Handle with Care: Steer & gear repairs

Guide to spotting gear shift and steering issues on your boat.

By Dusty Miller

I have spent my whole life on the water in boats. Over the years in sea trails, deliveries and handling instructions, I have had the opportunity to operate many different watercraft, big and small, single and twin, in good conditions and some pretty hairy ones. I find it very satisfying to control a vessel with my fingertips, to feel it respond to my command and watch the boat move exactly where I want to go. It is a great feeling. It is even more fun when I’m “hands off,” giving the instructions and my students do a good job. I am every bit as pleased as they are.

Every boat acts and reacts differently. Their controls may have subtle or significant differences, but one thing they all must do is move smoothly. I have found that a lot of new boaters have a tendency to accept the condition of the shifts, as they are when they purchase the boat. It’s logical. If they are new to boating they really have nothing to compare the new boat to. So if the gearshift is sluggish, they figure this is the norm. Seasoned boaters also put up with similar problems, probably because, over the years, the gearshifts slowly stiffened up and the operators have adjusted to them and don’t notice how bad they are.

I remember teaching boat handling on a 26-foot dual engine, dual control I/O, without exaggeration, the owner of the vessel had to grip the gearshift with both hands to move it. He had a heck of a time finding neutral. Do you think that was one of the reasons why he was having handling problems? Of course. Needless to say, I suggested that he have the control fixed immediately before we went any farther.

Once, on a single engine ChrisCraft, the gearshift moved quite easily into forward and back into reverse. The owner brought her in for a beautiful landing, gently nudging up to the dock, barely bending the fenders. He put the gearshift into the neutral position and smiled proudly. Then, much to our surprise, the boat immediately started to back away from the dock. The problem was simple – there was no neutral! This is not the way things should be.

Another typical gearshift problem is with the shift interrupt module, also called the shift cutout switch. It has the same purpose as a clutch. As you shift gears forward to reverse or back, the switch or module momentarily shuts off the engine to allow gears to change direction without grinding. If this is not properly adjusted the engine stops as it is supposed to, but doesn’t start up again. The problem is either in the switch, the module itself or the linkage needs to be adjusted.

There is a similar difficulty related to the engine, not the cables. It is when the engine stalls as you put it into gear. Note the difference: when the engine stalls when you put it into neutral, it is the cut out switch. If it stalls going from neutral into gear, it is low revs. The engine is idling too slowly when the throttle is backed right off. So when the prop is engaged, the extra load causes the engine to lug and then stall. Usually, this is an easy fix that won’t take a mechanic long to repair.

Engine controls are fairly simple.Gearshifts and throttles pivot in the housing, pushing and pulling the cables. The cables wind their way from the helm to the throttle or transmission. If they are stiff, the problem is either the shifter or the cable. It is rarely in the engine or caused by transmission linkage.

To fix the problem, lubricate the pivots by opening up the shifter housing in the helm. If the stiffness is in the cable, however, you cannot fix that. Cables are lubricated at the factory as they are assembled and there is nothing you can do to maintain or repair that lubrication.

Typically, as older boats go through the temperature changes of a few winters and boating seasons, the cables get progressively stiffer until they seize up completely.

However, when a gearshift is stiff in a new boat, the problem is likely in the design. New boat shifters don’t have to be “worked in.”  The problem is caused because the cable is kinked or has too many bends between the helm and the engine room.

Steering has the same kind of cables and over the years they can stiffen up too. I’ve seen boaters grip the wheel hand over hand and strain as they cranked it over.  You should not put up with that. You would not in your car. And the fact is, you simply cannot control the boat if it requires that much effort.  The problem may be low hydraulic fluid, the wheel may need lubrication at the helm or it could be cable problems. Whatever it is, it should be fixed.

If your control system makes you work, you will not have the direct control you need or the ability to make split second adjustments. You will always be thinking about it – “Where’s neutral?”  “Will it stall this time?” “How can steer, work the throttle and gearshift if I need two hands to shift gear?”

If you find yourself asking such questions or you think the controls are stiff, check them out. If you do not have a lot of experience with other boats, ask another boater to compare your controls with his. Or talk to a mechanic.

You should not have to work at controlling your boat. Once you get the hang of it, moving a boat in a tight situation is fun. Having it come up and kiss the dock or slide easily backward into a narrow slip is a hoot – guaranteed to give you a smile. And you know everyone is watching… especially your neighbour boater. Your confidence and skill will keep them happy, too.