Uh... typical pots are bi-directional. Meaning... there is no "Backwards".
When installing Any pot... you have to make sure it is according to how it is used.
In an Afterburner analog throttle... the pot needs to be centered by hand, and them placed in the gearing, on that centered position.
If its a little off... its not an issue. But if you have the pot all the way to an endpoint position... and moved the stick in the direction
that was already maxed out on the pots travel... its going to break the pot.
In a typical Gas pedal, the pot often is placed at a the zero point, or close to it. This could be at either end, depending on how the pot is
mounted, and how the gearing is utilized to change the direction... as well as if you wired the pot correctly, or if you wired it in reverse.
In most arcade games, you go to the test menu, and find the pot value that it expects by turning it, and then lock it down in that
position. Many games do not mind some default-value shifting... and either have an Automatic calibration system built into the code...
or they include a Calibration option in the test menu (sometimes both apply).
With Spy Hunter, that pedal was a much more critical. If you did have the pedal in the right starting value... the car would tend to be rolling
when your foot was off the gas. (or, it would travel at warp speed... as it looped the values around). Actually.. by adding a little to the start
value... it allows for a higher top-speed in-game, and makes the game more fair, and fun. (Most games do not behave that way... as there is
set max speed, programmed into the game... even if the analog value was high than expected)
Pot mounts tend to have an adjustment screw, and sliding / rotating system, to allow for easy adjustments. Still... you have to at least
get the thing close to the correct position... as the adjustment only moves a short amount of travel.
Use a marker to draw a line on the gear at its home position. And or, spin to each endpoint, and make markings. And or... use a multimeter
to get the values...etc.