need mechanical advice

[Bruce]

Dick,
Sounds like the cable came loose at the contol head or at the engine.

If the cable was jammed, you wouldn't be able to move the tower throttle.

[Capt Dick Dean]

The stbd throttle is stuck. Bahia Mar. Big Blocks w/72c's trannys. Engine starts, goes into fwd and reverse but cannot advance the throttle with the transmission engaged or if the boat is in neutral. With the engine off, the throttle is also stuck. But on the tower, I can bring up the RPM at will. On the tower with the engine off, the throttle works O.K.

So help an old guy out ... what's wrong?

Thanks.

[Capt Dick Dean]

Bruce, thank you for the quick come back.
I must say that I stared the boat up from the helm, went above to the tower and the throttle was good. THen coming down to the helm, put the boat in gear and advanced the troubled engine. Everything fine. But as I got out of the slip, I had to go in reverse to staighten out coming out of the slip, and the trouble came back. So it workd a few times, then went back stuck.

[In Memory Walter K]

Dick-I assume you have a Morse control system. If so, I'd take the cover off the helm throttle/transmission levers and also expose the engine. Start at the engine and disconnect the morse system from the carburetor and the transmission. If you can manually move both at the engine, the problem isn't at the engine. Get someone at the tower and look to see if the levers move smoothly. If not, check the tower to helm connections. Look at those connections while attempts are being made. If one screw has dropped off the connecting clamps for any reason, it can cause a jam. Usually the tower and helm are connected so a jam in either cause the problem. If they are separate and independent, and one moves smoothly (when disconnected at the engine) and the other jams, you've isolated which one has the problem. When connected to the engine, one usually affects the other. I have found in my two-helm morse system, that the clamps that hold down the individual control cables at either end can be the villains if they're not tight. Movement of the cables usually cannot be spotted by yourself as you can't be at both ends at one time. Hope this helps. The cable system is simple and almst foolproof...until a screw drops off. Forcing sometimes puts in a permanent internal kink causing the need for replacement. Walter

[Carl]

On my morse dual station setup, sometimes the the tube holding the lower station drop out of the bracket, locking throttle or shifting. The remaining staion still works. So if you have the dual station bracket check that the tube holding the main station has not dropped out of the bracket.

[Capt Dick Dean]

Went down to the boat with a extra drop lite and a print out of this advice. Look and peeked. Nothing. So I fired up the engine and from the tower all was fine. At the helm all was fine too. What the hell is going on?
So I came out of the slip, made a few low RPM spins and a couple of figure eights. All is well.
Let's go for a boat ride! Maybe 20 minutes later I jockied into the slip and secured the lines. Worked the throttle with the engine off and all is good.
Then my wife called from work, instructing me to take the chicken out of the frig and think about dinner. Hey, somebody has to work. She asked how the boat was.
"It's fixed".
"Boy,you're getting good".
Well that's why I'm a certified marine mechanic".
"Yeah, right ... you wish!'

[Bruce]

Dick,
Do you have hynautic style controls?

[AndreF]

So Bruce, now you answer questions before they're even asked? Wow,
you're better than I thought.

[Bruce]

For my next trick, watch me pull a gerbil out of....... Never mind.

[Capt Dick Dean]

I got the Polish ... no Panish