Modifying the shifter.

[BoLongo]

I dislike that if both motors stall you have to shift back into neutral to restart the engines or that the throttles have to be closed to shift out of neutral. Nobody has time for that with the strong current of the Colorado River.

I want to modify the shifting system so I can shift gears regardless of the throttle position and I want to be able to restart the engines in forward or reverse.

Can someone help a brother out and direct me to a post or share with me how to modify the shifting mechanism? I’m planning to pull the shifter out of the boat today and see if I can figure something out.

 

[squad1]

Not sure if this points you in the right direction, but I remember reading through a thread with a total engine mod and he discusses the shifter. Check around post #74:

https://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?t=69006

 

[Ankeneyou]

I hate both aspects as well, especially when one engine does slightly above idle and I have to back off and put in neutral just to restart.

I've got a spare shift assembly so will try this as well but not until winter.

 

[BoLongo]

I removed the locking mechanism as well as cleaned and greased the shifter.

I can move the shifter between forward neutral and reverse regardless of the throttle position. (Nice), but the safety switch is programmed so I will still have to shift to neutral to start if both engines stall.

 

[BoLongo]

I hate both aspects as well, especially when one engine does slightly above idle and I have to back off and put in neutral just to restart.

I've got a spare shift assembly so will try this as well but not until winter.

I got the shift lock fixed, let's see what you can do about the safety switch?

Did you say you lost both of your engines?

 

[racerxxx]

So there is a SMALL window where you can raise the throttles to increase the rpm but NOT lock you out from moving the gate lever----very small. My boat has been like this since day one, I am the original owner so I know it wasn't someone else in there. You can also raise the idle to just under the low speed rev limiter which is very easy to do. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll ever escape the neutral start switch cleanly. Now I'll just be blunt......If you want to go full hack job you could parallel a toggle switch into the neutral start circuit and mount it on the dash near the start buttons. So, you could leave the levers forward, if the boat stalls you flick the extra toggle switch on to "complete" the neutral start circuit then start the engines and quick flick the toggle off and go. Like I said, this is a hack job for a safety system. I really don't understand why guys hate this function so much. It seems more guys hate it whom haven't owned their boats long and aren't used to it. I've owned my Speedster for 19 years right off the showroom floor, this has never bothered me once. I've ridden in tight channels, swift currents, the ocean and rivers and never once thought, "Wow this neutral start switch is a pain the the butt"

 

[BoLongo]

I think your right if the motors are running well you should never have an issue, but when you are having engine problems the lock out and safety switch can multiply problems quickly.

Some friends are going to Parker next week and I was worried about taking my boat on the river with all the problems I have been having. That was my main motivation for hacking the shifter.

 

[racerxxx]

I think your right if the motors are running well you should never have an issue, but when you are having engine problems the lock out and safety switch can multiply problems quickly.

Some friends are going to Parker next week and I was worried about taking my boat on the river with all the problems I have been having. That was my main motivation for hacking the shifter.

I understand completely but think about what you're doing. I'm just talking common sense here.... "I'm worried about taking my boat on the river with all the problems I have been having", this should be the red flag for not taking your boat if it's not ready. That's a HUGE risk. Personally, I would make sure the boat is dialed in on calm waters first. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BoLongo]

I understand completely but think about what you're doing. I'm just talking common sense here.... "I'm worried about taking my boat on the river with all the problems I have been having", this should be the red flag for not taking your boat if it's not ready. That's a HUGE risk. Personally, I would make sure the boat is dialed in on calm waters first. Just my 2 cents.

I hear Ya! I have great respect for the River. I have been going there since high school in the late seventies. I could go on for hours with crazy stories of sinking a pickle fork in front of Sundance to pulling the body of a jet skier after getting hit by a boat. I know how quickly things can go bad. That’s why this boat has never been on the River.

I will test it a couple times before next weekend and if everything is not perfect. I’ll just take the family to Vegas for a nice quite weekend on Lake Mead.

 

[BoLongo]

This boat has never left me stranded; it has never been towed since I owned it. That is one of the benefits of two engines.

But this boat has caused me to take a hit from some of my friends. It's turning into a running joke, especially from a friend who bought a Yamaha AR210 around the same time I bought my Challenger 1800. The Challenger is a hundred times better looking but his boat has been flawless and is a bit faster.

 

[snikwad003]

Sooooo mine is a 97 so I don't know if there is a difference in the mpem but if one of my motors is running the other can be started in F. I do hate all other aspects of the throttle locks and it is real hard on the wife not to ram the dock(not like reverse is worth a crap any way) so I'm going to do this also just thought I'd throw that out there about the way one will start in F if the other is running

 

[racerxxx]

Yes, once running you can start a engine. Both his died. As far as ramming the dock, only way to fix that is not let her drive, lol.