For those who have not completed the critical upgrade of the plastic shift/throttle handles you can buy the handles for $17.98 each at Marinepartdepot.com. Installed them this week and they are great. The biggest problem was getting old handles off since the screws were quite frozen. The throttle lever came off after using Blaster for a week and then an impact driver. Not as lucky with the gear shift lever. Had to cut off the plastic handle and heat the screw with a torch, then use an vise-grip and luckily the screw did not shear.
Had to bend the gear shift handle a little to clear the stainless guard rail. Ron described this process earlier using a vise- I did the same. Laid it down between two pieces of hardwood in the vise, measured the depth of the bend in the handle and started cranking to reduce the bend. I needed to go about 1/2 inch to get good clearance on the guard rail. The controls look great and work great and my wife is thrilled that she can look down and see which lever is the shift and which is the throttle. Red and black was not particularly informative.
http://www.marinepartdepot.com/stthha.html
http://www.marinepartdepot.com/stclha.html
Word to the wise, make sure you check at the slip that the transmission shifts into forward after you install the handles. We learned that lesson after we replaced the 1 inch pedestal guard that originally came from Edson with the 1.25 diameter pedestal guard from Navpod. Sometimes, an eighth of an inch really does make a difference.
Just ordered mine. Thanks for the heads up on the sale price!
WOAAWWWW!!!
Thanks for the tip.
Just ordered both handles. Both for half of the $$ of one.
Nice find.
You may recall that this is already on the CRITICAL UPGRADES topic
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5078.msg31131.html#msg31131
Guys : Remember that you can get more "throw" if the pin in the transmission lever is in the bottom hole!
I took my transmission lever to a machine shop and took some of the bend out of it.
Careful as you can only bend a casting so far!!
A few thoughts
Ron!
I recently replaced the plastic transmission handle with the stainless Edson handle, and it hit the stainless post, I was able to adjust the transmission lever at the transmission to provide clearance, but when I tried to install the throttle lever, it also hits the post, I am not sure how to adjust it to provide the correct clearance. I believe the Edson handles are cast stainless and I don't think the will allow bending, any ideas?
I heated mine with a propane torch at the bend and was able to straighten it the necessary amount. It discolors the stainless but it can be polished and it looks like new again.
I just bent mine a bit so it doesn't hit the pedestal. I put the bent portion in a vice and started to tighten it. Straightened it out a bit. Doesn't hit the pedestal anymore. Took about 30 seconds to straighten it.
I have no idea why my boat is such a pain. When I did this in 1998, they worked just fine with the standard binnacle ss. Finally got to do something that didn't involve extra labor! :D Last time, too. :cry4` :shock:
Guys : I think that's what I've been saying?
BEND the stainless shifter lever, but be careful because you can break that casting.
If you really need more "throw" because the lever is hitting the guard and the shifter on the transmission is not moving far enough, move the pin in the lever on the transmission to the lower hole!
Disconnect the cable from the shifter at the transmission. Then move the shifter from neutral to fwd and reverse by hand. You can feel when the clutches are engaged and the free play. Then reinsert the shifter and pin and adjust to that same distance/angle you did by hand.
A few thoughts
I was inspecting the engine the other day. The lever on my transmission has only one hole for the pin. Maybe earlier or latter trans models have the multiple holes. I too had to bend the handle
You can always grind(a fine wheel) off the section that hits the rail a bit at a time will prevent the heat discoloration and or the possibility of snapping it off after the heating process , oh well if it breaks basically you can buy 2 for the original price of one . After you install the new one use just a tad of anti sieze compound on the thread so the R & R will be a snap if you have to ever or the next owner needs to replace or do any maintenance . JAT.
Regards & Good Luck
Like Stu, when I replaced mine they went right on and shifts with no problem. First "5 minute" job on the boat ever. And only, I might add. The Admiral is surprised at how each task seems to grow to take up an entire day.
Ralph
I never thought that I could bend the handle without messing it up. I just picked up a very small extension so that the shifter misses the binnacle when going forward. Easy fix.
Jeff, I am going up to the boat tomorrow to install my new levers, what did you mean, "you picked up a small extension", did you mean you straightened it a little bit? hopefully mine will go on with no problems also, thank you Bob
Bob : I agree with you, that Jeff's "adding a small extension"-- make no sense ??
C'mon.
What Jeff explained was easy.
He MOVED the handle to closer to midships and it missed the binnacle s/s.
Not so hard to envision.
Sorry guys, I didn't mean to confuse you. I put a small (1" or so) fitting on that moved the gear shifter outward so that it cleared the binnacle. It's a perfect match so not noticeable without looking closely. I hope you don't need to worry about it on your boat.
Jeff,
Any pictures?
I'd be happy to take a pic next time I'm at the boat.
Guess I was a bit dense!!
Now I understand, what Jeff did was to put an extension on the shifter SHAFT so it extends further out and then the shifter lever goes OUTSIDE the vertical pedestal guard when it is in FWD.
Good idea Jeff :thumb:
Check you compass. The new metal could be magnetic?
Excellent point. In fact I checked the handles and they are ever so slightly magnetic. It did register when I put it right up against the iPhone magnetometer, but they are far enough from the binnacle compass to have no discernible effect when installed.
I ordered these last week and installed them on Saturday. Easy install and they fit and function perfectly. Thanks for the heads-up on the great price.
I installed new engine control levers on my 1991 C34 last year and after fussing with the different adjustments trying to get them to not hit the SS guard rail I came up with a very easy and effective solution to this problem.
The fitting that holds both cable ends inside the pedestal, attaches to the pedestal through a small hole, I'm guessing 1/4 inch, on the wheel side of the pedestal. I drilled an identical hole about an inch lower and moved the whole fitting down to the new hole. This effectively moved both levers aft an inch and they have both worked perfectly since.
This took about half the time it took me to adjust the transmission cable end and it actually worked.