Need a touch more RPM in reverse

DJ_Allatoona

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
186
My winter project motor (1986 Mercury 75HP) is 99% complete. Everything is great except for the one remaining puzzle I can't crack: Shifting into reverse is solid and smooth, but the most throttle I have in reverse is "just enough" to back off the trailer. After it slips firmly into reverse, I have about an inch more travel before the handle bottoms out.

The remote box is new and so are the throttle and shift cables. I double-checked that the barrels are correctly placed in the control box and in the retainer. On the engine side, I've fiddled with the cable adjustments on the throttle and shift cables, moving the adjustment barrels in and out, to very little effect.

In forward gear, zero problem: wide open is fine and throttle movement feels fine. Is this a cable adjustment issue, or can I get into the control box and somehow tweak the handle limit to get myself a little more travel in reverse?
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,497
how fast do you need to go in reverse? More importantly, how much force do you think that little sheet metal reverse latch can hold?
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,497
Not being patronizing. Throttle is usually less in reverse than fwd.

Look at the cable adjustment at the controls
 
Top