Cable Slop

[JLR]

I have been trying to resolve a cable slop issue on my 43 Open for about two years. I now need help. The starboard throttle cable on my tower is sloppy and even refuses to return the engine to idle speed when the Morse control handle is all the way down. I have regular push pull Morse control cables on this boat. I have tried shortening and lengthening the cable at the control head, shortening and lengthening the cable where it attaches to the Glendinning-both to no avail. I do not have a problem with the lower station at all so I do not need to adjust the Glendinning throw nor do I need to adjust the stop on the engine. I guess my questions are two fold. 1) If the cable is simply too long, is there any amount of tinkering that will remove the slop? 2) Does the physical position of the cable, including large sweeping bends make any real difference in how well it functions? I am trying to avoid having to pull a shorter cable all the way up to my tower which may be the only solution. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Boatsb]

sweeping bends are best but large ones could make it feel like slack. Is the cable outer sheath moving when you move the throttle. Try fastening it in place where it can not move with the inner core as it travels.

[JLR]

Good suggestion. Just got off the telephone with Glendinning and they were a big help. However, it appears that if the cable is just too long (like perhaps as much as six feet too long) replacing might be the only way to go. They said there is no real good way to shorten the cable. They gave some good advice about how best to snake a new one to the tower and the fact (which I did not know) that the length of the cable is indicated on the cable so that if I wanted to order a shorter one, I would know how long the existing one is without having to pull it first.

[krush]

also make sure the control box isn't excessively worn and you aren't hitting the stops in it.

[JLR]

Got it. Stops are not issues as I have checked those and the control head is only two years old. Keep 'em coming.

[Will]

Have you checked to make certain that all of the screws in the control head are tight? - Not just the ones holding the cables, but all of them including those that hold the control head together and the levers on to the shafts. Check the same thing on the Engine (or Glendenning end). I had similar problems which disappeared when I tightened mine.
Will

[Genesis]

If everything is tight inside the controls and ends the cable internals are probably sloppy - that happens with wear sometimes.

If so, the only fix is replacement.

[JLR]

Understood. Thank you all.