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Stiff transmission shifter
- Thread starter Navman
- Start date
Cable replacement:
ericsonyachts.org
Yacht Specialties Pedestal Disassembly, with Photos [Master Thread]
(Yacht Specialties/Merriman binnacle steering manual: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/resources/merriman-binnacle-catalog.187/ ) ( Edson pedestals: https://backwinded.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/replacing-the-diesel-engines-throttle-shift-and-stop-cables/ also Edson 335 pedestal with Yanmar 3YM30...
Frank Langer
1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Most experts suggest that the cables be replaced every 5 years, so you may be overdue.
On our boat the cables were not coiled, and did route to their connections, but I was still able to reroute them to shorten the cables by about a foot or more, with less bends, which increase friction. It's worth a bit of thought to get the best route.
Frank
Coiled 360 degrees? Sloppy, at least. I don't know why people order cables without measuring.
Pete the Cat
Sustaining Member
I just had an interesting case helping a friend with cable replacement. Most cables are made by Morse and yard folks call them by their brand name Morse cables. The perplexing thing is that we replaced the guy's cable with a shorter one (we all thought "he doesn't need that stinkin loop in there!" and the thing would not shift. Turns out some of these loops can be necessary to ease shifting because of geometry or construction of the boat angles to the transmission. I cannot imagine a 360 degree loop is right and seems like it would cause problems. Generally the guys at the yard just send the cable to the Morse supplier and get a replacement made up, but maybe you could get a picture of the route of a sister ship and see if your routing is standard. Also, it could be. that someone has put a restrictor clamp on the cable (sometimes they are necessary to keep the cable from moving too easily--mostly on throttle cables). The clamp would be obvious and generally on the cable at the base of the pedestal--and that solution would be easy. But nothing is ever easy on boats.
I took my old cables to West Marine. New ones right off the shelf. But today, just Google "Morse Cable" for the many Amazon options. About the only decision is length.
alcodiesel
Bill McLean
Yeah.Morse Cable replacment isn't that difficult. I did it when I first got the boat and was all worked up worrying that I couldn't do it. Got mine on Amazon.
u079721
Contributing Partner
A stiff shift cable was the symptom we had aboard Rag Doll years ago just before the gear shift cable snapped. I would for sure recommend you get right on that - now.
You can read about my experience here:
ericsonyachts.org
ericsonyachts.org
ericsonyachts.org
In our case the problem wasn't so much age, as the fact that the factory ran the cable through way too sharp a bend.
You can read about my experience here:
Broken Clutch Cable
Just returned from a month long cruise in the North Channel. Everything was GREAT (the warmest and dryest August on record) except that as we were scouting around the final anchorage, looking for the best spot to drop the anchor, my wife put the gear shift lever in forward and felt somthing...
Engine Control Cable Alert!
A few weeks ago I mentioned that the control cable for the engine transmission on my 1989 E-38 snapped. I noticed that the cable went through a rather tight radius bend where it exited the binnacle, and suspected that might be the problem, but wasn't sure. Well, now I know. Yesterday I...
Improved Control Cable Run
After a very long Saturday afternoon aboard, I finally was able to install new engine control cables aboard my E-38. On of the original cables had snapped right where the factory had run it through a 3" diameter bend, in spite of the Morse spec that the bend be no tighter than 8". For the...
In our case the problem wasn't so much age, as the fact that the factory ran the cable through way too sharp a bend.
So true. Back in 2018, when we replaced the engine, I found that I could significantly lessen the sharpness of some of the needed curves in the cable routing. The factory guys probably had XX minutes to finish this part of the work, and that led to some unhappy bends in the cables.
I used more cable-tie screws in more places to smooth out the routing. We were replacing the old cables anyway, so that was a good time to study the original routing from the cramped comfort (ha!) of the aft sections of the boat... !
More EY trivia -- Steve's photo shows the cable secured with a fabricated metal strap with a piece of black electrical tape to line the inside against the cable(s) . Identical to the way they did this stuff when they assembled our boat in 1988. (I equate this to the use of metal "plumbers tape" to hang all sorts of piping.)
Maybe it should be added that there's nothing wrong with a long cable. Sometimes that allows gentle bends, which is the goal. Of course they shouldn't be coiled like wire, but a direct route isn't as important as preventing internal friction between case and wire caused by a short radius.
Also, Internet wisdom says cables cannot be lubricated. They're cheap, replacement is required.
Also, Morse cables are push-pull. A common problem is how they are fastened. The jacket is what is clamped in place so the internal wire can move. Inside the pedestal, the jacket is held by a set screw that commonly loosens or falls off. At the throttle or shifter end, the jacket is held by a specialized fitting which can also become loose. If there's an issue in either case the cable won't work because the whole thing moves.
In photo #3 below, that clamp has a ridge on the concave side (unseen here) that fits into the groove on the jacket to secure it.
...
...
Also, Internet wisdom says cables cannot be lubricated. They're cheap, replacement is required.
Also, Morse cables are push-pull. A common problem is how they are fastened. The jacket is what is clamped in place so the internal wire can move. Inside the pedestal, the jacket is held by a set screw that commonly loosens or falls off. At the throttle or shifter end, the jacket is held by a specialized fitting which can also become loose. If there's an issue in either case the cable won't work because the whole thing moves.
In photo #3 below, that clamp has a ridge on the concave side (unseen here) that fits into the groove on the jacket to secure it.
...
...
Navman
Sustaining Member
I was able to get the shifter cable out with no problem. I measure 8’ as being needed. 3’ for the pedestal and then A 5’ run to the linkage. I will get. 8’6” or 9’ cable. Does anyone know what the diameter of the cable was for the shifter? I see two options one is a 30 and the other is a 33.
thanks in advance
thanks in advance
JSM
Sustaining Member
30 and 33 series refers to application and performance level. 33 is considered more flexible and higher quality making it better suited for marine applications. Both 33 and 30 have an OD of 5/16"
Navman
Sustaining Member
Thanks for looking. I searched the web for a couple f hours and found one statement saying 8” bend is the minimum radius allowed. I really looking forward to trying it out. It is as everyone says, smooth as butter. The connector arm for the transmission moves easily with a touch of the pinky so it should be a new experience for me.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!