BF50A Stiff Shift

[Bakeys]

Hey Boat Peeps,
I've perused the forums and haven't seen specifically what I'm looking for.

So I've got a 2000 BF50A on a 20' pontoon boat. The controls are troublesome. The handle is in rough shape and the white slider part of the handle that bypasses the lock and allows you to get out of neutral is broke so it occasionally comes out, blah, blah, blah.

But, the cables are also very stiff. Hardly "butter smooth" which seems to be a recurring term in regards to Honda outboard shifting. It's all livable, but it's not likable.

Honda controls are a bit pricey. Big surprise there. For that matter, JUST the replacement handle minus the guts and white slider thing is $109. But I see a lot of offerings on evilBay. So my question is, are they interchangeable? Can I fit a newer, shinier, control in place of my ratty one? If not, are the cables maintainable or am I better off trying to push spaghetti up a cat's south end?
Assuming the latter, how does one go about ordering new cables? Guessing there are identifying marks on the existing ones.
Attached pic is an example of what I have. I don't have electric trim.
Thanks for any and all assistance.

 

[ahicks]

The OEM honda control, one in decent shape, often go for 200 or so used on ebay - without the cables or wiring harness. That makes #6 in the diagram below a pretty good bargain, no?

Honda Outboard 50HP OEM Parts Diagram for REMOTE CONTROL | Boats.net

Buy OEM Parts for Honda Outboard 50HP REMOTE CONTROL Diagram

www.boats.net

All the parts for your control are available, so they're generally less expensive to repair than replace. A good cleaning and re-greasing can generally make them work like new again.

New shift and throttle cables are easy to come by, and don't need to come from Honda. They are purchased singly so you'll need to order 2 of them. You can expect to pay 40-50 bucks apiece, and I generally get mine from Amazon. They are available in even 1 foot increments and you'll often find markings that include the length on the last 12-18" of the cables you have. They DO need to be Honda type cables, so OMC or Merc cables won't work!
See here:

Amazon.com

 

[Bakeys]

Thank you for the response AHicks!
I worked for American Honda Motor Corp for a number of years. I'm pretty familiar with sticker shock. But, in my opinion, it's pretty tough to beat the quality and dependability. So you have to put the dollars into terms of value. And not just monetary value.

I need to take my control apart and see what's going on.

As far as a good cleaning and greasing, I suspect I'll learn more upon disassembly. Can the cables be lubed. It's been my experience in the powersports industry that when cables get stiff and crotchety, it's easier to replace than to try and force lube into them. I'm thinking, for the hundred bucks, I can eliminate a lot of frustration.

Thanks again.

 

[ahicks]

As far as a good cleaning and greasing, I suspect I'll learn more upon disassembly. Can the cables be lubed. It's been my experience in the powersports industry that when cables get stiff and crotchety, it's easier to replace than to try and force lube into them. I'm thinking, for the hundred bucks, I can eliminate a lot of frustration.

Thanks again.

Totally agree!

 

[MattFL]

If you need to loosen up or remove old grease, WD-40 is excellent. For example, if the steering cable tube gets stiff from old grease, liberal WD-40 and a stiff bottle brush on a drill will have the old grease out in a snap. You can flush the cable with it too if you've got a way to push it through, but agreed that at some point a little money spent on new parts is preferable. Side note, I've personally found Honda controls to hold up extremely well. I've still got all original Honda controls on my 99' Honda 50 that's had year round use in salt since the day I bought it in 99' and they work great. It does live under a cover when not in use.