Can a cable or linkage out of adjustment Jam or damage the shift/throttle control?

[777funk]

I have a Force 125 with a US Marine shift/throttle control. When I bought the boat last week the control box was broken. I welded new guides on to keep the throttle control portion on it's travel plane. As soon as I hooked it all back up, I tested it with the cables unhooked at the motor and all seemed great! I was excited. Then I connected the cables to the throttle and shift linkages at the motor and it broke my repair. I admit to not being a great welder but it must have taken considerable force to knock my guides out. I'm wondering if maybe one of the two linkages at the motor is not allowing the other to move. The cables and linkages work great by themselves but when connected to the cables there are problems. The linkages do take a little bit of pressure to move by hand but I wouldn't call it super difficult.

EDIT: looks like the problem is that the engine needs to be turning to go fully into gear.

 

[gm280]

I'm personally not familiar with a US Marine shift/throttle control system. Maybe others will chime in with answers. Could you post some pictures? I also see you've posted a lot of new individual threads concerning your new (to you) boat acquisition. You do know you can post all those threads in one main boat project thread to your chosen titling, and therefore be able to keep track of them all in one simple place. It would also help others understand your latest questions and issues about the same boat. Do post some pictures so we all can see exactly what you're seeing...lots of pictures too! Pictures are worth more then pages of explanations lots of times...

Depending on the model and/or year, there could be parts available to repair your control system back to like new condition...get those pictures to us!

 

[Jiggz]

In your case, pictures will be worth a thousand words!

 

[777funk]

Thanks and yes pictures would go a long ways! Looks like my problem isn't the control but the motor. The Force 125 is made so that the throttle cannot move from idle until the engine is in gear. What was happening in my case is that I shifted into gear without the engine running and the piece in the motor that blocks the throttle linkage from moving was still in the way since motor wasn't fully in gear. This caused the cable to be immovable and when I pushed it forwards, it broke the control box. I welded guides for the cam'd throttle control assembly and it's back in business. It was hard to see how it all worked in the motor since it was down low and hard to see with cables in the way, but the throttle is blocked until in gear.

So... it looks like with the engine not running the shift will not quite go into forward or reverse. I rotated the prop by hand and it snaps into gear. Now I know not to touch the throttle until it's clicked into gear... AND that it won't click into gear unless the engine or prop are rotated.

 

[gm280]

Yes they do make it to where you can't rive the engine out of gear (neutral) and over RPM the engine. And even in reverse there usually is a throttle stop to keep from riving it too far as well. Understanding that now you should be able to fix your control and try again...

 

[777funk]

Got it fixed today and should be good to go now. Won't try to move the throttle while troubleshooting until it's fully in gear.