Hard to find neutral

[Rivelin]

Hi all,

 

I've got a Vetus M4.15 with a Technodrive TMC60P gearbox.

 

Everything works well except it's a bit difficult to find neutral. It clicks when I go into neutral, but it isn't very loud or definite.

 

Would new cables help, or is this a typical characteristic of this engine / gearbox?

 

Thanks

Edited July 13, 2021 by Rivelin

[Tracy D'arth]

More likely to be a characteristic or fault in the single lever control.

[Rivelin]

Thanks TD

 

I quite like the idea of having a separate throttle control / gear lever - I know some trad boats have setup - what's the thinking on doing this conversion on a more recent boat / engine?

[Tracy D'arth]

Rod and wheel.  Rod to change gear, the wheel winds the throttle.   They have a reputation for banging your head on! The mechanisms run across the deck head, ceiling, to the engine forward of the boatmans cabin in its pride of place in its shrine.

So if you have an engine in a box under the floor in the stern, its not the normal arrangement.

 

Remember that with this arrangement you HAVE to wind the throttle down to tickover before changing gear.

[Keeping Up]

7 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Rod and wheel.  Rod to change gear, the wheel winds the throttle.   They have a reputation for banging your head on! The mechanisms run across the deck head, ceiling, to the engine forward of the boatmans cabin in its pride of place in its shrine.

So if you have an engine in a box under the floor in the stern, its not the normal arrangement.

 

Remember that with this arrangement you HAVE to wind the throttle down to tickover before changing gear.

 

I was once steering through Leicester and wound the wheel all the way up to see how fast the boat would go, and it came right off so I couldn't reduce speed. So I pulled on the rod to find neutral and the vibration had undone the nuts so it also came off completely. So at full throttle in forward gear, I dived into the engine hole and shut off the diesel, then prayed that the engine would stop before we reached the top end of Ladies Mile (it did, just)

 

I once had to steer a boat where the rod changed the throttle and the wheel changed the gear. It was AWFUL.

[Tonka]

8 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

 

I was once steering through Leicester and wound the wheel all the way up to see how fast the boat would go, and it came right off so I couldn't reduce speed. So I pulled on the rod to find neutral and the vibration had undone the nuts so it also came off completely. So at full throttle in forward gear, I dived into the engine hole and shut off the diesel, then prayed that the engine would stop before we reached the top end of Ladies Mile (it did, just)

 

I once had to steer a boat where the rod changed the throttle and the wheel changed the gear. It was AWFUL.

When we bought our current boat the gear lever was a push/pull rod and you pushed forward for reverse and pulled back for forward. It didnt stay like that for long

[Bee]

I once steered an ancient, obsolete forklift where the steering box had come from some car breakers and it steered right to go left and L to go R. Horrible stupid thing. The proper driver had got used to it.

[gatekrash]

49 minutes ago, Tonka said:

When we bought our current boat the gear lever was a push/pull rod and you pushed forward for reverse and pulled back for forward. It didnt stay like that for long

Almost as bad as the 2 stroke Dolphin diesel engines fitted to some lumpy water boats. Changing from forward to reverse involved stopping the engine, altering the direction of rotation, I believe with a lever, and then restarting the engine again!

[ditchcrawler]

22 minutes ago, gatekrash said:

Almost as bad as the 2 stroke Dolphin diesel engines fitted to some lumpy water boats. Changing from forward to reverse involved stopping the engine, altering the direction of rotation, I believe with a lever, and then restarting the engine again!

Traditional then

[Mad Harold]

8 hours ago, gatekrash said:

Almost as bad as the 2 stroke Dolphin diesel engines fitted to some lumpy water boats. Changing from forward to reverse involved stopping the engine, altering the direction of rotation, I believe with a lever, and then restarting the engine again!

Had a Messerschmit three wheeler years ago with the same system.191cc Sachs two stroke.

Only tried to use it once,because it was reluctant to re-start in the middle of a three point turn.

Quite embarassing!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

11 hours ago, Rivelin said:

Thanks TD

 

I quite like the idea of having a separate throttle control / gear lever - I know some trad boats have setup - what's the thinking on doing this conversion on a more recent boat / engine?

Most trad separate throttle / gear lever arrangements have no obvious neutral position for the gear push/pull and you have to remember where it is. This won't solve your problem and introduce more. It may be poor adjustment in the control lever, or it may be just worn out. A new control lever would be the easiest solution if it is worn out. Lots around and much easier than completely altering the control system.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Jen-in-Wellies

[ditchcrawler]

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Most trad separate throttle / gear lever arrangements have no obvious neutral position for the gear push/pull and you have to remember where it is. This won't solve your problem and introduce more. It may be poor adjustment in the control lever, or it may be just worn out. A new control lever would be the easiest solution if it is worn out. Lots around and much easier than completely altering the control system.

More to that. Removing and closely inspecting the current control mechanism is a good idea, before condemning it. Might be something as simple as a rusted, or crudded up, or otherwise jammed bit that does the neutral click that can be easily fixed.

Jen

[Rivelin]

Thanks all - fairly unanimous recommendations that converting would be a very bad idea!

[Mad Harold]

Once had a gear cable break in the middle of nowhere and had to improvise by putting a screw into the end of a brush handle,sliding the rear deck cover back a bit to get the brush handle down and changing gear that way.

It worked fine providing you remembered to close the throttle before engaging neutral or reverse.

The major snag was there was no stops on the gear selector.Forward was ok,that was a pull up,but putting it into neutral I had to be careful because it would go into reverse if I pushed the brush handle down a little too far.

The morse type controls have the stops in them so gear can be accurately engaged.

Quite relieved when I got to Kings Lock chandlery for a new cable.