cable upgrade or go to hyd?

[In Memory of Vicroy]

My port shift has been real stiff for years and now my port throttle is stiff too. Think the throttle is from the new genset install - the yard probably crimped it putting the set in. I'm tired to balky controls. Tony Athens claims he has some new cables that are real slick. On the other hand, anyone convert to hyd contols, and if so, how much trouble and about how much $? I have Cummins 6BTAs and ZF IRM 220A gears. Currently have the Morse twin S controls.

Oh yeah, a new CX story. My two old Hunter ceiling fans on the overhead of the camp patio get balky and I used to oil them with 3-in-1 oil about once a month. Started using regular CX and interval went to 3 or 4 months. Well, this morning they were getting sluggish, so I got out the step ladder and some of the new super duper SpeedX. It comes in a little squeeze bottle with a long neck and was developed for inline skates and skateboards - high temp and pressure lube. Put a few drops in the oil hole of each fan and let them run for a few minutes and shut them off. They just kept spinning and spinning for an incredibly long time. At least 4 or 5 times longer than with the regular CX. Should be super for ball bearings in fishing reels... I can supply it for about 5 bucks a bottle.

Me & the Bride took AJ for a spin yesterday - Prop Stop for lunch (the Silicone Ladies are still asking about Stephen from Africa) then a high speed circuit of Lake Maurepas. Amazing how smooh ole AJ runs with new struts, bearings, shafts, props, couplings, and a good engine alignment. 24.5 kts at 2400.

UV

[CaptPatrick]

UV,

I think that you'd find converting over to hydraulic engine controls would be very expensive and probably a mild nightmare to do. Go with the roller bearing cables, (probably what Tony has), or at least the premium morse cables.

The roller bearing cables are considerably larger in diameter and right pricey, but the job would be more straight forward with only the cables as your major out of pocket expense.

The roller bearing cables should be about 2' longer than your morse red cables. Not sure if Morse makes a needle roller bearing cable, but Panish does...

Br,

Patrick

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Thanks, Ole Fart. I found the Marol hyd. controls on the net and parts to do AJ would run a mere $4818.14. Gag........ I'll go with the bearing cables and ditch the hyd. idea as a boondoggle. I'll pull all the cables when it gets cool here, measure and do the deal.

UV

[In Memory Walter K]

I've seen a hydraulic one malfunction in Montauk on a 43 Viking while docking. not very pretty. I'd trust a direct line from lever to lever any day. Walter

[JP Dalik]

UV,
I've always been happy with the morse red jacket cables. However I had the opportunity to do some testing with Felsted cables and was really impressed. Among the selling points are the cables ability to take really tight curves and still work smoothly.
In one case I tied one in a knot and the linkage still worked easily. The 4 series cable is a direct replacement for the morse 43series cable. Cost is less than going with the full blown roller bearing panish type cable and install is a snap. Just another option. I attached the website the old fashioned way (typed it)

www.marinespecialties.biz/engine-controls

Good Luck

[Bruce]

While trying to dock a large single engine trawler at the local yard with a 25 knot beam wind along with a beam tide the hydraulic controls failed as I was heading for the concrete pier.

Stayed in forward. No neutral or reverse.

Pat saw the result of that.
Not pretty.

What's that you say about good, better and evil?

[In Memory of Vicroy]

Thanks guys, always the best info here. Bruce, its "the enemy of good is better". A truism for sure. My old legs are killing me tonite. Stooping and squatting. Caulked the stb. side window yesterday morning, its a solid window but the frame had pulled out a little and leaked. Fixed the fastening last week, did a bead of 4200 yesterday. Used the tried and true method of caulking Ole Fart taught me, mask off your bead with 3M blue tape very carefully, then put the 4200 on the seam, then take your finger (use a disposable rubber medical glove unless you want a white finder for a month) and wipe it, then wait about 30 minutes and pell the tape and you have a perfect bead every time. Oh yeah, his other trick is to have a 5 gallon bucket with newspaper in the bottom to put the peeled tape in so it does not get the excess 4200 all over the place.

Then, the other reason my legs hurt is I removed the remains of my seawater washdown pump wiring. Had to use a cold chisel & small maul to whack the old switch out, all the wires were shot, the pump was shot, the usual. Anyway, I hobbled thru the birthday party this afternoon for 3 or our 4 grandgirls (one 5 and the twins turned 3) complete with 100 little kids and a spacewalk and pinana. I found the clear stuff and a quiet porch under a ceiling fan........ Days of our lives......

UV

[Brewster Minton]

You want cables! I have seen 6 boats in two years get crushed or crashed because of electronic controls.The Hot Potato went crasy and backed into Gray Gost.Watch Out backed into the dock 9000 to fix it.Sealevel had someone bump the shifter and did 20 grand or more to fix that. The glass guys like them because they provide them with lots of work and $.