Manual Throttle Cable: when and how to use it?

[thelawdoc]

Hello to the forum. I am trying to educate myself about the manual throttle cable in my '65-'66 C10 250 Inline Six. I have had this truck for about 8 months, since January. She is stock, my only vehicle, with a single barrel carb. When starting her up in the winter here in New York, I always pulled the choke out. She always started up easily. I have never used the manual throttle cable. Today, a gorgeous, sunny day in August, she would not start for me. The symptoms were those of an empty gas tank, clogged fuel filter or line, etc. That is, she would need cranking more than usual, then turn over and seem to want to run, but instead -and with a lot shaking, sputter out after maybe 5 seconds of rough running. I attempted to start her about 10 times, choke knob pulled out full, and almost every time brought the same response. Sometimes she would not even kick over or run for the 5 seconds. After I spent some time going down the 'check list,' I was out of ideas. While sitting behind the wheel and trying to imagine what was ailing her, I noticed the throttle control knob that sits at the bottom of the dash, in front of my left knee. I had never used this control. Out of boredom, I pulled out the knob and pushed it back, making a mental note to find out exactly what this control is good for. I then decided to try starting her one more time. I pulled out the choke and cranked her. She roared to life. I let her warm up for a few moments, and then pushed the choke knob back in and drove off. It seems to me that something good happened when I played with the throttle control. When I got back home I looked in the manual to see what it might say about this magical knob, but the manual simply noted that the throttle control was an option. I searched the forums but have not found any discussion about when and how to use this control. It seems to me that it is used to raise the engine revs without need to step on the accelerator. But it also seems to me that it let me start my truck today when it otherwise would not start. Anyone have some familiarity with a manual throttle control in this truck? -Alden