Need advice on control cables and warm-up lever.

[DJ_Allatoona]

Motor is a 75HP from 1986. Has the Quicksilver side-mount control box. I've noticed my warm-up lever has lost nearly all of its effectiveness, because it doesn't actually do anything until almost the end of its limit. Example, if the full travel of the lever is 10, it doesn't engage a cable or bump the RPM's until 8 or 9. It flips up to nearly vertical with no resistance at all. I don't recall it ever being that useless. I'm convinced there's a problem.

So I took out the throttle and shift cables to get a look at them. To my untrained eye, they look OK, but this is my first experience with them, so what do I know? I was kind of hoping to see an obvious problem, like the throttle cable was clearly messed up or something was unattached. Plus, sometimes just taking something apart and putting it back together again fixes a problem with this boat. Can't explain it. But I re-installed the same cables and the same issue persists: lousy warm-up lever doing the same thing. It's slack for 80% of the run, then engages.

Related issue: see the picture below. How tight should these cable ends be secured? The clips that hold the cable are held by screws that are spring-loaded with nyloc nuts. When I fully tighten them, I can hardly move the throttle out of the neutral detent into forward, and can't move it into reverse at all. I loosen them a bit, and the throttle handle moves normally. How tight should those end keepers be tightened down"

Any wisdom or advice about my warm-up lever is greatly appreciated. Also, I'd love any tips or tricks about installing those throttle & shift cables. How do I know if they've gone bad? I should just get some new ones and see if that helps.
-- Thanks

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[racerone]

When shifting to reverse the propeller shaft should be turning.----Or the motor running !------Sounds like the throttle cable is worn internally.----Something you can not see.

 

[GA_Boater]

Other than the warm up lever, does the throttle work normally? Does the warm up lever move as you move the throttle and not stay down?

If my control isn't in neutral, the warm up lever acts just like yours.

I don't remember what your control looks like, DJ. And the photos aren't showing up and I can't quite see the control in your Ideabook.

 

[DJ_Allatoona]

Hi -- yes, the throttle acts the way it always has, that is to say...does its job. Goes 'Vroom' when I push it forward. And the warm-up lever doesn't move when I come out of neutral. It stays down.

I just ordered two new cables. I don't know how old mine are and new ones were affordable. $25 each. Hopefully the existing ones are invisibly worn out and this will do the trick.

As for my other issue, the picture shows up for me on the PC, but not on my phone. Whatever. Here's the direct link to the photo: https://i.imgur.com/jE74pEn.jpg

So I'm wondering what the rule is for tightening down these spring-loaded screws. When I made them ratchet-tight, it locked down the throttle handle. I backed off the Nylocs, and the handle moved. Does that sound right?

Have you been going out Don? The lake is super high. The jetty at Blockhouse was underwater a few days ago.

 

[merc850]

The bottom cable is the shift one and the guide should be greased, the throttle lever should also be greased at the pivot bolt. Do Not shift into R unless A: motor is running or B: someone turns the prop while you shift, (motor not running)
The shift clamp just has to be tight enough to hold the cable in place and keep the clamp on the slide; the Nylock nuts are designed to stay wherever you set them; have you greased the internals of the control box? every moving part needs re-greasing at some point in its life.
This may not solve your problem but it is a good idea.

 

[GA_Boater]

The lake isn't that high, Dave. I can't launch off the back porch yet. The neighbors below can. Well maybe a couple more days if it doesn't stop raining.

Red Top has ramps under the water somewhere, sure can't see them. I think most ramps are closed because the parking areas are flooded. It still has about two feet to go to match 2009.

I greased up my control when the cables were changed a few years ago. One or the other, probably both, made a world of difference.

 

[DJ_Allatoona]

Final report on my problem, because I know everyone here was losing sleep worrying about my cable issue:

I got a new set of SeaStars from Wholesale Marine, slapped them in, and OMG...I had no idea how stiff and grungy my old cables had gotten over the years! Once I got the adjustments on the motor side dialed in properly, the shifting and throttle up/down are all buttery smooth now, and the warm-up lever behaves the way it should. Victory. It even idles better now. It was a joy to throw those old cables in the dumpster.

 

[GA_Boater]

Finally, I can get some sleep.

New cables are such a change, probably because it takes years to gradually to get the point of realizing they need replaced.