Lots of play in throttle controller

[Gunn]

Hi all,
I have a Quicksilver 3000 controller on my 1995 175. I'm wondering if the problem has to do with the controller or with it just needing some sort of adjustment.

I do not have precise control of the throttle. I've dealt with it since I owned the boat, so I'm not sure if its a maintenance problem or not. But I've finally just about had enough. I can push the controller forward and it will engage in gear easy enough, forward or reverse. But at the point where it engages, I then have to move the controller probably past 1/2 throttle to get it to -go-....to increase the RPMS. There is a lot of play between idle speed and an increase in RPMs.

Sometimes its abrupt and too much; like when trying to ease into a dock. I'll get a brief surge and have to quickly back off. Very irritating.

If anyone can point me to some adjustment instructions, or where I might find them, that would be great. Or, if others have this same controller, I'd like to hear if they experience this or not. Or, maybe I'll just go and buy an aftermarket controller... :smt017

Thanks,

Tom

 

[jhild]

Hi Gunn,

Is there constant resistance when you push (or pull) the throttle, or do you feel a "loose" spot like there is slack in the cable?

 

[Asureyez]

Slack in Line

The problem sounds like it is slack in the throttle cable some where in the route.

With someone at the helm to operate the throttle. check to make sure the the outter cable cove ris locked in its retaining arm at the carburetor. If the entire cable assembly is moving instead of just the inner core wire, you'll have to secure the termianl fitting.

If the terminal fitting is secure and just the inner wire moves then check all along the cable run for a place with the cable bows from the throttle being pushed. Mechanical controls nee to have straigt as possible runs and any bends need to be secured so they do not bow out before the control wire extends.

Then check the terminal end at the control head to make sure that terminal is secure as well. repair as needed.

Good luck

 

[Gunn]

Thanks for the reply guys. Last night (before I read this), I had my wife move the throttle control while I watched the linkage at the carburetor. The outer cable is secure. As she begins to move it forward, it shifts into gear. Then, she moves it forward quite a bit more distance where nothing happens at the carb. Then, at a certain point, she feels more resistance and I can then immediately see the inner cable begin to pull in, opening up the carb. So there is the pretty large dead-zone where nothing happens.

That theory of the cable bowing sounds like that may be the case. I will crawl around and check today. I do know that it runs down the starboard side, then bends around to the transom, and as I recall, it may not be secure...

Thanks again, I hope I can get this fixed up!

Tom

 

[capz]

I remember tightening an allen head screw on the control itself. If you move the throttle forward 1/2 and look through a hole in the bottom you should see it. Tightening this prevents the controller from "creeping". BTW I have the 3000 Classic. And I don't knowif they're the same far back as 95'

 

[Gunn]

I checked to make sure the throttle cable was secure and it seems to be. When I move the controller forward, there is not flexing or moving the cable along its entire route that I could see.

However, I did notice a bit of slop right at the exit of the controller, so there may be some play inside the controller itself.

I have the manual and noticed that screw you are talking about capz. It seems to be a tension adjuster and my tension, if anything, is a bit tight. I don't get any creep of the throttle in any direction when underway.

So, I may have to take the controller off the boat...something I really don't want to do this time of year, but it seems the only way to get the backing plate off the controller and see what is going on? Or, maybe I just put up with this until the end of the season, though I'd really like to get it fixed. If I do take it off, I'm really inclined to just replace it with a new aftermarket controller.... :huh:

 

[teamgomez]

Tom-

I thought mine was 'out of rig' as the conditions you describe are very similar to my Quicksilver throttle. I have about 2 to 3" of handle movement from in-gear idle to an increase in RPM. Not quite the 1/2 throttle range as you described, but enough to make me :smt017

I'll be curious to see if you can adjust this out somehow. I've been thinking it is simply a characteristic of the Quicksilver. The force curve increases on mine and it can be easy to suddenly induce 'requisite momentum to send the admiral flying'....

Right now, I've got bigger fish to fry as we figure out an overheat condition...see you out there once we get this one nailed....

~John

 

[Gunn]

The force curve increases on mine and it can be easy to suddenly induce 'requisite momentum to send the admiral flying'....

Exactly! Been there, done that. Hence the reason I decided to see if there was something to be done about it. But like you, I think its inherent to the design. I'll update once I do something.

 

[MXboater]

Gunn,
We just bought a 1995 195 bowrider,same guy asking all the questions, and am having the same problem. However, I've noticed there isn't any play in reverse. Keep us posted. Good luck.
Jeff

 

[capz]

Gunn, I can see what you're saying and notice the same thing on my controller. I'm at cruising speed at 3400rpm and the controller is past 3/4. a few inches more and I'm at WOT at 4200. I don't know if this is normal as this is only my second season with the boat and I never took it to WOT last season.
When looking at the cable route, I noticed it's a little tight passing through the bulkhead as well as an eye holder. I might try to reroute it to see if that makes a difference.

 

[Gunn]

Well, I guess thats comforting to hear! I took off the plastic backing plate to the control (what fun that was) and took a look at the linkages inside. The first thing I saw was the little phillips head screw that holds the throttle shaft onto the controller was nearly all the way backed out!!
I tightened it up, hoping the fix was that simple. Didn't change anything a bit. There just seems to be a lot of play inside the controller before it really starts to pull on the cable. I still need to get some help out there and have someone watching the carb linkage, someone operating the controller and me watching underneath the controller to see at what point everything starts to move...

I think we may sell this boat at the end of the year or next spring, so I'll probably live with it. But if I upgrade to another mid-90's boat with this controller, its being swapped out first thing!

The only time I really notice it is between neutral and acceleration. There is some travel to get in gear, but that's ok. But then going from idle speed in gear to acceleration is where I always get tripped up. It causes a delayed reponse in what I'm trying to accomplish. I push, push, push ever so slowly on the controller and eventually it will accelerate. If I go too quickly, I get a larger than desired acceleration after I get through this deadzone. Argggh..

Let me know if you guys uncover anything that might help.

 

[capz]

I took a closer look at the throttle lever (attached to the butterfly on throttle body) and found an inch of play when pushing back and forth. To clarify I'm not talking about left to right. There should be wiggle room there.
To experiment, I unscrewed the barrel swivel, on the threaded cable end, and rotated it clockwise away from the lever until there was no play. I started it up and used the throttle-only button. I found this definitely made the control feel tighter, BUT there's still that two inches of play in the controller when going from in gear to revving above idle speed to acceleration. I didn't have time to take it out and up to speed but I'll see the effect on the water this weekend.
Until someone more familiar with Quicksilver controls chimes in, I'm going with the theory that this is just a characteristic of the 3000 classic.

 

[Gunn]

capz, thanks for the info. I will go and do that either later today or tomorrow. I've been meaning to adjust that barrel swivel anyway, but lost my instructions on adjusting it correctly (something about being in the water, in gear at idle speed and adjusting that barrel). I'll play with it and see if it'll help any.

Thanks again,

Tom