I have just put my boat back in the water after a loooooong New England winter. This year, after launching the boat, I noticed that the 1984 90hp Johnson ran well, but did not have near the power that it should. It took about a year before the hull finally climbed up on plane. Upon further inspection with the motor cover off, I noticed that moving the throttle stick (single action) did not actuate the throttle linkage on the OB until nearly half the throw had been taken up! I suspect that the throttle cable has slipped, or stretched. The symptoms match this suspicion, as the boat only seems to have half the power that it should. My top speed is also down nearly 50%. It starts okay, but I also need to engage the fast idle lever to start much more than before. The fast idle lever also does not actuate the throttle linkage until moved over half its total throw.<br /><br />I have two questions:<br /><br />Assuming the fix is an adjustment to the throttle cable, what is the right procedure for adjusting it? My shop manual covers only the OB itself, not the cockpit controls.<br /><br />How in the heck can this happen over winter? It was running fine when it was put away last Fall. Any thoughts?<br /><br />Thanks! I really appreciated all of the help to unravel this mystery
