Re: Mercontrol question
Before opening a can of worms, as the control box is likely to turn out to be, I would disconnect both shift and throttle cables from the engine, have someone -- one to whom you can bark orders, so obviously not the one who cooks dinner and keeps your bed warm at night -- move the lever or levers through their complete range and observe the movement of the cables to ensure that it is correct.
My limited experience tells me that it is an adjustment at the engine end and nothing more.
You did not say, BTW, whether the half way throttle movement opens the throttle half way, or all the way.
One last note: many engines have an interlock that prevents WFO operation in reverse. Maladjustment of that interlock would produce what you are experiencing, assuming that you're getting about half throttle plate deflection. But again, this would not likely be the reslut of anything int he box.
Best thing to do, and do it BEFORE you open the control box, is to get the cables a-loose from the engine and see what your control box is doing with the cables.
