Idle cable

[LMT]

Since I've tried all I think I'm capable of it seems the idle cable (which is
binding) travels across and then up into the middle of the engine. Can it
be disconnected to free the tension? Idles at 500 and quits. Cannot increase the idle without fear of snapping off the knob. It's that tight.

[steves]

Um, you should probably order a new one. The sheath is probably messed up.

It's not the middle of the engine, it's the middle of the carbs.

The easiest way to address it is to take the carbs off.

[Wild-Bill]

Before you order a new one, try cleaning the threads where the adjuster screws into the #3 carb body and reassemble with some oil. The sheath is nothing more than a vinyl coating to pretty things up and prevent rusting. You can cut it off and even replace it with heat-shrink tubing provided you can get the threads cleaned up. I'm a big fan of chasing the threads in the carb body with a tap and hitting the adjuster threads with a wire wheel on the bench grinder. Usually gets those things turning smooth as silk.