teletekman
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2011
- Messages
- 20
I have been tackling a issue with the stifness of my existing control box on my 18' Ranger 375V ever since I swapped outboards a couple years ago. I originally had a Blackmax 150 on it when I got it and to my knowledge the throttle and shift control did not seem that bad. However, I have since installed an older Mercury 1500 Tower which I finally got running decent but have been plagued with a stiffer than normal control box ever since.
I have tried removing both cables at the motor and tried moving them freely. Both shift and throttle control seem fine. I have manually tried shifting the motor and that seems fine. I also tried turning the distributor by hand and while it does feel a little stiff I think it's ok. It's much harder to control with the cables on.
I have greased the distributor, greased the shift lever track on the motor and really did not feel any difference. There are no tight bends in the cable, no cracks or cuts in the metal cable housing however the plastic on the outside is a little worn in some spots.
So I am left with the option of just replacing the cables since I have tried adjusting them numerous times with the help of other with no difference but not sure how to go about choosing the right length. I currently have 12' cables on there now with a normal degree bend going to the motor. For an 18' boat does 12' cables sound like what I need? Is there a trick on choosing the right length of cable as to not give too little or too much bend to the motor?
Sorry for the long post but wanted to try and cover any questions that might be asked. Hopefully I got it all.
Thanks,
Sean
I have tried removing both cables at the motor and tried moving them freely. Both shift and throttle control seem fine. I have manually tried shifting the motor and that seems fine. I also tried turning the distributor by hand and while it does feel a little stiff I think it's ok. It's much harder to control with the cables on.
I have greased the distributor, greased the shift lever track on the motor and really did not feel any difference. There are no tight bends in the cable, no cracks or cuts in the metal cable housing however the plastic on the outside is a little worn in some spots.
So I am left with the option of just replacing the cables since I have tried adjusting them numerous times with the help of other with no difference but not sure how to go about choosing the right length. I currently have 12' cables on there now with a normal degree bend going to the motor. For an 18' boat does 12' cables sound like what I need? Is there a trick on choosing the right length of cable as to not give too little or too much bend to the motor?
Sorry for the long post but wanted to try and cover any questions that might be asked. Hopefully I got it all.
Thanks,
Sean
