Suzuki throttle instability

IBWET · 05 December 2006, 09:00

Does anyone else have this problem?

My throttle slowly moves back from open to closed, making it impossible to take your hand of the control after having set it at a certain speed. This is an inconvenience right now, but next year when towing people on wakeboards ski's etc, it will make the boat very difficult to use.

During the first service the dealer (who's attention to detail was first class I would recommend them to anyone, floetree in Dumbarton)

He said they all do that ....if the friction control screw is set to alleviate the problem (set tighter) it's both very difficult to move and affects the throttle sensitivity (no smooth progression from idle to in gear fast idle),"everybody just gets used to it" is one of those statements that’s too common.

He also said it is a rebadged morse control..

1) Do they all do it?

2) Has anyone found a way round it?

BogMonster · 05 December 2006, 09:57

My Johnson one does, for some reason it is really really stiff to open the throttle, but quite easy to close it. It is ok in mild sea states but if you are in a rough chop the throttle tends to work its way closed very slowly. I could increase the friction but it would mean it would be almost impossible to open the throttle at all then!

I just put up with it and mutter about it, I've taken the control box to bits and I can't see anything obviously wrong. All that happened when I did that was that I lost 400rpm and 4 knots off the top end and I still haven't figured out why or how to get it back

jwalker · 05 December 2006, 09:59

That's what the friction control is there to prevent. Never mind what the dealer said, tighten it and see how you get on. If it's grippy or jerky make sure it is greased to smooth it's action.

IBWET · 05 December 2006, 10:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

That's what the friction control is there to prevent. Never mind what the dealer said, tighten it and see how you get on. If it's grippy or jerky make sure it is greased to smooth it's action.

JW,

I tried tightening the control almost the first time the boat had seen water,the results was as the dealer subsequently described; the boat pre adjustment,smoothly went from tick over to in gear and tick over - post adj,the boat went from tick over to in gear fast tick over with a jump.

It's either too loose with speed falling off (unless you keep your hand on it),or it way to tight with the associated issues descibed above..

The greasing of the cables I've checked all OK......

Rodan · 05 December 2006, 11:10

seen the same with the suzuki 250. it is awkward in and out of gear and slips back slowly when at any ahead speed, tightening does not improve things. no such problems with the mercury gear.

IBWET · 05 December 2006, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodan

seen the same with the suzuki 250. it is awkward in and out of gear and slips back slowly when at any ahead speed, tightening does not improve things. no such problems with the mercury gear.

That's my experience too,I had a mercury on a previous rib,there was no spring action back to centre,always worked fine and had safety catch......

Biggles · 05 December 2006, 12:29

IBWET. I had the same problem when I got mine as you have in the first post. After two adjustments I have tightened the friction screw all the way in and other than the fact the throttle doesn't move when my hand is off it now I notice no other difference. It isn't noticably any stiffer to move (Which suprised me) and it doesn't go from tick over to in gear fast tick over with a jump.
I haven't had to grease it or anything. And from what your saying that doesn't seem normal the way the action of the throttle has changed.

codprawn · 05 December 2006, 13:00

Mine is ok but there is a lot of dead travel - I hate most boat throttles they are so inprecise. they solution has to be Fly by Wire - Verado and the new suzuki 300 have them.

IBWET · 05 December 2006, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

IBWET. I had the same problem when I got mine as you have in the first post. After two adjustments I have tightened the friction screw all the way in and other than the fact the throttle doesn't move when my hand is off it now I notice no other difference. It isn't noticably any stiffer to move (Which suprised me) and it doesn't go from tick over to in gear fast tick over with a jump.
I haven't had to grease it or anything. And from what your saying that doesn't seem normal the way the action of the throttle has changed.

Thanks Nick,

I'll give that a try.

jwalker · 05 December 2006, 13:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBWET

...the boat pre adjustment,smoothly went from tick over to in gear and tick over - post adj,the boat went from tick over to in gear fast tick over with a jump.

That indicates that the mechanism is in some way 'grippy' as opposed to smoothly increasing friction with adjustment.

Quote:

The greasing of the cables I've checked all OK......

I wasn't referring to the cables. The friction mechanism is likely to be nylon and the ones I'm familiar with are either nylon washers squeezed to increase the friction or some form of screw with a nylon pad which presses harder on the moving mechanism as the screw is tightened. If the nylon is dry, it seems to take more effort to get it to move than it takes to keep it moving. Consequently, you have to apply more pressure than you would like to get it moving but your control is then lost in the rush and you over move the throttle lever. If the nylon is greased it does reduce the friction overall but it can make the whole operation smoother. However, I have also come across the situation with the screw type of adjustment where, because the pressure is so high, the grease appears to squeeze out from the pressure area and there is little improvement.

Given that your one is crap at the moment, it may be worth a try.

My own throttle is the type that uses two nylon washers which are squeezed together by the pressure of a nut and greasing them was very worthwhile.

My previous Suzi was the screw type and was also greased and worked fine. It did occasionally fall back a bit after a hard landing.

I don't know how you operate your throttle lever when going into gear but, if you don't do this already, it might be worthwhile moving it by tapping the lever forward with the palm of your hand rather than gripping it. For fine adjustment when in difficult seas, rest your hand on the side of the housing and use a couple of fingers and thumb front and back of the lever to balance the forces as you make your lever movements. As usual, if you know this, just ignore me.

Nasher · 05 December 2006, 16:51

My top mount Suzuki lever is fine.

Must have been lucky, considering its a collection of used parts put together, installed, and adjusted by myself.

The more normal side mounted box on my old 55HP Suzi was the same though.

Nasher.

Alex Brown · 07 December 2006, 22:42

My throttle works its way back too, but I quite like it....

If I was to go overboard, and the killcord didn't do the job, at least the boat would eventually come to a slow pace rather than just dart on. Also, if it's rough I don't tend to take my hand off the throttle anyway so it doesn't bother me.

Mine is a side mounted throttle control unit, and tightening the screw does stop this issue in my case, and it doesn't make the general control too stiff either. It's set so the throttle gradually comes back, not quickly, but over a period of time.

-Alex

IBWET · 04 February 2007, 12:27

Just an update to the interested,

the throttle now works fine, a little bit of use,cable strech or hours on the control was all that was needed.