50 Horsepower for 5 cents Throttle Mod 1996 Ford Explorer 5.0 AWD

[z71tina]

nigger rig to the extreme...y not just get a new cable?

[jlsparky7]

@z71tina You are welcome to do whatever you want.

[210peanutswaye]

not a bad way to avoid doing it right and replacing your cable.

[desertfox2020]

I need to do this to the family cars. We have a 99 Ram truck that has 235k on it, almost definitely has a stretched cable with that kind of mileage...and when you floor it, nothing much changes from half throttle. We also have a 95 ford contour which feels like it has the same power as my riding mower so this is probably to blame there as well. Good video, thanks for the tip.

[jlsparky7]

@desertfox2020 You should see HUGE gains on both of those vehicles after this mod. Very welcome :)

[brandonumshler]

Thanks!!

[jlsparky7]

@brandonumshler No prob!

[nonamejoe56]

Hey, so you get better acceleration and/or more power or what? Does it affect your gas mileage alot? I'm thinking of doing this to my 01 F150 but cant afford to fix any damage.

[jlsparky7]

@nonamejoe56 All it does is take the pedal back to stock. The way it was from the factory.  It will not harm your engine in any way.

[nonamejoe56]

@jlsparky7 oh, why is the throttle like that then after factory?

[jlsparky7]

@nonamejoe56 It just stretches over time. Wear and tear.

[taylorfree88]

I could use the vise-grips off of the battery holder thing!

[Geeze104]

Just replace the t-cable

[mharrison1325]

Could you not just take the slack out of the throttle cable when the pedal is not pressed? Not sure but I'm gonna check my truck tomorrow. Noticed the cable was slack at the engine near the throttle body but never thought much of it.

[jlsparky7]

@mharrison1325 In order to know there is still a little slack in it you need the pedal to NOT be pressed while doing this mod.

[adb140275]

my 93 explorer was bad enough, i had to floor it all the time to drive. you could get a little more if you jammed your weight into the pedal though. good tip for any cable throttle car

[gradyboi2]

When this cause the car to idle higher at stop and park?

[jlsparky7]

@gradyboi2 Only if you put too many zip ties on... Thats why you have to leave a little slack.

[baboracus]

hey, cool video. Have you checked your TPS output after this mod? Does it still go the tnrie 0-5V range? (or whatever it;s supposed to be in your vehicle)

[jlsparky7]

@baboracus The TPS should still be within spec. However I have no checked it.

[woodjointer]

good video, never thought to check my f-250

[jlsparky7]

@woodjointer Thanks man, hope you are able to do the mod!

[OldboySaint]

That thing doesn't have a throttle cable adjustment? I find that hard to believe.

[jlsparky7]

@OldboySaint Sure doesn't

[sayian2k]

I like going to check my throttle when it gets warm

here in the midwest WI thatll be awhile but thanks for the vids

[jlsparky7]

@sayian2k Let me know how it goes. No prob.

[SaGalv]

Well, I would sure hope you gained over 50hp, unless the engine somehow makes over 75% of its total power at 25% throttle.

[zapwatt]

"Mod"???!! Maybe we should all get in touch with another long forgotten word called REPAIR. Don't put zip-ties on your old, stretched out throttle cable you Philistines, replace your throttle cable with a new one.

[jlsparky7]

@zapwatt To each his own. I used zip ties and havent had a problem yet.

[aviator74755555]

you want some extra ponies? leave those jack stands in! yeehaaaa

[jlsparky7]

@aviator74755555 LOL nice!

[zackmma140]

Where the hell do u get you're info from 50hp my ass

[jlsparky7]

@zackmma140 Sarcasm, im glad you picked up on that....

[thump1st]

can u do that to a '95 chevy beretta?

[jlsparky7]

@thump1st Any vehicle with a throttle cable.

[ThePugMonkey]

Hey great - fixed my stalling problem too. Now my car idles at 4500 rpm so it cant stall. Pa's not to happy 'cause I lurched into his mobility scooter when Ma was at the shops...... Still picking peices of her outa the grill.

[Thrashvel]

same thing works with any of you who ride motorcycles too, you should check

[2azfeWeb]

Why not adjust the slack in the throttle cable at the throttle body itself? Free

[jlsparky7]

@2azfeWeb Its not adjustable on this vehicle.

[Mr97bmw740il]

nice. hey i have a 86 f150 5.0L efi. do you think this can also work? i would try to but i dont have it right now untill i get the registration for it again lol i have it at a yard we are renting

[jlsparky7]

@Mr97bmw740il Itll definitely work for you, let me know how it goes.

[kidkash2000]

yall are all right yes more air more fuel but some are wrong on no hp gain it will just like if you add a supercharger that makes more air but it dont make the car slower so dont make dumb comments without knowing the facts im a performance guy myself and know the difference

[RiccoFX]

Actually your missing the spring loaded spacer/adjuster on your pedal, so you would have alot of slack without it!

[jlsparky7]

@RiccoFX I dont believe this vehicle had one of those, my ranger however does.

[RiccoFX]

@jlsparky7 Mine did, probably owner before you or a previous repair they didn't bother putting it back on or forgot about it! :P

[44512bag]

@jlsparky7 Will This work in A 4 liter SOHC Engine?

[b500proof]

You are not machanically inclined are you?

[ORIANA250]

I remember a few years ago this guy bought a cobra he thought was fast, he brought it in to have some work done on my test drive I realized the car had a serious lack of power, I found that some one installed the trottle cable bracket on the wrong side of the intake, casueing the same thing, I fixed it and never told him till he drove the car, lol. he came back and said what did you do to my car, it feels like it has a 100 more hp.

[jlsparky7]

@ORIANA250 lol! great story man!

[ORIANA250]

obviously this car was worked on before and some one installed a new throttle cable and did not adjust it properly. you know there is cable adjustment near the throttle body right.

[TheDirtBag21]

Would it work on my efi 5.0l?

[ElChobi77]

Dude !!!! awesome .... I have been scratching my head with this problem I had and this tip just fix it for free!!!!!

[tinkerballerinaa]

Make sure the throttle closes when your done...the right way is to replace the cable...

[disturbedredneck99]

zip-tie fix, glad to see im not the only one

[waterfordjim]

This was just OK to masturbate to.  :-)

[BESTBBQDUDE]

Ive bought and sold many 5.0 mustangs, they always come with a stretched cable . I get them cheap because the owners always think the motor is done, I fix em just like this and make a grand or so selling them.

[sammydipier]

ya wont happen it just dumps more gas in u fool did u dyno ur car to c if u got 50 more horse no because your retarded

[jlsparky7]

@sammydipier You obviously have no idea how an engine or a vehicle work for that matter... The throttle body is connected to the throttle position sensor... So when more air goes in, more fuel with it.

The 50 horsepower is sarcasm... Glad you picked up on that.

[evhkrmer5150]

@jlsparky7

That's why you take a voltage reading at the TPS. I'd make sure your PCM isn't pulling more than 4.538VDC off the potentiometer at WOT.

[Scar3Cr0w619]

@jlsparky7 and yet true you have no idea how much this robbs you of performance my dads 96 tacoma 4cyl felt like i threw in a v6 compared to what it felt like before i did it.

[bohicarico]

Neat hack!

[wiggumz]

Will this work on my 2000 altima???

[jlsparky7]

@wiggumz If it has a stretched throttle cable then yes.

[Mrphatbastard1]

May it"s just me, but for that much effort and another 20 bucks I would just replace the THE FREAKIN CABLE!!!!!!!!!

[OMLJ0512]

I did this to a friends V6 mustang a while back without even watching the video. And yes it definately helped his car out alot.

[jlsparky7]

@OMLJ0512 Sure does :) Thanks for watching.

[stevo1357911]

i have a 93 ranger 3.0 and i can literally lift my gas pedal up about 1 inch... thats how loose my throttle cable is... cant wait to look at this tomorow ;)

[robertGuerra3]

@stevo1357911 lmao my 93 k1500 suburban has the same problem, its fun to mess with when your bored though haha

[ToplessDelSol]

Would this also apply to a 94 ranger 2.3

[setnix]

any chance this would help for my 96 4.0?

[megaohmz]

Can't you just tighten your cable up?

[jlsparky7]

@megaohmz No, it is not adjustable.

[phyphent]

@jlsparky7 although described in this video is a way to "tighten your cable up"

[lowdenzacry]

Jus so happened to have zip ties sitting in my car...a sign maybe lol jus finished doing this full throttle is back now

[prescher69]

were you in the military..cause you said "side" cutters...not dikes...j/w

[coltonmovies]

@ilsparky7 so there is nothing that can break from doing this

[jlsparky7]

@coltonmovies Correct. Read the other comments. People love this mod :)

[drakerog]

I wouldn't call it a horsepower gain but it did bring back the pedal so that I don't have to stomp it to get to 50.

[FishFingersNH]

also a good mod to make a high school kids car go slower

[phyphent]

@FishFingersNH really? in a video that describes how to gain 50hp on a 96 explorer 5.0 ( pretty specific application ) you used this same "mod to make a high school kids car go slower"? interesting!

[TonkatrainHONKHONK]

@FishFingersNH That sounds dangerous...

[jcolcord5]

@FishFingersNH not. lol

[GringoHunter]

Ok Mr. Firefighter im about to this on my 99 4x4 X, i hope i dont blow up my engine, i would like to know how has ur truck been since u done this to it? Thxs man...

Greetings from Mexico.

[jlsparky7]

@GringoHunter LOL. Read the other comments below. People love this mod :) I swear it will not blow up your engine. Itll just restore the power and throttle response back to the way it was when it was new.

[GringoHunter]

@jlsparky7 I try doing this today, but man its tight down there i dont know how the heck were u able to even fit a camera down there, im a big fellow, well im not big im FAT!...LOL.. i could not fit! gonna have to wait for a few days ill keep you posted..thxs again.

[jlsparky7]

@GringoHunter LOL, nice.... Keep trying and u will get it... Let me know how it goes.

[Coyote575]

This isn't a mod, It's a bandaid repair.

[pelicanp00]

so where's the approx 50 horsepower comparative graphs ?

this is merely GUESS work at best

[jlsparky7]

@pelicanp00 Well if your throttle body is only opening 1/2 way thats 1/2 the air... You do the math...

[gefallt]

How does this increase horsepower?

So instead of flooring my car, I just press the pedal half way? It essentially just changes where the WOT is on your gas pedal.

Cool 'mod' though, I dont really see the science behind increasing horsepower. Its like saying someone who boots the pedal all day has more 'horsepower'....

[jlsparky7]

@gefallt Do the mod, then have your vehicle dyno'd with the pedal 1/2 way down. Then all the way down :) promise there will be a difference....

[Eagleoneradiogod]

@gefallt They do this on purpose so you do not blow up your engine other wise you will blow up you'r enging if you do this mod. now you are making the enging do 100% WITCH WILL SHORTEN THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE BY AT LEAST 30,000 MILES OR MORE. BEACUSE THE MANUFACTURES KNOW THAT MOST DRIVERS CAN NOT KEEP THERE FOOT OUT OF IT. Then you have these idiots trying to sew the manufactures for blowen motors all beacuse they could not resist the urge to floor it . If you want to blow your own motor go ahe-

[alexscothern]

@gefallt

What he's saying is, Foot to the floor didn't result in "Full Throttle". The throttle cable had stretched. (naturally). If you want your car to do full throttle and it won't... that's frustrating. Some cars have adjusters to fix this "over time" stretch, apparently this explorer didn't have adjusters, and he had to get crafty with it. Good on ya.

[jweb1369]

I did this and it is amazing the amount of response from pressing the gas pedal now. First time I drove it, I barely pressed the gas and the truck surged forward. It's a pretty amazing and cheap fix. Thanks for this.

[jlsparky7]

@jweb1369 Very welcome! Glad the vid was able to help out! Share it with some of your friends. :)

[TheQuatrini]

@wyrazoque no, more air means the engine will in turn inject more fuel, creating a more volatile air/fuel mixture, thus gaining horsepower.

[wyrazoque]

This might be a stupid question, but...won't this make your engine run leaner than it's supposed to, leading to other issues?

[robert30319]

did this to my 98 f150 and my 95 f250

[jlsparky7]

@robert30319 ..... and people keep attacking me for it :-/ It works!

[robert30319]

@jlsparky7 Yes it does it works 100% on non electronic throttle vehicles

[outdoorsman310]

just shorten the cable

[outdoorsman310]

i used my toolbox to move my pedal isnt there an ajustment on you're car?

[jlsparky7]

@outdoorsman310 No adjustment on this vehicle. :(

[outdoorsman310]

i used my toolbox to move my pedal

[bustinupnortenos13]

would this mod work for any car?

[reap62]

theres an adjuster on the cable to tension it as it stretches

[ericwsmith22]

isnt there a screw where you can tighten the cable

[punchmaster123]

i felt very claustrophobic while watching this.

[jlsparky7]

@punchmaster123 lol

[ttimothyp16]

so it just opens the throttle more? wouldnt it affect your idle? like you would always be moving forward a little?

[jlsparky7]

@ttimothyp16 You are correct on the first part. If it effects your idle then you put too many zip ties on.

[zave1525]

@jlsparky7 is this for all vehicles? my 89 f150 sucks. it tends to bog and stuggle gaining speed.

[jlsparky7]

@zave1525 Sure is! Give it a shot if there is no adjustment screw!

[zave1525]

@jlsparky7 ok. its a new cable and i see it only opens less than 1/4. so i'm be trying this. hope it works.

[jlsparky7]

@zave1525 Post back and let me know how it works!

[darkdrewmo]

this is more of a fix than a mod.

[crash3400]

great vid man, thanks. never woulda thought of that.

[juankeny88]

its really gives extra power (hp)

[jlsparky7]

@juankeny88 Sure does!

[elitecssplayer]

Do you think I can do this on a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo?

[ballzbroz]

how will this affect fuel consumption?

[jlsparky7]

@ballzbroz It will only enable you to push the pedal further to the floor in a sense. So only if you floor the pedal then you will see a decrease in fuel consumption. This basically puts the vehicle back to the way the pedal was when it was new.

[murto30]

Good fix, gonna try that, thanks for sharing :)

[jlsparky7]

@murto30 Very welcome man! Thanks for commenting and watching!

[chiefthunderhorse1]

could this work on dodge caravan

[jlsparky7]

@chiefthunderhorse1 Sure can, as long as it has a throttle cable. If its a newer fbw (fly by wire) throttle then it will not work.

[driftking11013]

i did this to my 94 celica... on wide open throttle it opens up all the way... i was happy and sad at the same time

[jlsparky7]

@driftking11013 Glad you checked out my vid man. Sorry u weren't able to do the mod :-/

[SlowLXNotch]

Explorer does not have an adjustment on the throttle cable

[jlsparky7]

@SlowLXNotch No it doesn't :-/

[4020just]

just watch "$0.00 performance upgrade" by eric the car guy

you dont need to put eric the car guy btw

[jlsparky7]

@4020just ill check it out!

[4020just]

LOL..you know that you can tighten your throttle cable by adjusting it at your throttle leverage arm. thats the piece\part that your throttle cable connects to on your engine,so there is really no need to do it this way,plus its a more professional way to do that job,and it is very easy to do.just thought i'd put that out there.

[jlsparky7]

@4020just There is no adjustment on the explorer.

[TIGHTWADHERMAN]

First off i have been i mechanical for twenty over five years Number one / No garage will do this for you / well DEALER SHIP or GARAGE CHAIN Because they want sell you new parts plus labor to replace 2 It // this // works well when done properly 3 will not change mile age it's driving habits / your just removing / stretch / slop // or excessive cable 4 Where you notice this is in passing / hauling trailer // when put it to the floor

[jlsparky7]

@TIGHTWADHERMAN Thanks for watching and commenting!

[coupe3kgt]

@jlsparky7

not even close to 50hp maybe 5.

[jlsparky7]

@coupe3kgt I know, i mentioned that in the vid.

[Kurf2]

I did the same thing to my 99 ranger and there really is a big difference with the way it takes off.

[jlsparky7]

@Kurf2 Definitely makes a huge difference! Thanks for watching!

[snakesonaplane2]

on of the best mods on a 5.0 Explorer: unbolt the exhaust from the cats, then have a shop bolt on a 2.5" H-pipe and run 2.5" dual exhaust, because the stock exhaust is pretty badly restrictive

[jlsparky7]

@snakesonaplane2 My cats are leaking so this might be something I wanna look into. I need a while new exhaust though. Thanks for watching!

[snakesonaplane2]

@jlsparky7 go to Performance-Curve, they sell Thunderbolt highflow cats, they're cheap and flow like a straight pipe, then i'd throw on a set of good mufflers, if you like Flowmasters they get a set of Thrush Welded, they're less than half the price of a Flowmaster, they come in stainless too, also Hooker Aerochambers and Spintech 6000 series sound really nice on a SBF, i had Aerochambers on my 87 5.0 Mustang and they sounded sick much better than a genaric FM40 and they flow a lot better

[jlsparky7]

@snakesonaplane2 Ill definitely look into those places! Thanks a lot for the help and advice. :)

[SubZer089]

Are you sure about the fuel consumption? When you press the pedal (allowing more oxygen into the engine) you use more gas. By opening that to max, I'd say it does alter the normal MPG ratings. I'd like to see the mod completed with the gas pedal completely free at 0%. But its just my 2 cents.

[ez4me2xlr8]

You should show the half shaft mod. where they cut the shaft behind the throttle plate and shave the screws down. Less restriction not much gain.

[jlsparky7]

@ez4me2xlr8 Ill look into it. Thanks for the idea!

[woldwar11]

Would this work on a v6?

[jlsparky7]

@woldwar11 Yes Sir.

[bigchreezy]

u r a cold kat 4 that throttle cable fix lol....... good fix bro

[jlsparky7]

@bigchreezy Thanks man. I really appreciate it. Please subscribe if your interested :)

[radd4jc]

What about mpg, will this small modification cause you to waste more fuel since the throttle will completely be open or does it soley depend on driving habits?

[jlsparky7]

@radd4jc This mod will have nothing to do with fuel mileage. Only driving habits will.

[RCPhilN]

to bad that doesn't worke on my micra. 80kw on 1650lbs FTW!

[jlsparky7]

@RCPhilN Thanks for watching!

[Mr10161990]

sounds pretty worthy on trying ...

[FordExplorerFanatic]

Does this also increase idle speed? I suppose because the cable is stretched it should still go back to it's correct idle position but it's an interesting thing to check out.

[jlsparky7]

@FordExplorerFanatic If done correctly it with not effect the idle speed at all. Its exactly how you imagine it. Thanks for watching!

[FordExplorerFanatic]

@jlsparky7 Alright thanks, no problem, and thanks for your quick reply. :)

[jlsparky7]

@FordExplorerFanatic Thanks for subscribing! and if you haven't yet, thanks in advance! :)

[ErikGMC]

I run gmc mostly but I also own a 99 explorer (wifes grocery getter). I just dropped a new 4.0 (OHV) in her truck last month and the throttle cable is easily adjusted without using zip ties. Is this just related to the 5.0? Im gonna investigate anyway and thank you for the tip. New motor runs great but more hp is always welcome.

[jlsparky7]

@ErikGMC It depends on the throttle body and how old the throttle cable is. Most throttle bodies that i know of arent adjustable.

Thanks!

[ErikGMC]

Not to be a pain in the ass, but couldnt you just adjust the throttle cable itself? Great vid though and a wonderful simple fix, would probably help a lot of ford owners. I have a GMC but my wife drives a 99 explorer, Im gonna investigate that tip and thank you.

[wasserranger]

What about a Throttle cable for a carburator would they stretch too? 

[jlsparky7]

@wasserranger Absolutely! Thanks for watching please subscribe!

[anasalwash]

OK , won't that gives more acceleration to the engine? I mean just like pressing on the acceleration paddles? or it just gives more air to the engine..

would you plz tell me the point of this? It seems interesting

[jlsparky7]

@anasalwash The point of this is to allow the throttle body to open all the way the way the vehicle was designed. Over time the throttle cable stretches out and you lose power because of it.

[thefirstgalaxybeing]

Thanks a bunch jlsparky7. I went right out and tried it. Took 1 ziptie - 3/16inch - to fix it. OMG! can't belive this was the same lagger from the factory, but, this 5 cent solution really did the trick. Don't know if it gave me 50 hp, BUT, the throttle response is AMAZING now! Thanks, again! I wonder if this fix will translate into better mpg, as well, since I am using a lot less pedal since the fix.

[anfman1986]

@thefirstgalaxybeing No you're not. Just less pedal travel. This will liven your ride up and get rid of that "old beater" feel it has merging into traffic, but it'll only make your mpg worse as you enjoy that new found power!

[GracensDesignsVideo]

or you could just tighten the throtle cable under the hood

[m0dthunder]

good idea im gonna have to take a look at mine now

[jlsparky7]

@m0dthunder Hope it helps!  Thanks a lot and please subscribe! :)