Well, topic says it all. I've gone under the hood and adjusted the cable by the block but nothing. I'm still able to lift my gas pedal like 4-5" from the floor and it's only got like 1-1.5" before it hits the floor when you push down on it.
Anyone know how to fix this?
I looked underneath the steering column and didn't find a spring like I've seen on other vehicles, I just see a throttle cable coming through the firewall and then through a hole in the pedal with like a nubit on the end but fed through a gray plastic retainer (where I think there is supposed to be a spring to return the pedal to the full, upright position).
So I don't have an older model XJ, but I have had plenty of older model Jeeps and other random vehicles with this same issue. What it boils down to is that many manufacturers back in those days were using cheap plastic clips on the gas pedals to secure the cable to the pedal. Over the years, plastic degrades and will become brittle enough to crumble.
My solution was very simple. A couple of 6" zip ties will act as the spacer and cable pull. I thought at first to use them only temporarily, but the more I looked for those little plastic pieces the more it looked like a permanent solution. Just lift the pedal, zip tie around the exposed cable, and cinch it tight. That's it.