Hunter Shift Cable Damage

May 15, 2013
1
Hunter 450 Hawaii Yacht club, Honolulu HI
Hi, I own a 1997 Hunter 450 Passage, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced damage to their shift cable at the bottom of the steering pedestal. This was due to the outter sheath rubbing against sharp metal. Our boat had become stuck in reverse while backing out of our slip. It was too late to realize the damage when we went into a couple boats behind our slip at almost full speed. This was due to being in almost full throttle a couple times while trying to recover the boat in the forward shift position. Please examine your shift cable at the bottom of the pedestal and check if this is a manufacturing issue. If damage is found, please respond to this post.

The issue was fixed with a new shift cable and insulating the new cable in flexible steel conduit. The impact was mainly taken by our dinghy, davits, stern rail, and a bit of fiberglass damage.

Thank you, your fellow sailor
 
Last edited:
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Sorry for you accident! Pictures of the damage to the shift cable you are refering to and the fix you employed would be helpful.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Every year I do maintenance on the steering and autopilot. The throttle cable too.
The internal wire moves and outer sheath is fixed. I use a recommended lube oil and work the the throttle and the Neutral button. They seemed to have a bit of corrosion after each winter.
Jim...
 
Sep 22, 2009
134
Hunter 36 Seattle, WA
The throttle/shift cable on my 2009 H36 is scheduled by me for annual inspection and lubrication. It is one of the critical potential mechanical failure points, due to the path it takes from the pedestal to the engine. That said, the pod in which the throttle itself resides also needs to be inspected. The screws holding it in place are prone to loosen and then render the throttle operation problematic at best, if not impossible.
 
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