Throttle lever not lining up

[brichbk]

I got in my boat the other day and found that my throttle/shift lever wasn't lined up in neutral (it was a little forward). So I tried to move it back where neutral is marked on the arm rest and it wouldn't move. I moved it forward and it felt like it went through neutral then into forward. It seems to have full range of motion going forward but reverse seems shortened. Does that make sense?

I backed the boat out from the dock and tried to go forward but it wouldn't go, it just reved up the engine. So I tried adjusting the shifting cables while on the water and I could get the engine to go forward but not reverse.

I think my kids might have been messing around in the boat and moved the throttle/shift lever out of position. But before I start trying to tear the control box apart I thought I would check here.

The engine is a 1977 Johnson 70 HP and what appears to be the original throttle/shift control box.

Where should I start looking?
The control box?
The shift cables?

 

[Daviet]

Re: Throttle lever not lining up

If you disconnect the shift cable from the engine, will the engine shift properly? That should tell where the problem is, engine or control box.

 

[brichbk]

Re: Throttle lever not lining up

Here is the problem I am looking at.
The attached pictures show the throttle while it's in neutral and full reverse. The picture with the throttle forward is when it is in neutral. The picture with the throttle straight up is full reverse.

I will work on getting the cable off and checking it.

 

[hidef]

Re: Throttle lever not lining up

There is no adjustment inside the controls all of the adjustments are at the motor end. I would disconnect the both cables from the motor then test the cables to make sure they are working correctly. If they are I would then check the linkages on the outboard and finally I would adjust the cables down to where they need to be and re-install. Sounds like somebody was playing with you cables to me.

 

[brichbk]

Re: Throttle lever not lining up

I found the problem. The ball bearing and spring in the control box were out of place. I took the control box apart and reassembled it and everything worked great after that.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Throttle lever not lining up

That happened because some "little helpers" tried to move the lever when the engine was not running. Just like a stick shift car, it is iimpossible to select a gear if the engine stopped with the gears not in alignment. Forciing the lever then causes something to "give". A little lecture is in order.