Adjusting Throttle Control Friction on a Merc

[walter]

Jimbo or Lunker, any luck with this adjustment? My first shot at it, well ran into the first problem, trying to get the black cap off (cap you push to disengage the shifter) prying it with a screw driver only yielded me prying the cap right off the post it was attached to the is either press fit or threaded to the handle. So this try I came up short and pissed off as this exposed a nut that appears to hold the handle on. Problem # 2 at this point, I didn't have a deep well socket because the post is still stuck in there, maybe next trip.

Ok, so on the next trip down, got the deep well socket, the nut was tighter than hell, not knowing if this could be a left handed thread (which I wouldn't think) I didn't feal like breaking something else and be stranded at the camper with no boat.

So here I am still wondering if there really is a nut behind the handle, I still have some doubt because there's not a lot of space behind that handle base, but I've been wrong once before.

Has anyone gotten any further than I have with this pain in my ass?

[Lunker]

Hey Walt -

You got my emails right?

No, I haven't gotten around to it. I'd like to just been too damn busy with other stuff.

I think that cap is supposed to come off as it hides the nut. I can't imagine its a left hand tighten bolt. Its got to be right.

Maybe send the guy from Merc an email?

If your successful let me know I need to get around to this. Maybe over Labor Day weekend.

[smoker62]

The damn tension nut ?? is right where the box passes through the helm . I can only get one arm and shoulder in my under helm storage but I can see the nut barely. I need a smaller guy to get in there and maybe he could get on it with a thin wrench. Mine does the same thing. I actually pulled the cover off this weekend while floating to see if I could pull it out far enough to access the nut. My cables would not allow it to come forward enough.

I read the throttle tension is pre set at the factory but the nut will give it some added resistance. See attached bulletin, its older but I believe the same. I cant find the article where I read about the nut but its there.Look at part 1 on the 2nd attachment. The nut is in front of the throttle handle hole , right in the fiberglass helm

http://www.marinemechanic.com/merc/comm ... -EN_08.pdf
http://www.perfprotech.com/mercruiser-p ... model=2220

[jshumphries]

I have the same issue. It's the 3/8ths nut underneath the console that you are looking for. I didn't have the proper open ended wrench so it was a beast getting in there. Reminds me that I need to adjust mine again. I'll see if I can get a pic tonight at the lake and post it up.

[walter]

Jeff, I sure would like to see how that's adjusted. I've looked & tried EXCEPT on the bottom, cables are not long enough to pull it all the way out of the console.

I'm alomost certain it's NOT the nut that holds the handle on, I've tried that no luck.

1 inquiring mind want's to know.

[smoker62]

Look at the pic I posted. If you can get a wrench on the nut tighten it up a little bit . Its a no brainer but hard to get at. There is no adjustment under the throttle handle so dont waste you time with that.

[rob28]

I had to strip my Merc controller apart due to not engaging reverse properly (but that's a whole different story) and I found the adjusting nut as mentioned above, level with the cutout hole.
It's really easy to undo the 2 holding bolts and then pull the whole assembly out a couple of inches. Hopefully there should be enough slack in the cables behind to allow this. Then you can get to the adjusting nut really easily.
Mine was slipping back in the 4500rpm range and needed a slight tighten. It's better now but I'll give it another 1/8th turn and see how that goes.

[smoker62]

I wish. Mine had noooo slack in the cables. :

[wrd1972]

Someone pretty please take a picture of this adjusting nut.

[rob28]

Someone pretty please take a picture of this adjusting nut.

Here's the next best thing - straight out of the manual.
I've shown the model number of my controller as well for reference - yours may be different.....

[jshumphries]

Finally got around to snapping pics. I also tested things today and got it just right. Not too stiff on shifting or advancing the throttle, holds all RPMs perfectly now and allows for 100 RPM adjustments without much hunting around. See pics below:

This is the pic under the console, as you can see the nut is almost hidden in the housing (trim switch wiring running right underneath it).


I couldn't get a wrench on it, so I removed the top cover and loosened 4 screws/bolts to be able to pull the entire shift assembly up. Be careful not to lose the nuts and washers on the water side!


Hope this helps those with the same issues. Very happy tooner now!