Shifter cable

[pagin2]

I have a 1986 Catalina 30 I can't change gears because the cable is bound and will not shift. Any suggestions.
Can it be lubricated or do you think the cable will have to be changed out.
It is an Edson Pedestal.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I'm guessing you have either an M25 or an M25XP. Is that correct?

If so, have you checked the lever at the engine/transmission end first? Does that work OK?

How have you confirmed that the cable is the culprit?

 

[jrowan]

My boat is a few years older then yours, being a 1980, but I
don't believe that the shifter cable design changed in the 80's,
unless your shifter is mounted on the wheel pedestal.
My shifter is mounted to the port cockpit bulkhead, near the sole.

My shifter also bound up at the beginning of the season last year.
I simply lubricated well at the transmission side & at the shifter mount.
After lubricating with a combination of WD 40 & PB Blaster it freed up the
cable & worked fine. I believe that the trans. shifter gets jammed where the shifter handle bracket meets up with the shifter mount, as there are notches in the two round plates that meet to lock the shifter in forward, neutral & reverse notches. Access it from the inside of the port cockpit storage locker.
By the way, PB Blaster works well to free up corroded metal parts, but I'm always careful not to spray it on anything with rubber seals, as it is very corrosive to rubber & plastic.

ps. After this happened I always make sure that my transmission shifts from forward to reverse before I release my dock lines. Its pretty disconcerting to release your lines & start drifting out from the slip, only to find out that the engine won't shift into gear!

 

[Bob4203]

You can do several checks here on your cable and shift linkage. Access the transmission through the rear panel and you'll see the gear lever on the transmission. This is where you can make any adjustments on cable throw length. You can try manually shifting the lever here while someone has their hand on the shifter handle on the pedestal. How much resistance? Will it loosen up if you both work together on shifting? This is where lubrication is next step.

To access the cable and linkage you have to remove the pedestal mounted compass. Make sure you disconnect the wire for the compass light and get all those mounting screws so nothing drops down the pedestal! Once the compass is off you'll see that the shifter works through a linkage that directs the cable. One complaint I have heard is the wear on the linkage bushing. If that wears down then shifitng is very difficult. That could be your problem. You can lubricate everything here. Dry lubricants are preferred. Edson sells a rebuilt and maintenance kit for your system. One such kit ($91) is number 314-335. I suggest you go into their website and order the free parts catalog which provides full diagrams of the system and a list of parts. Replacing the bushings is not a hard fix. Take it a step at a time and you'll get it resolved. Maybe someone will chime in that had the same Edson Pedestal problem.

Bob
1988 Mark II

 

[rgarrison@gmail.com]

I had the same issue/same vintage boat. I found that at the end of the day, a new cable was the way to go. Mine was so corroded that I found that the cable ends were corroded and had split and the only thing holding them together were the mounting clamps. And, I got real concerned it would fail at the the worst time, docking, etc.

 

[Bob4203]

On the International Catalina 30 site, someone indicated that the shifter cable was close to 16 feet in length?????? I believe you can access it from the inspection port in the quarter birth.

Bob

 

[rgarrison@gmail.com]

Mine is accessible in the port laz and is about 8' long. I located a local source of supply, most good auto parts and, of course West Marine, have shifter cables. Once I did that, I removed mine, took it to the supplier, and matched it up. I found that the most difficult part of the job was removing the corroded attachments. Also be aware that there are adjustments needed to be made to be sure the new cable is properly installed for the tranny shift points. This is all much easier with your chief mate assisting!

 

[mortyd]

i think you may be looking on the wrong end. my surveryor noted the same problem and cleaned the cable at the engine end and lubricated it with WD40. BINGO. open your engine door under the cabin seat and check that your cable is clean and workng. nothing to lose.

 

[Bob4203]

Taken from the Edson Catalog for both the pre-87 and post 87 Catalina 30 models equiped with the Edson pedestal steering system. These are repair and replacement kits for the shift and throttle lever internal parts.

 

[PeteT]

I am having this issue now too. 1980 and my shifts are in the cockpit Port Side. I felt the shift getting a bit tough. I lubed with blaster and moving to reverse was easy, but going forward it was a thrust to get back to neutral. I then used blaster at the engine end and worked the shift lever back and forth. Now I can't move to reverse or forward. Stuck in Neutral position. Cable change? Any Ideas? I don't look forward to the change as it is a tight fit everywhere

 

[Davidasailor26]

I am having this issue now too. 1980 and my shifts are in the cockpit Port Side. I felt the shift getting a bit tough. I lubed with blaster and moving to reverse was easy, but going forward it was a thrust to get back to neutral. I then used blaster at the engine end and worked the shift lever back and forth. Now I can't move to reverse or forward. Stuck in Neutral position. Cable change? Any Ideas? I don't look forward to the change as it is a tight fit everywhere

I’d start by disconnecting the cable at both ends and making sure both the transmission shifter and the gear lever at the pedestal move freely by themselves. Assuming they do you’ll have narrowed the problem down to the cable. It may be getting pinched along the way somewhere so it might be worth just trying to shimmy it a bit before replacing.

 

[PeteT]

I’d start by disconnecting the cable at both ends and making sure both the transmission shifter and the gear lever at the pedestal move freely by themselves. Assuming they do you’ll have narrowed the problem down to the cable. It may be getting pinched along the way somewhere so it might be worth just trying to shimmy it a bit before replacing.

Great and simple idea. Thanks ---- project for today along with the list of all the other projects..