Okay here is a noob question
 

My new to me 2002 Playboy has sloppy shifters, have to hunt for neutral all the time and I am being pretty deliberate in my movement not tentative. Now I have been around boats a long time and to me this seems to be out of adjustment but maybe I am just spoiled by the DTS in my other boats now. What would be the quickest, easiest corrective measure I could try to provide smoother shifting and a more definite detent in neutral?

Everything appears to be factory build on the 500EFIs and XR drives.

There is adjustment, and there is actually a tool to make sure you get it to the correct specs.
http://www.mercstuff.com/bravocableadj.htm

Any Merc dealer can do this for you, but you may want to buy the tool and do it yourself. It's not hard. Cables stretch over time, which is what I assume the issue is with your setup. You don't want to let it be, as this could premature wear your cone clutches.

Latham or Marine Machine?

Not even sure guessing Latham but will check when I get the boat back. Why?

Just checked my photos and they are MM sticks

[ATTACH=CONFIG]554733[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]554734[/ATTACH]

I had the same problem with my Marine Machine controls. The throttles were nice, but the shifters and finding neutral could be tricky. I have since switched to Latham. Much more precise when shifting between gears.

Okay after searching every source I can find there appears to be no rebuild kit for my MM controls so I have decided to take the plunge on new controls. Recomendations are welcome for my 2002 cig with 500 EFIs.

Have heard Latham here, my service center is talking Livorsi and I have no idea.

What would be the absolute best and what would be the best value?

Why are you hunting neutral? Do you have a neutral switch problem? Are you having starting problems? The MM shifters are a very nice piece. Lot of cash to put out for a bad neutral switch.

There is absolutely no detent at neutral so yes some times hunting for neutral at start, finding neutral while docking even with very deliberate shift movement. Might be cables, and adjustment (cables will be replaced first) but even beyond that the MMs just don't seem to have any real adjustment capability.

Sounds similar to the newer DTS Livorsi controls. Very hard to tell from a mechanical feel if you are in neutral. That would drive me nuts as well. If PBC is doing the work go with what Myrick recommends.

Might want to try changing the neutral switch, my port engine was hard to find a spot so it would crank, put new micro switches in and it all went away. My controls cover the micro switch for about 5-10 degrees movement, well before it shifts into gear. So Even though there is no detent it is almost impossible not to find neutral with the new switches installed.

Not sure about you not being able to find neutral while docking, I just listen for the engine to rev up..... That sounds like something other than the neutral switch. Something going bad on the cable connections etc, i would start inspecting everything last thing you want to do is crash into a dock.... Seen that happen in Key West something was broke and he couldn't shift to Neutral or Reverse it just stayed in forward.

I just finished Tres Martins course and he said the shifters just needed to be greased so I am trying that first.

Sounds cheap!:D

grease helped a lot but she is still pretty sloppy in and out of gear, Going to have my mechanic take a look at it next week when the boat is in for drive spacers, a leaky steering cylinder and a couple of other little things. May add mufflers too.

Why does it need drive spacers???? It doesn't look like it has shorty drives???

If you want to take some bark off the exhaust note, I'd just get some GGB inserts.

I highly doubt you need new shifters. The MM's should last forever. I think its more about getting used to the feel of them.
I have Latham's and they are great. Nuetral has a detent stop, so you know when you're exact, but I've never had a problem being able to tell with others brands after I got used to them either.

It's very prone to blowing out on start, any positive tab makes it almost impossible to get on plane. I took the Tres Martin course last week and when Tres drove it he said it needed 1/2" to1" spacer. Have to believe he knows what he is talking about.

Okay. Shop said to try some new wheels before spacers so that's what we are doing. They recommended some 5 blade 28s instead of the 4 blade bravo 30s I have now to help with the blow out and limited trim reaction (I can go from 4 to 9 on the trime indicator with no appreciable change in bow height or rpm above 60mph)

Any recommendations on 5 blades to try?

I used to date a Girl with Sloppy Shifters. She was a lot of fun but I could never get her in gear at the right time.

What rpm are you turning the 30's ? five blade is a lot of wheel for a 500, but will bite better.

Only getting 4800 with the 30s. Can barley get the to 5000 over trimming and loosing speed.

Im going to try my 28 four blade in a couple weeks and see how the work, Im thinking if you try to turn a 5 blade you'll lose a couple hundred rpm, jmo

I am thinking 5 blades would be 28P maybe 26P to recover some RPM.