I checked the throttle cable and I can see it is not wrapped.

All the linkage seems fine, and I have the idle screws all the way out.

I am even running an extra spring on the throttle bar to ensure that I get full return.

Nothing seems to be binding.

I am running an old original distributor with the injection point set removed, and the vacum advance disabled.

Am I wasting time chasing throttle cable functions or is it just the stinking distributor?

Is your throttle cable too tight? On some cars, like mine, if the cable was pulled tight like you would think it should be, the throttle would stick. Additionally, if it was too tight, the clutch pedal moving would change the rpm. It was not wrapped around the clutch cable either. I think it was due to how the two tubes were welded in the tunnel relative to each other. Not all 914's are built equal.

Thanks Mike, but I backed it off a bit and it still isn't right.

Explain, with pics, how you disabled the vacuum advance on the distributor.

Without pics,

I took it off the board and pulled it out the side!

Like this

Do you need this?

Click to view attachment

If the plate is moving inside the dizzy, it could act like a throttle sticking with idle jumping up and down.

Advance plates can stick
Improperly mounted points with a screw too long can bind the advance plates
Petronix can bind the advance plates.

All may cause high idle.

I think I will go back to trying to get the Unilite to work. I have been putting it off because I have to reindex the drive and I was avoiding that.

When you say that the throttle is sticking, do you mean that the idle RPM is too high, or that the throttle pedal doesn't come all the way back up?

If the former, check for vacuum leaks.

If the latter, try to isolate the problem. Disconnect the throttle cable from the throttle body. Does it still stick? Disconnect it from the pedal. Does it stick? Check just the throttle body. Does it close all the way?

Isolate the problem. When you have it down to one or two systems, you can check them in detail.

Note that the bores in the throttle body where the valve pivots ride can and do wear. That sometimes gives you a sticking throttle. Heavy springs will tend to exacerbate the wear.

--DD

Dave meant to check for vacuum leaks at the carb mounting gaskets. A vacuum leak under the carbs will raise the idle. It's easy to find with some carb cleaner. With the engine running, spray some cleaner at the base of the carbs and manifolds. if the idle changes, you have a leak.

I will try that. Thank you.

Oh....

How is the gas pedal itself?
It also has a spring in it....I found it was an important part of the spring back tension...

Meaning, if the spring is rusted out and the pedal won't pull back towards the driver all by itself, it adds to much tension to the cable...

I'm really thinking thats it. I oiled it but it doesn't feel smooth. I have a new one around here somewhere. I think I will try that out. I

Pull the rod out of the back of the pedal.
Does the pedal stand up on its own?
Like Viagra?

If not, the spring in the bottom may be junk..
It's just a piece of spring steel that is the same piece that get bolted to the floor.
It's also part of the spring back system...

that was a long time ago for me....ten or more years ago that I chased that weird one down....so YMMV

You are probably right.

Figures the one part on the car I didn't replace.

If you pulled the vacuum can and didn't do anything to lock the plate it will be free to move. You need to either lock the advance plate somehow or re-attach the vacuum can to the place and just leave the no vacuum lines hooked up, this will at least hold the plate in place.

If plate floats on its own then idle would fluctuate?

I was trying for no advanve initially. Sound like a good thing to check. It could be rotating on its own

Aside from the other suggestions, I would reinstall the vacuum advance unit and run a hose from the advance port into a vacuum port on one of the carbs (you don't need to connect to both carbs, one is adequate).

I went to the parts bin and found another original distributor, this one intact with the trigger points and the vacuum. So I installed it.

Still the same problem.

Well to make a long story short I took Mr. Darling's advice and methodically started over with carb vacuum, cable angle, cable length, cross bar ajdustment, and low and behold one of the drop links was loose and was turning in and out.

Once I got that fixed, I retuned the carbs, and got the "lugging like a tractor idle" Weber talks about. From there a 1/2 turn on the idle adjust and DA DA, 900 rpm.

Now I have been driving up and down the neighborhood like an idiot and I hate to say it, "It runs well" "Very Well" , as a mater of fact. I am surprised at the power and smothness of the 1.7 and since I was a 356 guy, I think it runs strong...

A few more small things to sort out but It is driveable and I will probably get plates for it tomorrow.

What a difference a day makes. Last night I was so frustrated, I was a wits end. Today I am almost there thanks to the World.

Wife was still raking and came running in. "What do you have your head up your ass or something? Didn't you hear about 10 Porsches on a drive passed by the house and saw the 914 rear end sticking out of the garage and tooted to you"

I was under the dash messing with cables and missed them.

But still maybe a little Karma for me.........

Salute!

Cool. Enjoy driving it now