evinrude control cable replacement?

[basspirate]

i bought a used 1980 evinrude 140. i just installed everything and the motor runs good except that the idle is a little high, about 250-300 over. i went back to the engine and pushed the throttle lever back aginst the block and the idle dropped but when i go to the control box and raise and lower the high idle lever the idle stays high again. is it time to replace the cables or is there something i'm missing.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

There is a black wheel on the control cable at the engine end of it. It is the part that fits into the stainless steel retainer, ahead of the point where the cable fits onto the throttle gear or throttle arm, depending on what size engine you have.

Try adjusting this wheel to obtain proper idle speed. I would run the motor for awhile first, to make sure it is warmed up and able to idle without using the idle lever.

If you have to replace the cable, examine it to determine if it is the older Type 400 cable (set screw ends), or the newer Type 479 cable (press fit ends).

 

[basspirate]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

thanks. it turns out i wasnt pre stretching the cables enough. although i may have to replace them anyway as i'm at the end of adjustment

 

[robertk]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

I have the exact same problem! What does pre-stretching mean and how is it done?
Thanks for your help.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

The wire portion of your cables is solid wire - there is no "prestretching" involved.

 

[robertk]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

Thanks - I will try the black wheel adjustment and see if that helps. The throttle control box and wheel adjustment seems so straight forward yet I can't seem to get it right. I'll try again this weekend.

 

[basspirate]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

what i mean by prestretching is grab the black plastic slide that attaches to the throttle and give is a pull before attaching it to the throttle. it takes out the play in the cable and box. then adjust the cable before setting it in the holder. after it is in you can then finely adjust it

 

[robertk]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

Today I found that the fast idle lever cable connects to a vertical shaft that goes up into the engine and controls the engine speed.
Disconnecting the throttle cable at the shaft, I find this vertical shaft is pretty stiff to turn by hand. There is a grease fitting at the bottom of this shaft but my grease gun doesn't seem to fit the fitting. Is there a special grease gun fitting for the 1985 vintage 35 HP Evinrude engines?

I think that if that shaft was a little easier to turn, the fast idle cable could pull the shaft back to normal idle.
Can anyone offer info on the grease fitting and how tough that shaft should be to turn?

Thanks for your help.

 

[basspirate]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

it is supposed to have a very slight tension on it. it should not glide back on it's own but with a minimum amount of pressure. before you go crazy trying to grease the thing are you positive nothing is binding. the shaft should connect to the carb's and to the timer base. does it start to move freely then bind about halfway through it's movement. if you follow the arm straight up you will see it connects to a rod under the flywheel. thats the timer base. if the shaft moves freely until that rod starts to move, the screws that hold the timer base may have corroded or may need to be cleaned. trust me i had it happen. if that is your problem i'll give you details on exactly what to do later on. also check to make sure nothing in the carb linkage is binding. get some carb cleaner and give the linkage around the carbs a quick spray down. watch any plastic around as the stuff will soften plastic parts but only while their wet. once the stuff drys the plastic returns to normal. if you need a grease fitting take the old one off go to a auto parts place, match up the threads on the old one, use the new one to get grease in, then put the old one back on.

 

[robertk]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

Thanks for the feedback.
I am fairly sure nothing is binding up top. It is stiff from starting to rotate to finish. When I lift the fast idle arm at the throttle/shift unit, I can move the shaft/timer base and carb. When I push the fast idle arm down (to reduce the idle) the shaft/timer base/carb don't come all the way back. I have to push the arm/cable back toward the front to reduce the idle.

I did try lubricating the timer base and carb areas with WD40 thinking something was binding but that didn't change anything.

I think the timer base screws are worth a try. I would like your tips.

I should note that this engine (and boat) sunk twice in salt water over the 20 years I have owned it. The motor still runs really well. Maybe that salt water did corrode the timer base screws. Maybe the grease in the bottom of that shaft is like wax and inhibiting smooth and easy rotation.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[basspirate]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

that sounds more like the linkage arm needs grease. i would take the arm off, clean everything then regrease. just watch all the adjustment screws. i would not touch them if possible. some are set from the factory and are impossible to set back to their original positions. others take a lot of time, Patience and special tools to recalibrate everything. wd40 will not reach the timer base screws. the only way to do it is to remove the flywheel. go to autozone or pep boysn ( they both rent for free) rent a torque wrench, make sure you get the click type and not the needle one as the click type is more accurate and has a longer handle. also rent a puller ( i believe its the harmonic balance one. it has 3 ears and a big spindle in the center.) you'll also have to get a 1 5/16 socket and possibly an adapter as the sockets i found had a 3/4 tip and the torque wrench is 1/2 inch. also check the bolts that come with the puller. my kit did not have the proper bolts. if i remember i think it's 5/16 fine thread and they have to be at least 2 1/2 inches long. get some washers also as the bolts may pull through the puller.
first thing to do is to remove the flywheel. take the socket and torque wrench and remove the big nut on top of the flywheel. that nut is put on with a LOT of force. you may have to get a pipe to extend the handle of the torque wrench to get the nut off. next take the puller, line up the three ears with the three bolt holes in the flywheel. fully thread the bolts through the puller into the flywheel until the bolts hit the stop. now thread the center bolt through the puller and bring it up until it just hits the flywheel shaft. at this point make sure everything is level and centered. if its not you wont get the flywheel off and you could damage something. now tighten the center bolt with a ratchet or wrench as much as you possibly can. if it dosent break loose at this point give the center bolt of the puller a few taps with a hammer. just watch out cause the flywheel may pop off unexpectedly. now you will see the stator on the outside with the timer base inside. I believe you have to remove the stator to get to the timer base. on my engine it was 4 hex bolts holding it in. remove the 4 bolts and move the stator out of the way. now you will see 4 clips with screws holding the timer base in. remove all 4 clips and screws then lift the base out. you should see a plastic or brass ring on the bottom of the base. first clean it then lightly grease it. put the base back on making sure the ring compresses into the top plate of the engine. put the 4 clips and screws back in. the screws should be snug but not uber tight. move the base back and fourth to make sure it slides nicely. it should be a little tight but with no play. if it binds or requires a bit of force to move you can take the tabs off and bend them slightly upwards. now reinstall the stator. then get a rag and some rubbing alcohol. do not use a paper towel as they give off too much lint. wipe the crankshaft area where the flywheel sits and the center hole of the flywheel with the rag and alcohol. both surfaces must be clean before reinstallation. line up the keyway on the flywheel and the crankshaft. gently slide the flywheel back onto the crankshaft but try to be careful not to let the flywheel hit the stator as there is a small possibility you could crack a magnet in the flywheel or damage the stator. now thread the nut back onto the flywheel then tighten the nut back up. check on the torque setting but on my engine which is a 140 evinrude it had to be torqued to between 140-150 ft lbs. you are then done. if you have a manual which i would suggest use that a a refrence and to double check the bolt and socket sizes and the torque for the flywheel nut.
it sounds complicated but it's not that bad. it took me about 2 hours to take everything apart and put it all back together. also make sure you disconnect the battery before doing anything. if you dont feel comfortable i would take it to a mechanic

 

[robertk]

Re: evinrude control cable replacement?

Although it has been awhile, I solved the "stiffness" problem by pointing a heat gun at the base of the shaft. The grease in the bottom of that shaft is like wax and inhibiting smooth and easy rotation. After melting out the old grease, I put in fresh grease and it now moves smoothly.

The next problem is that the throttle handle (at the steering seat) needs to go almost full forward to get the boat to speed up. In other words, there is no motion of the linkage in the engine area until the throttle is pushed almost all the way forward. What happens is I don't have much forward speed granularity.

Any additional help you can offer is surely appreciated!

 

[scubarob56]

anybody know how to replace the fast idle lever on a 1986 omc control box?

 

[GA_Boater]

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