Morse controls

[Dick]

I have single lever Morse controls aboard. One still operates smoothly, the other is pretty sticky. Anyone have experience with greasing? Is it necessary to completely remove/dissamble to do the job, or can it be done from under the flybridge? I also queried Teleflex Morse but would still appreciate any advice from the Hatteras experts.

Dick

[mikep996]

I have lubricated cables and in every case have found it to be a waste of time. Replace them with new ones.

However, if you wish to lubricate them, an easy way is to disconnect them on both ends, place the lower end in a container. Attach a 18" piece of hose that will fit snugly over the ferrule on the upper end of the cable and put a hose clamp around it at that point. Attach it in some manner to something to keep the upper end of the hose pointing up. Fill the hose with lubricant - Marvel Mystery Oil is one of the most popular for this purpose - until the hose is nearly full. Go home. The next day the lube will have passed through the cable; you now have a lubricated cable.

Some folks have had good results with this but, as I said, everytime I've tried it, the improvement was very slight. A new cable was like night and day. Good Luck!

[jim rosenthal]

I went throught his last year when I decided to replace my controls and cables. Some things I learned:
-cable controls are probably the least glamorous part of boats such as ours, with the possible exception of the head and related plumbing. However, like the head and related plumbing, there is hardly any part of the boat in which an improvement yields so much more enjoyment in using the boat.
-I would not bother trying to grease cables. It is a waste of time. Get new ones and put them in. NB: buy the new ones by the size marked on the old cable, and use the old cable to pull the new one through. DO NOT remove the old cable before you have the new ones!!!
-Get the best cables you can afford. I used Panish cables, also there are some high-end Teleflex that are good. The THINNER the cable is, the better off you are; fatter cables have more frictional area and will use up more energy to move them.
-Routing is crucial. Gentle bends are essential. Tight bends will ensure that the system does not work well.
-New control heads should be considered for most boats of the age we have, I think. I used Panish heads and all their hardware; the price was reasonable and their service backup was absolutely peerless.
-It is worth checking that all the critical dimensions involving where the cables end relative to where the actuator arms locate are all correct. A cable control system cannot be set and adjusted properly if these dimensions are not correct. They are standard from one company to the next.
-It is essential to Loctite the assemblies on the engine and transmission end. Otherwise they WILL vibrate loose. Worse than a motorcycle.
-The best way to set up a two-station boat is with all "home runs", as I am told it is called in the plumbing trade- all cables run from a control to the engine or gearbox, not from one control to another control.
I suppose this is a plug for Panish, but again, their products are extremely well made and their service availability was beyond reproach. Of all the things I have done to improve my Hatteras, the new controls and cables rank in the top three or four.

[Dick]

I'm reasonably certain it's not the cable but the Morse control itself. I can hear a slight metal against metal "grinding" as I work the lever, and the sound is definitely coming from the control, not the cable.

Dick

[aah924]

I have a '72, 36' and notice engine noise coming through the throttle cables. I removed the control cover and hear the engines even more. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be done to reduce the engine noise coming from this area? Is this a common problem?

Allen

[Mike36c]

My 1977 36c has electro-mechanical VDO tachs where a tach drive on the engine turns RPM's into an electrical signal which is returned to a mechanical rotation at the tach. I'm not sure exactly how it works but both of my tachs make a LOT of rotating noise, often louder than the engines at cruise! and are scheduled for replacement next month with electronic tachs (more accurate, silent). Hope this helps, Mike

[jim rosenthal]

I pondered this and can't figure out a way to make them quieter; any soft mounting of the cable sleeve would necessarily make the cable work less precisely and introduce lash into the system. Are the cables old or new? You might try putting some sound-absorbing foam at the entry and outlet of the wiring chase which runs up to the bridge- maybe it will absorb some of the vibration. Good luck- I've never heard of this before.