts seen on the next blurry pics.

It also has a rubber ring (LDV S&M).

Inside the cabin,

I unmounted the nuts holding the gas pedal to release the cable from it.

Never mind the spring. Just replace it as is when mounting back.

Have a good look at how the cable end fits in the slots on top of the head of the pedal.

The cable end looks like a bicycle one.

Can't recall the nuts size but i reckon was between12 and 15.

I used these (cheapest I could get) tools but it'd be better to use shorter deep sockets.

This is the old cable's rubber housing. It was well bent and snapped.

Let's admire both beautiful ends of the rubber housing.

Here is where the cable clips in and goes from boot to cabin.

I filed the hole in the body to make it go through the body.

Perhaps a better idea is to slighlty file the cable end as it seems it had been done on the old cable

but I chose no to take the risk to overdo it and to not be able to fit it correclty afterward.

Hope that helps.

If you have any question please post it in the comment.

I can't always reply as I'm a busy bee but take a look at this page for suggestions to get support from the international online LDV community.

Enjoy your LDV Pilot van ride!