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Morse/Ultraflex B85 engine control


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Can anyone advise me on this? Our boat has a Morse/Ultraflex B85 single lever engine control. At low to mid range throttle conditions it tends to slowly move back to a lower throttle setting. As this is the normal throttle position for canal cruising its getting irritating holding it in the desired position.

Looking at adverts for this control it suggests it has an adjustable brake but I have no instruction manual and cannot see how to adjust it (if indeed its possible). I have tried looking at the manufacturers website and all it says is  "Provided with a brake tension release system adjustable from outside" . I have also been unable to locate a manual or instructions for download.

????

Thanks

Chris

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If t's the same as the one on my friends boat #1 Place control lever in reverse sellect position & open throttlle about 1/4 position, the adjust ment screw for brake tension should be visible  in the centre depression of the cowling behind the lever, clockwise increases the tension

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58 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

If t's the same as the one on my friends boat #1 Place control lever in reverse sellect position & open throttlle about 1/4 position, the adjust ment screw for brake tension should be visible  in the centre depression of the cowling behind the lever, clockwise increases the tension

Great, I have looked before but did not think of moving the handle around (D'Oh!)

 

Thanks

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1 hour ago, Brian422 said:

... hope attached B85 Installation and Maintenance Manual helps.

B183-B184-B85_eng.pdf

Nice one :)

i note that the instructions show you where to drill a hole in the bezel in order to access the screw. If that's never been done it would explain why OP couldn't find it. 

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On 13/06/2017 at 11:34, jonesthenuke said:

Can anyone advise me on this? Our boat has a Morse/Ultraflex B85 single lever engine control. At low to mid range throttle conditions it tends to slowly move back to a lower throttle setting. As this is the normal throttle position for canal cruising its getting irritating holding it in the desired position.

Looking at adverts for this control it suggests it has an adjustable brake but I have no instruction manual and cannot see how to adjust it (if indeed its possible). I have tried looking at the manufacturers website and all it says is  "Provided with a brake tension release system adjustable from outside" . I have also been unable to locate a manual or instructions for download.

????

Thanks

Chris

We had this problem, turned out to be multiple issues.

initially it was really bad in reverse, not too bad in forwards except at river speeds. Turned out the gear cable was pushing the gearbox lever hard up against the stop and the force was feeding back into the throttle. I adjusted the cable so that the travel in forwards and backwards was the same. This helped.

But the travel was still too much overall, so having read the instructions I saw that the gear cable travel could be reduced by loosening the screw where the gear cable attaches, and flipping the little attachement into the other hole. Apart from the effect on throttle, having the gear lever pushed hard against the stop on a PRM 150 is specifically proscribed in the PRM manual - it puts a radial load on the gear shaft and causes premature failure of the o-ring and consequent oil leak.

This helped, but I still had a problem at very fast river speeds eg above 2000rpm (Beta43). Part of the cause is the strong spring within the engine control system that pulls the throttle closed.

There is the friction adjustment as mentioned, but the design of this is awful and it doesn't really help - just tends to increase friction near idle, not at high throttle settings.

Finally, I attached a long coil spring to the throttle cable which, by the geometry, pulls the throttle open at high throttle settings whilst not really affecting things at low throttle openings. Now it is perfect!

Edited by nicknorman
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2 hours ago, Brian422 said:

Although my B85 was installed by a well respected boat builder, the gear selector lever was hard against stops on PRM150D2.

I'm not suggesting you have the same problem, might be worth checking,  but hope attached B85 Installation and Maintenance Manual helps.

 

 

B183-B184-B85_eng.pdf

Great. Thanks

 

PS I feel much less stupid now that I know I have to drill a hole to get to the adjuster. What is that about???????

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Luckily i didn't have to drill any holes.

Just moved pivot pin from outer 78mm to inner 67mm position (Manual page 10 Fig 4) on B85, remove cable from gearbox lever, move B85 control to neutral position, adjust cable length and reconnecting cable to gearbox lever did trick for me.

Hope your problem is solves as easy.

 

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  • 6 years later...

Hi,

 

I have a similar Morse controller which is very stiff (especialliy in reverse) to move past the initial movement into gear. Should I try and reduce the friction as described in this thread or should I be dong somthing else to loosen it up a bit?

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Just now, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Have you narrowed  the stiffness down to being at the controller? Tried disconnecting the cable from the gearbox, seeing how it moves, then disconnecting the cable from the controller?

 

and when you have done that, put them back and disconnect the other end, one at a time, and try it again. As a proper set up control should not move the throttle cable until the gearbox is in gear, it sounds rather like a throttle cable problem, unless the engine lever is stiff.

  • Greenie 1
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Maladjusted cables can cause a stiff spot on the control movement. If you want to check that put the lever in neutral and take the gear cable ff the gearbox end. Whatever secures it should just drop back into place.

 

Then do the same for the throttle but put the lever is slow ahead or slow astern - NOT neutral. Again, the fixing should just drop into place.

 

If you need to adjust, then the end fixings will usually screw up or down the cable thread.

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