Zero effort shifters
 

I was wondering if they can be rebuilt or do you just have to get a new one. I have the twin set up with trim switch and it seams like the throttles don't say in the same position. The starboard side always wants to drop back a little. And also starting last year the one neutral safety switch started acting up and had wiggle the shifter to get it in the right spot for the motor to start. Thanks

They are fairly straight forward to repair they have springs and detent balls that set the friction, and the neutral safety switch is easily replaced. there are 4 bolts that hold the box together just make sure you set the parts in the right order as you take it apart and take pictures.

Thanks I will have to see this spring if it just needs to be adjusted/tightened up or stuff needs to be replaced.

some also have a adjustment for that

i have a livorsi s-t-t-s set up white.

Did you check your cables. That could be part of your problem as they are pretty hardy controls.

I did not as of now. But will in the spring

Yeah, it might not be the shifter. If your boat is a 2000 repalce the shift cables with the slippery red ones. Then the dreaded lower cables. It makes a huge difference.

Ok... lets dissect the problem.... your throttle lever is creeping. when cables get old they get sticky..so if the cable was old and sticky, it would be hard to move, not creepy..

The neutral safety switch is activated by the lever, you could completely removed the drive and cable ...the switch is activated by the lever.

If they are standard zero efforts, tension is provided by a ball on a spring against s trip of plastic. Plastic being weakest part of the chain the plastic strip is probably worn.

When taking it apart and putting it back together, and extra set of hands comes in handy especially if you havent done it before just to hold stuff in place.. But they really arent that difficult. Parts should be avail...atleast thru BAM is no one else... If you still cant find anything let me know I may have some extra pieces parts.

You can get new springs, balls, and plastic slides for them. You can also shim the springs a little for extra tension. I use lithium grease when reassembling them

Theres a good chance they need to be taken apart, cleaned, lubed, and reassembled after 16 years

The controls are pretty simple as Phragle stated. If your throttle is creeping back, did you do something to the carb? New carb? new throttle return springs? The neutral safety switch is a simple micro switch. You can adjust by bending the lever towards the switch. Use a volt meter set to buzz on ohms and check continuity when shifting between forward and neutral. The picture of the shifters shows the small balls and springs circled in red and the nylon plastic slide in blue. Like MT said use lithium grease to hold the balls in place when reassembling it.

Thanks guys for all the info. The cables are not tight/stiff and hard to move in any way. When moving the sticks forward on the port side you feel the ball cilck into place and not so much on the starbord witch is the one if you let go of them will fall back a little differing rpms slightly from port motor. Not a huge deal but bugs me knowing it happens. Ocd issue lol

But the safety switch needs to be adjusted or replace if bad because I don't want to be some where and have it not want to start.

Look down in the boot. There should be an allen. Just back it off a turn or two and see what happens.

Keith, Where is the allen inside the shifter and what is it for? When I put Zero Effort shifters in my boat I had a 3 engine unit that I converted to a two engine unit and I don't remember there being a allen screw?

THe allens he mentions are in the high end stuff livorsi, etc...not the basic zero efforts....

I just bought a few sets of these controls to build a new set for my boat as well as polish and resell. There are 2 detent balls per throttle, I believe phragle may have mentioned that, to lock the throttle in position. Upon taking one set I bought apart I noticed that someone before me had taken one of the detent balls out of one of the throttles but the second one had both. This for sure will make the one handle slip back. If you didn't buy the boat new there's a good chance someone could have had them apart and maybe lost parts for it when it went back together.

As soon as I can get into the boat and take it out there dash I will look at all of these things. Thanks for all the help.

Of course you do realise that a genuine hard core powerboater would simply bungy cord the sticks to the dash, run her balls out and not have the problems you are experiencing,...

Lol ya its not often I take my hand off the sticks and the sticks off the dash. Only to a just the tabs but knowing it does that bugs me lol

Buy extra detent balls because your going to lose them when you take it apart. Like mild thunder said, put lots of grease on the balls and springs to hold them in place when you put it back together.