Hello again Alctel:
I'm up in the Sierra Nevadas on a ski trip. So I don't have access to my home computer on which I have more stuff stored on the hard drive including a pdf of the Yacht Specialties instructions. I won't be home until Thursday.
I also have a Yacht Specialities system on my 1980 Hunter 36. And I have had it completely apart.
Several situations might apply to your condition:
1) Cable has failed;
2) The locking set bolt between the cable and the lever axle has become loose;
3) The plastic housing through which the shifter axle is mounted has broken inside.
I am typing here a lot from seven years ago memory. Here is a link to several threads with more detail that might get you started about the pedestal. . Go through them. Some include pictures and drawings.
http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=274
Once on the page, type "specialties" in the phrase box. And "rardiH36" in the author box.
My suggestion, also per Nelsonhow, is to remove the compass from the top of the pedestal. From there you will be able to see the top of the throttle and shift cables and their attachment to the shift lever axle. As you move the lever, you will likely observe the fault.
If 1), then the attachment of the cable end fitting to the axle is secure. And nothing seems to look otherwise suspicious. Moving the lever, you will feel no engagement with the engine. Completely no feedback. The replacement cables are known as "Morse" cables. I haven't needed to replace mine (yet) so you will need to get advice from elsewhere about the part # and installation instructions. Before ordering the part I would first remove the old one just to verify that it has failed.
If 2), all looks fine except the axle slips at the cable attachment fitting. Simply tighten the hex set bolt.
If 3), then it's more of an issue. Things will rock around and look wrong as you shift the lever. In the search results of the url link I gave above, you will find more info. But in a nutshell, inside the housing, the gear and throttle lever axles go through a plastic extrusion bushing to which the Morse cable end is bolted. Many years ago, owners began to report that the old plastic became brittle and failed (completely separated) often without warning. And causing shifting to become impossible. I had read about this when I bought my boat. Upon inspection, I observed stress cracks. (The replacement housing part is no longer available, but I have read that one company does have the pattern to re-create in Aluminum.) In my case I was able to "re-manufacture" mine by encasing the offending extrusion in 1/16" SS sheet metal and then filling the housing completely solid with epoxy ... thus making it all much stronger probably than even when new. And for very few $'s. It will take me a lot of time to remember the steps and write them down. So I won't do until you come back that cracked housing plastic is the cause.
Question: Did this just fail? Was shifting OK during the survey?
regards,
rardi
