The shift handle on my Catalina 30 is almost impossible to move. I broke the holding screw off the other day and now have vise grips as my shifter. I've put WD40 down the shaft - doesn't work. The cable at the transmission seems to be okay, anyone help with my problem? How do I get it apart? Thanks, John
Shift handles
- Thread starter jwn3rd
- Start date
Unless you routinely remove and lubricate the shift cable, this is what usually happens. You can try doing it now but likely too ‘far gone’ necessitating replacing the cable
Exactly, you should replace the cable because this is what happened to me. Started out as a simple weekday trip to the pump out station. Just me and my dog and not a soul around. Part way back to the slip I hear a snap and I'm stuck in forward. I try to back off the gas and that cable won't move. I motor around the turning basin trying to figure out how to get the boat back to the slip. My slip is 3 from the end and is up wind. The way I normally dock is shift to neutral just before I enter the slipway and drift in - done it a million times. I talked it over with my dog and we decided to kill the engine except this time I've got to start farther out than usual and I got one shot at it. We made the slip and normally I just step off and snub the line on the farthest cleat to stop the boat. Going too fast this time and we bounced off the front of the slip - any landings a good landing!!
Anyway, next day I replaced both cables. If one goes bad the other won't be far behind. Also, check the linkage at the tranny. That's another trouble spot.
