Hard to Shift/Throttle on 2002 Utopia 205

[andrewsilver]

Hi, my 2002 Utopia 205 is getting harder and harder to shift into gear and throttle up. It gets worse as it gets colder outside. This has been ongoing for years. When the reverse gate is up and I throttle up I can feel the cable grinding a bit.

Looking for advice. Is there a way to lubricate the cables? Otherwise I'm thinking about replacing the cables. I found these at shopsbt.com:

Sea-Doo Jet Boat Throttle Cable Code: 27-4151 $59.95
Sea-Doo Jet Boat Cable (Reverse) Code: 27-2154 $118.95

Are these the correct cables? Anyone know where I can get instructions to change them out myself? I'm fairly handy, do most of my own maintenance and extras, but not a master mechanic by any means.

My one concern is about messing up the over-rev sensor on the throttle shifter - I have a problem where when I throttle up, the over-rev sensor sometimes comes on at low speed. I have to then go back to neutral and try it again a few times - sometimes I give a good smack to the housing - and then I can throttle up fine. This usually happens when I haven't used the boat in a while. I'm worried about messing this up further if I change the cables myself.

fyi - my reverse bucket does not bind (I've read some posts on this problem) - mine flops down when the cables are removed.

Advice appreciated, thx.
Andrew

 

[igneous]

Google "cable luber". Little device you clamp onto cable with hole to spray lubricant into.

 

[andrewsilver]

thanks, aware of cable lubers but not sure they will work on oem cables like these.

any other feedback/suggestions? Anyone else experience similar stiffness in their throttle cables - what did you do? thx.

 

[R Doo]

Mine wasn't very smooth when appling power and it turned out to be the shifter itself. I lubed it and now it's very easy to move either direction.
If you have disconnected the reverse bucket, does the cable still seem tight? Can you disconnect it at the shifter end also and then manually try moving the cable?

 

[andrewsilver]

now that's interesting - didn't think it could be the shifter itself. I will check. Thank U R Doo

 

[igneous]

I had same problem with both fwd/rev and throttle levers, so I removed bucket and sanded all 4 plastic spacers in housing and that fixed both levers.

 

[Go Propless]

I had same problem 2001 utopia turned out to be the shifter. The existing grease turns very stickey, took it out and tore it apart to clean all the old grease out and applied new grease. works like new now. Be carefull and take pictures along the way because there are many ball bearings and spings.