[C320-list] Frozen Throttle Lever

[Irving Grunes]

Hi

 

We had a frozen throttle lever problem on our Yanmar 3GM30.  The report
below is from one of our boat partners.  

 

Has any one else experienced this problem?

 

Irv Grunes  2001 #851

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Throttle Lever Problem

My friend Dave and I went to the boat on Wednesday.  After pulling out of
the slip, we immediately noticed that the throttle control was frozen and
stuck at idle.  We returned to the slip, which was tricky since reverse at
idle did not slow the boat very much.

 

After taking off the engine covers, we determined that the problem was not
the cable, but the "speed lever" on the engine.  This is the lever on the
engine that is attached to the cable and controls the speed.  According to
the Diesel Shop Manual, the governor controls are connected to the speed
lever, so there is quite a bit of hidden complexity in that control.  The
speed lever was completely frozen and could not be moved.  After detailed
inspection, Dave noticed that there was corrosion at the point where the
lever connected to the engine.  We applied WD-40 and slight tapping and we
were eventually able to free the lever.  We then applied oil to the
connection.  The throttle control then worked normally, with a full range of
speed.  Fortunately, we were able to sail for the rest of the day and had no
further problems.  

 

It seems to me that this problem cropped up in the last two weeks and got
progressively worse.  Why this would suddenly occur in a 6 year old boat
seems a mystery.  It's possible that the lever froze for some reason other
than corrosion and the tapping freed it.