Jet boat drive cable problems

« **on:** September 19, 2011, 10:38:12 AM »

Okay, so while at Elsinore this past weekend some stuff was going on with the drive cable. A buddy of my said it was probably sheared because of few reasons. So here are the things I've gone through.
When I move the part on the jet the lever moves.
When it's in forward it will stay there.
When I put it in reverse, it goes into reverse but I am unable to move it back into forward from the lever.
I can not see anything wrong with the lever, cable, or jet.
When the lever is in forward and the jet is in reverse, it is harder to more the jet into forward.

And my questions to you all...
Do I need to replace the cable?
Is there just something it might be getting stuck on?
If I need to what is the easiest way to replace it?

« **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:44:42 AM »

i dont think a cable would break internally unless you were pulling a truck with it. its probably just binding due to age. they get stiff after they sit and then water gets in em... its just something you have to replace once in a while. take the old one out, measure it and give rexmar a call for a new one. ive replaced all my cables, steering, throttle and control and the difference is night and day.

try disconnecting the cable from the jet and moving the jet by hand, is it smooth? any binding? then do the same with the lever. then try to manipulate the cable by hand. it should be fairly easy to move back and forth.

i dont quite understand how "while the lever is forward and the jet is in reverse" could ever happen.

« **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:52:14 AM »

yes they do break....internally.

and yours sounds like its broken. its pushing the cable one way, but not pulling the bucket up.

your best bet is just to replace it. they arent that expensive

if your cable is going through a bunch of tight spaces, it will be hard. but if its just going under seats n stuff....just tape or zip tie the old cable end to the new one and pull it through.

« **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:57:41 AM »

Yeah the while lever is forward the part on the jet is stuck in reverse, that's what made me think it was sheared or broken. And even I'm moving the jet part it is smooth, it's only a little binding and rough with I have to move it while it's in forward.
And yeah to remove it and measure it is the best way?

« **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2011, 04:45:27 PM »

Before buying a new cable I had this same exact problem...come to find out there is a clamp that keeps the outside of cable from moving...they seem to work loose every now and then...basically if it isnt properly clamped down the whole cable will move instead of just the inside...crawl under and look at the fwd rev lever and you will see the clamp im talking about...if its still tight chances are the cable sheared...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S 4G

« **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2011, 08:29:49 PM »

Okay, so I tried to snap a few pictures...
Picture 1&2 are normal forward
Picture 3 is normal reverse
Picture 4&5 are what happens when I try and go back to forward.
It looks like it just doesn't want to line back up and go in the hole...

Sent while on the run, or sitting at work bored

« **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2011, 08:51:24 PM »

you got a loose tube. theres a shaft connected to the end of the cable and it slides inside of that tube you see. the tube is supposed to be connected to the part of the outer cable thats clamped to your hull. now that the tube is out, when you move the lever to put it in reverse the cable just flops around instead of the shaft pushing it backwards. either get a new one (its probably time, and if its an avg size jet boat we're talkin ~60 bucks) or get the tube secured back where it belongs. its clamped to the hull with just 2 screws/bolts. i bet a dab of oil/grease on the shaft/tube to get it lubricated would help out a lot instead of binding and yanking the tube out of it.

« **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2011, 08:59:57 PM »

Yeah that little silver shaft is suppose to be in to red tubing? That's kind of what I was thinking, because every moves fine it just doesn't want to go back in to tubing.

Sent while on the run, or sitting at work bored

« **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2011, 09:01:46 PM »

Someone built that plate to lower your handle, and then bolted it to it and left the cable mount up high. They are in no way reasonably close to in line as they should be and THE source of your issues.

You're basically kinking and binding the cable. Don't know what kind of damage was done to the cable over this, but that cable sheath mount SHOULD be directly inline with where the cable end hooks to the handle.

Most of our handles are mounted right in the gunwale just ahead of the cable sheath clamp, which yours may have been at one time, but the angles you're trying to push and pull that cable through with that lowered handle on that plate? WOW!

Ray

« **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2011, 09:24:24 PM »

Great... That sounds like more work. Haha. Sounds like I found what I'm doing on Saturday.

Sent while on the run, or sitting at work bored

« **Reply #10 on:** September 19, 2011, 09:47:34 PM »

Quote from: IRRebel on September 19, 2011, 09:01:46 PM

Someone built that plate to lower your handle, and then bolted it to it and left the cable mount up high. They are in no way reasonably close to in line as they should be and THE source of your issues.

You're basically kinking and binding the cable. Don't know what kind of damage was done to the cable over this, but that cable sheath mount SHOULD be directly inline with where the cable end hooks to the handle.

Most of our handles are mounted right in the gunwale just ahead of the cable sheath clamp, which yours may have been at one time, but the angles you're trying to push and pull that cable through with that lowered handle on that plate? WOW!

Ray

just flip the lever 180* with the bracket that pulls the cable. right now it looks like its pointed down, flip it 180* so its pointed upwards so theres less angle on the cable. get it?

« **Reply #11 on:** September 19, 2011, 09:55:08 PM »

Quote from: ka0tyk on September 19, 2011, 09:47:34 PM

just flip the lever 180* with the bracket that pulls the cable. right now it looks like its pointed down, flip it 180* so its pointed upwards so theres less angle on the cable. get it?

If he does that, then forward's gonna be backward, and backward's gonna be forward....................

Ray

« **Reply #12 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:00:13 PM »

Quote from: IRRebel on September 19, 2011, 09:55:08 PM

If he does that, then forward's gonna be backward, and backward's gonna be forward....................

Ray

Haha Ray, that's how my boat is and I like it that way

« **Reply #13 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:07:15 PM »

Quote from: IRRebel on September 19, 2011, 09:55:08 PM

If he does that, then forward's gonna be backward, and backward's gonna be forward....................

Ray

sorry, boating season is ending soon. whatever gets you back out on the lake. you can CNC some brackets later when it snowing.

« **Reply #14 on:** September 19, 2011, 10:30:38 PM »

I wasn't trying to be a smartass, but IMHO, I'd be looking closely as to WHY that bracket was made and figure what I had to do to get your F/R lever back where it's apparently supposed to be. Interior change? busted up 'glass where it went originally? You can also change the cable mounting point, maybe easier, but I'm all about figuring out WHY first. Could be a VERY simple solution.

Ray

« **Reply #15 on:** September 20, 2011, 05:44:35 AM »

No matter what that cable is broken...and ray is right...that is too much angle and it will fail again if not addressed

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S 4G

« **Reply #16 on:** September 20, 2011, 08:06:46 AM »

So basically I need to remove the lever, pull the cable to check for wear, and try to not get so much of an angle on the cable... I think I can handle that.
Ha, it wouldn't be worth it if there wasn't problems.

Sent while on the run, or sitting at work bored

« **Reply #17 on:** September 22, 2011, 03:02:18 AM »

A new cable and this Guy http://www.eddiemarine.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=14123&c=76 will get you back in business in about an hour. This bracket will put your cable in line straight and make sure it doesn't happen again.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

« **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2011, 12:55:52 PM »

Thanks, but I think I've fixed it for now... I pulled the cable checked it all out, and didn't seem to even have any wear. So I rotated the bracket a little, well quite a bit, and lined everything up as best I could. And it's staying now. Wasn't to hard, I thought it was going to be a lot worse. Thanks to everyone that had ideas, I pretty much tried them all.
And it felt weird with the lever switched, from flipping the bracket, so I didn't go that route.

Sent while on the run, or sitting at work bored

« **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2011, 01:00:04 PM »

Quote from: More2LifeThanMPG on September 22, 2011, 12:55:52 PM

Thanks, but I think I've fixed it for now... I pulled the cable checked it all out, and didn't seem to even have any wear. So I rotated the bracket a little, well quite a bit, and lined everything up as best I could. And it's staying now. Wasn't to hard, I thought it was going to be a lot worse. Thanks to everyone that had ideas, I pretty much tried them all.
And it felt weird with the lever switched, from flipping the bracket, so I didn't go that route.

Sent while on the run, or sitting at work bored

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