shift cables

[wshelton]

I have an 80 model boat with Morse Controls on the upper and lower driving stations. The shift cable on the port engine is very stiff at both stations as well as a throttle cable on the other engine. Is there a way to fix this by undoing the cables and twisting them in some way, or another remedy. If they need replacing, whats the best way to do this? (pull one at a time and pull the new through with the old cable etc.)

 

[joe31hat]

I had to replace the throttle cables on my 38. I bought them from Fore And Aft Marine, they are located in Florida, they also have a website. The cable lenghts are stamped on the ends of the cable. I just pulled the old ones out and ran the new ones up. A buddy of mine attached the old to the new and pulled them in place. I don't know how big your Hat is but this was not a difficult job in my 38.

Good luck

Joe

 

[Matt21401]

Your cables are tied together at the gear, so both stations will feel stiff even if only one cable is bad. Try disconnecting one at a time to see if you can isolate the problem to one cable. If you find one bad, I would leave it disconnected until you replace it (just operate the boat from one station if you need to use it before you can make the repair). Don't ignore a bad shift cable ... it can ruin your day.

Matt

 

[Banshee36]

Cable craft cables

Cable craft are the smooothest cables I have run across!!! You can tie the things in a kbot and they are still smooth. You can buy them from Rose Marine In Gloucester , Mass. They also carry a Large inventory of shafting that is quite competive , even with the shipping.
JW

 

[Mike36c]

Re: Cable craft cables

JW, I was considering swapping out control cables with glendinning. I saw them at a show, twisted into a scary nest yet they still operated effortlessly. Are your cable craft cables as nice? and is it a dual station set-up? I would love to find a fairly cheap, quality replacement for my morse 33c's. They worked ok as a single station but suck in a dual application. As per the first post, I replaced my cables last year(I should have used better cables!) and it was fairly easy. As mentioned above, just wire or cable tie old to new and pull it through. In my 36 I had to remove the back of a closet, they were secured along bridge wiring but not too big of a deal to get them loose.

 

[Dave Sommers]

Cables

This is a common issue with any boat that has some experience on it. Once they get grumpy don't wait as I once did or you too can find yourself approaching the closed bridge when it blows out and you can't pull out of gear. I've had to do it on every powerboat I have owned...

There is a difference in the feel between some of the different manufactures of shift cables. It is the same effort to swap and adjust no matter who's you use, so find ones that fit the budget and what feels right to you. Jim Rosenthal put a complete set of Pannish controls and cables on his boat and I must admit they are very smooth - almost effortless. He might chime in and let you know the cost and where they came from.

 

[hware]

cables

I had this problem on my 41 Hatteras turned out not to be the cables but down stairs controls. There are adjustments that tighten or loosen these control and the controls must be lubed also. I disconnected all cables and move each one looking for bad one. Then checked each control both lower controls were too tight and needed oil.

 

[Banshee36]

Re: cables

Mike,
My rig used to have a triple set up.I did away with all that and now have a single flybridge helm. The cables perform as they did when I first came across them at a show and won a set in a raffle. The are smooth. I see no reason why they would no work well with a double set up, just , as the guy posted lube and adjust the friction locks on all of the throttles and gear levers.
I looked into Pannish contols a few years ago during the paintjob and rebuilding but the single lever controls were out of my league. Try them out, you will like them.
I had the glendening hoked up to them , but after the repower no need for it, the engine stay where you set them, and VDO make a sychronizer that plugs in to the tachs and is right on the money.
JW

 

[Nonchalant1]

Re: cables

Shift cables are easily checked by disconnecting one at a time.
The throttle cables are a different story. Try disconnecting it and see if the cable itself moves freely. If it does, then the engine throttle box or your synch may be an issue. Since it's your port that's sticky, it's less likely to be the synch if port's the "master" engine. For throttle box in 8V71TI's, the engine throttle has to be checked with the engine running and no cable on it. There's a backpressure spring that can be adjusted to offset throttle box "Pull" from the fuel system (big spring with a connector to the throttle lever). The spring set bolt nut should be adjusted tighter or looser to the point where the engine just returns to idle from high RPM by itself. Then reconnect the cable and try it again.

Doug Shuman
1978 53MY

 

[jim rosenthal]

control cables..

I went through this a few years ago and replaced all my cables and controls. I used Panish for everything and have been happy with the results. Some suggestions:
You are more likely to have a bad cable or sticking control than anything else. Disconnect everything and then try the cables back in one at a time, after you have moved everything by hand to see that the controls themselves and the throttles and shift arms are nice and free. If there is a bad cable, you will find it. Replace all bad cables (if you have all original cables you might want to just replace all of them). Panish makes their own cables. Use the narrowest ones that will do the job, not the thickest- the thicker ones have more frictional area and will use up more effort to work them.
Setting up the cable geometry is crucial- control cable systems will NOT operate properly if misadjusted. The spacing and the distances need to be set up right or they can't be adjusted to work as they should. There is no guaranty that the factory setup is right, as I found out.
You might also look at throttle return springs etc; if they require too much effort, it will screw the system up as well.
New cables should be pulled through using the old one as the puller- slowly and carefully.Spraying some WD40 or Blaster helps a lot.