Always keep a coat hanger in the trunk along with some tools.
Last Sept I drove over to Carson City, Nv. in the 240 to my Moms to spend the night and then get her to the Reno air port the next morning for a flight to Kansas City. I didn`t want her driving the 30 miles to Reno and trying to park the car for a week and get to her plane. she is 91.
I noticed when got to her house there seemed to be someting different in the way the engine was responding. not bad but something. checked everything under the hood the next morning and off we went. I noticed I had to give it more peddle to keep the same speed by the time I got to Reno.
I leave the Air Port and hit 395 and then onto I-80 back to Calif. notice every slight upgrade she was a little slower but the flats she ran good. figured it was a fuel filter. get up past Verdi, Boom Town (Casino) and the new Cabelas and from here the Hwy start to climb going up over the Sierra`s.
Finally Iam shifting down to 3rd where I should pull the hill in 4th, and one hill suddenly Iam down to 2nd. HMMM..... pull over and check under the hood, notice the rubber vibration dampner on the horizonal shaft from the firewall to the manual shutoff lever is about ripped off.
It is vulcanised to 2 pieces of metal, and after 31 yrs has given up the ghost. Iam just about to the Truckee Scales so limp up the shoulder and get in line with the big rigs until I can get to the parking lot.
Did a McGiver fix it with the Coat hanger, bending some pieces to hold it together. worked good with full power again, and made it home.
I still need to order the Dealer part, but have replaced the wire with Zip tie`s which hold it tighter. I now keep Zip Tie`s in the trunk too.
Coat Hangers are right up there with Bailing Wire and Duct Tape and even Barb Wire.
Read some other uses on another form.
Bailing Wire - The Stovebolt Forums
Charlie