controls reversed?!?!

[joho5]

well my dad just got a boat and we ran into a weird problem.

to put the boat in reverse you have to push the control lever forward and it gets full throttle capability.

but to put the boat in forward you have to pull back, but it only gets very little throttle like its in reverse.

does this mean the cables are reversed somewhere, and if so, would it be in the cowling, or in the control box?

thanks, and why would this be like that?

 

[F_R]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

well my dad just got a boat and we ran into a weird problem.

to put the boat in reverse you have to push the control lever forward and it gets full throttle capability.

but to put the boat in forward you have to pull back, but it only gets very little throttle like its in reverse.

does this mean the cables are reversed somewhere, and if so, would it be in the cowling, or in the control box?

thanks, and why would this be like that?

It would help if you would tell us what the motor is. I assume from your story that it is a Johnson Electramatic shift, not Hydro-Electric--right?

Most likely the wires are reversed at the disconnect where the shift cable goes down to the lower unit. They are blue and green and must be matched blue to blue, green to green.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

or it is a hydro mechanical, matched with the wrong power head linkage.

 

[joho5]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

sorry, its a 1986 Evinrude 50hp motor...just basic 2 cable system for throttle and shifting...there isnt any electrics involved.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

Sounds like someone swapped in an earlier gearcase with the hydromechanical shift pattern. Only other thing I can think of is that the controls aren't OMC-made and are some sort of aftermarket (Teleflex, Morse, etc.) and are simply rigged incorrectly...

 

[mjrkrash]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

I had the very same problem with my engine. I had reversed the cable linkage when I put everything back together. When I put it in Forward, it was reverse and vice versa.

My problem was the linkage under the cowling, I swapped them and all was well.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

Swapping the cables at the motor will not reverse the direction of travel. All that will do is make the throttle cable operate the shift linkage and make the shift cable operate the throttle linkage.

If you have the correct powerhead linkage for the lower unit you have and it still shifts backwards then there are only a couple of scenarios depending on what control box you're using. Is it a binnical mount and if so, what brand? Or is it a side mount control? And again, what brand?

Then, what brand prop is it? OMC never made a lower unit that was counter rotating for a recreational 3 cylinder but someone may have rehubbed a prop for another make.

Pictures of the control and prop would help a bunch.

 

[joho5]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

its only a 2 cylinder...here are some pictures. The throttle is working correctly as in it only gives about 1/4 throttle when the handle is pulled back, and full throttle when you push the handle forward.

the problem lies that when you pull back the prop spins in the direction of forward, but paired with only 1/4 throttle

and when you push it forward the prop spins counter clockwise, with full throttle capability.

can this be something involved with the lower unit, or shift linkage somewhere?

 

[ezeke]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

I think Chinewalker nailed it: your gearcase is from the seventies and the linkage is backwards if you are going to use it. You will need to find the linkage from a seventies motor that the gearcase came from.

 

[joho5]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

so my options are getting the bellcrank linkage for an older motor, or getting a newer whole gearcase?

or finding out where the owner lives and burn his house? ha, we checked spark, compression, that it woudl start and idle...but I didnt think to check which way the prop was turning.

 

[ezeke]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

That's a right hand prop, so in forward it should turn clockwise or the boat would go backwards.

 

[joho5]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

can i get just a control box that would be compatible with my setup, or does it have to be the bellcrank linkage or different gearcase?

Matt

 

[ezeke]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

The control that you have would work fine if you had the 1986 gearcase.

Look for a gearcase; there should be plenty of them in the salvage yards.

 

[joho5]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

so which way the rod goes has opposite effects from the 70's gear case to the one I need?

Why would they change such a thing?

also when pulling the lower units on these do you just take the big clip out of the shift linkage by the carbs? and the lower just drops? I dont see how that will make it drop.

thanks

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: controls reversed?!?!

They didn't so much change the shift direction as changed the method of shifting. The unit you have is a hydromechanical shift lower unit. The one your motor originally had was a straight - mechanical lower unit. Easiest way to fix things is to get the proper unit, c. 1978 & up should get you in the ballpark. You can resell the one you have now to recoup some of your $$.