I have a 1984, 34' Hunter. Yesterday my shifter stopped working, and I think it is stuck in forward. The shifter knob will not engage. I have a standard pedistal with speed/distance, wind direction, and depth indicators. I removed the compass housing and could see that the shifter mechanism was hanging free. I am not certain what it connects to or where. Is it a cable leading down to the transmission? Does anyone know how I fix this? Can I do it myself, or is professional help needed? Where can I get the parts needed? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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Follow the cable
The cable does go from the pedistal to the transmission. Check for movement, you'll need two people. One on the pedistal and one looking at the transmission. Checking the cable you could do yourself, if it needs replacing, only you could be the judge. If you own a 1984 34' Hunter, you'll need to get handy sooner or later so go ahead, jump in!
The cable does go from the pedistal to the transmission. Check for movement, you'll need two people. One on the pedistal and one looking at the transmission. Checking the cable you could do yourself, if it needs replacing, only you could be the judge. If you own a 1984 34' Hunter, you'll need to get handy sooner or later so go ahead, jump in!
H31-83_87
My 1987 H31 shift cable broke and I had a "enjoyable" experience replacing it. I also replaced the throttle cable as preventive maintenance. GuyT, said it quite well, with a 1984 H34, if you can not trace the cable and identify how to replace it yourself, you are in for some expensive maintenance costs on many projects. My pedestal was made by "Edson" and the manual (on their website) provided some very good instructions and suggestions (such as how to move the drive chain to pull the new cable into the pedestal). Read off the old cables the manufacture, length, and model. Mine were made by "Teleflex", I called them and they had discontinued the throttle cable size, so I had to get one a foot longer, not a problem to make it fit. They were very helpful and sent them out the same day. If your pedestal is made by "Edson" and you do not have a "shift limiter" on the transmission arm, I would hightly recommend that you order one to put on while you are inside the pedestal, model number of the pedestal is stamped on the inside. Mine did not have one and I do believe that the cable was weakened over the years due to being pulled to the end of the cable vs just enough to put into gear, especially when the helmsman is in a hurry about to hit the dock. Mine was a two man project to feed the new cable up into the pedestal. bill
My 1987 H31 shift cable broke and I had a "enjoyable" experience replacing it. I also replaced the throttle cable as preventive maintenance. GuyT, said it quite well, with a 1984 H34, if you can not trace the cable and identify how to replace it yourself, you are in for some expensive maintenance costs on many projects. My pedestal was made by "Edson" and the manual (on their website) provided some very good instructions and suggestions (such as how to move the drive chain to pull the new cable into the pedestal). Read off the old cables the manufacture, length, and model. Mine were made by "Teleflex", I called them and they had discontinued the throttle cable size, so I had to get one a foot longer, not a problem to make it fit. They were very helpful and sent them out the same day. If your pedestal is made by "Edson" and you do not have a "shift limiter" on the transmission arm, I would hightly recommend that you order one to put on while you are inside the pedestal, model number of the pedestal is stamped on the inside. Mine did not have one and I do believe that the cable was weakened over the years due to being pulled to the end of the cable vs just enough to put into gear, especially when the helmsman is in a hurry about to hit the dock. Mine was a two man project to feed the new cable up into the pedestal. bill
Cable
So assuming it's a broken cable, and I get a new one, then it's only a matter of tying a cord to the top end of the old cable, pulling it through down to the transmission, then attaching and pulling the new cable up from the tranny, and through the pedestal to the shift lever? Also, I know my pedestal is by Edson, and if I can get a model number off it, then I can order the limiter from Edson? This is very helpful information. Thank you
So assuming it's a broken cable, and I get a new one, then it's only a matter of tying a cord to the top end of the old cable, pulling it through down to the transmission, then attaching and pulling the new cable up from the tranny, and through the pedestal to the shift lever? Also, I know my pedestal is by Edson, and if I can get a model number off it, then I can order the limiter from Edson? This is very helpful information. Thank you
Shfter Cable
Bman88, you have the right idea, but getting the cable up into the pedestal on my H31, was quite tricky. Some H34 owners might want to jump in here. On my 1987 H31, below the pedestal there is an access panel that I removed. I then removed the cable retainer clamp (up in the middle of the pedestal) and pulled out the old cables (with a string attached). Then I pulled the new cables up into the pedestal and attached them to the retained clamp. Had to remove the "drive chain" from the pedestal sprocket in order to get the cable all the way up (instructions from Edson's manual on the web). After the cables were attached to the shifter and throttle running from the bottom of the pedestal to the engine compartment was not too bad. good luck bill
Bman88, you have the right idea, but getting the cable up into the pedestal on my H31, was quite tricky. Some H34 owners might want to jump in here. On my 1987 H31, below the pedestal there is an access panel that I removed. I then removed the cable retainer clamp (up in the middle of the pedestal) and pulled out the old cables (with a string attached). Then I pulled the new cables up into the pedestal and attached them to the retained clamp. Had to remove the "drive chain" from the pedestal sprocket in order to get the cable all the way up (instructions from Edson's manual on the web). After the cables were attached to the shifter and throttle running from the bottom of the pedestal to the engine compartment was not too bad. good luck bill
Check the transmission lever
On my 37 Legend, a similar problem was caused by corrosion on the shift lever. The corrosion had seized the cable casing it to bend. Cable had to be replaced after corrosion cleaned. It's a two person job.
On my 37 Legend, a similar problem was caused by corrosion on the shift lever. The corrosion had seized the cable casing it to bend. Cable had to be replaced after corrosion cleaned. It's a two person job.
Could be a Merriman Yacht Specialties pedestal
as on my 84 H34 (Hull 724). In that case, the pin holding the cable to the lever might have broken. Simply reinserting the cable in its position and installing a new pin should solve the problem. Do check first to see if the cable can be pushed and pulled to put the tranny in forward or reverse. If the mechanism is broken, your best bet might be to remove it and have another one machined in a local shop. You will need to drill through the shift lever to remove the clevis pin. If you have to remove the cable, it is not as simple as attaching a cord to it and pulling ! Although you might still need to do that, the cable is rigid enough that it can be pushed down the pedestal. However, you need to remove the panel covering the entire wheel mechanism from the ceiling of the stern cabin. You will find that both cables are tie-wrapped together with the wires also leading down from the pedestal to prevent any contact with the wheel chain and S/S cables. Once out into the cabin, the bundle of cables and wires turns towards starboard and goes through the partition separating the cabin and the starboard lazarette, just over the area where Hunter originally installed the batteries. The tie-wrapped bundle then goes down alongside the partition, towards the bilge, and gets reinserted in the engine room, going through the partition again, this time just above the fiberglass stringer. Transforming yourself into Houdini you can get into that lazarette to continue the removal or installation. The tranny cable attachment can be accessed by removing the starboard cushion in the stern cabin and lifting the trapdoor (about 12" X 15"). The cables generally can be found in any could chandlery. Just bring your old one for proper lenght. Long and tedious perhaps, not altogether easy, but very do-able, even if you are alone. Good luck
as on my 84 H34 (Hull 724). In that case, the pin holding the cable to the lever might have broken. Simply reinserting the cable in its position and installing a new pin should solve the problem. Do check first to see if the cable can be pushed and pulled to put the tranny in forward or reverse. If the mechanism is broken, your best bet might be to remove it and have another one machined in a local shop. You will need to drill through the shift lever to remove the clevis pin. If you have to remove the cable, it is not as simple as attaching a cord to it and pulling ! Although you might still need to do that, the cable is rigid enough that it can be pushed down the pedestal. However, you need to remove the panel covering the entire wheel mechanism from the ceiling of the stern cabin. You will find that both cables are tie-wrapped together with the wires also leading down from the pedestal to prevent any contact with the wheel chain and S/S cables. Once out into the cabin, the bundle of cables and wires turns towards starboard and goes through the partition separating the cabin and the starboard lazarette, just over the area where Hunter originally installed the batteries. The tie-wrapped bundle then goes down alongside the partition, towards the bilge, and gets reinserted in the engine room, going through the partition again, this time just above the fiberglass stringer. Transforming yourself into Houdini you can get into that lazarette to continue the removal or installation. The tranny cable attachment can be accessed by removing the starboard cushion in the stern cabin and lifting the trapdoor (about 12" X 15"). The cables generally can be found in any could chandlery. Just bring your old one for proper lenght. Long and tedious perhaps, not altogether easy, but very do-able, even if you are alone. Good luck
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