89 Four Winns Throttle Assembly Removal

[MicahR1]

I've begun restoration project on an '89 Four Winns 210. After being stumped removing the Throttle Assembly, I spent the last week reading in the forums about how to remove it. All the conversations revolved around an set screw removed by and allen wrench when the throttle was in the full reverse position. I could find no such screw on my assembly.

I'll post my experience to help anyone else struggling with this.

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Since I was in the middle of a restoration I had already the side panel that the assembly is attached to. I removed all of the accessible screws from the gear box on the back side of that panel. Unfortunately one screw head (in the bottom black portion of the gear box) was positioned against the panel. That required me to create slack in the cables, move the panel towards the back of the boat and spin the gear box 180 deg. so that I could access the screw through a cavity in the panel. Once that screw was out, the box came apart.

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At that point I removed the first of 2 Retaining Rings. Behind that ring, a plate, plastic washer piece and spring came loose. Next I removed the second retaining ring. At that point the throttle handle finally came loose!!!

It's possible that I missed something, and there was an easier way to accomplish this. If that's the case feel free to let me know so that people in the future will better understand the process.

Hope this helps someone. I've received a ton of valuable information from this forum!

Micah

[rickryder]

What control do you have??? If it's a Quicksilver 3000.....Here ya go


1. Press the "throttle only button" and move the handle forward to a WOT position.

2. Pop out the TO button cap. Unfortunately Mercury made a large number of 3000 models. The TO button cap may be square or round. The square one can be popped by two flathead screwdrivers, the first one to lift the edge so that the second one can get a good purchase at the end and is able to pop it. The round one also can be popped by using two screwdrivers simultaneously.

3. There is a brass nut 11/16 inside. Remove it.

4. The handle will come off easily.

5. If the trim switch on the handle needs to be accessed, there is a screw on the underside, which can be removed.

6. If the control unit ( the rhomboidal metal case on the other side of the plywood, containing levers, throttle and shift cables and neutral safety switch yellow wires with red strip) needs to be removed, you will have to remove the plastic panel on the outside, after removing the handle. The panel is held in place by 6 bolts. The 3 larger ones 7/16, go into the control unit housing and are easily removed. They are short. The three small ones 3/8 size, but long, are used to attach the plastic panel to plywood. They have locking nuts and brass washers on the other side. Unfortunately, once you start removing these, the nuts rotate freely and the bolt cannot be removed without holding the nuts on the other side. This can extremely frustrating because there is usually no access to these nuts. Try anyway. Usually you are able to remove two and then the third comes off easy. When you put it back, forget the washers and locknuts. Try some other means of fastening the unit to plywood. When I did this, I used a larger drill to make recess in the plywood centered on the already drilled hole. Not through, but just the depth of the nut. Then the nut was placed in the recess and glued in place with epoxy.The bolt then easily goes in and out.

There are two design flaws (at least!) in the 3000 model, the removal of handle should not require popping off plastic tabs which have a tendency to break. There should be a couple of small screws. Secondly, who but an idiot would put bolts to hold the unit to the plywood but put the nuts on the other side and almost inaccessible. In fact the three 7/16 bolts easily hold the assembly in place by sandwiching the plywood firmly between the panel and the control unit. Even stainless screws instead of bolts would have been nice.

[MicahR1]

Thanks Rick,

Good description of the challenge removing the side panel, that was a bear.

As for the Handle Removal, I'll look again at what I have there. I'm sure if it's the 3000 or not. There were a couple of frustrating moments in the tear down on this project. But it's done now! Time to start making progress. I'll start a new thread that tracks to progress from beginning to end.

P.S. Rick, I've read every word of your restoration thread. Great work!

[rickryder]

I'll be looking for it!