[C320-list] Gear shift lever problem

[Clay Carter]

That video that Hans posted below raises the question should you lubricate your gear and throttle cables as part of routine maintenance and/or when should they be replaced?  I recently had to contact Edson with a question related to my steering cable and was told by a very nice gentlemen that since I sail in salt water it is "critical" to replace all three of these cables every 10 years as Edson has determined that failure in a salt water environment is imminent at about the 10 year mark.  I have not owned my boat 10 years so no telling if it has ever been done by previous owners, but I wonder if this REALLY is necessary?  For all I know the cables on my 1995 might be original.  Thoughts?
Clay Carter#225 We'll SeaAlamitos Bay, CA


    On Friday, May 7, 2021, 04:30:30 PM PDT, Hans Dose <hans.dose at gmail.com> wrote:  
 
 Hello David and everyone!

This is my first time jumping in to respond, so I apologize if I'm doing it
wrong by hitting reply vs. reply all.  While this does not directly address
the concern at hand, I thought about those who've needed to replace their
morse cables due to shifter/throttle issues.  Those cables are quite stout
and handle very little load. It doesn't seem like they'd wear out in our
lifetime, given their occasional use.  Cleaning them by running oil through
them may be the answer.  This youtube video shows a guy putting oil in a
hose clamped onto one end and pressurized to flush out accumulated dirt and
sludge, making the cable very smooth again, like a new one.  I'm not having
issues, but plan to flush them out without removing them at some point as
preventative maintenance.  https://youtu.be/_j2xD_8k5yo

Hans Dose
1999 C-320 Hull #569
King's X
Alamitos Bay - Long Beach, CA

On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 1:28 PM David Veeneman <davidv at veeneman.com> wrote:

> I need some advice about fixing the shift lever on my C320—it won’t shift
> into forward. Neutral is where forward used to be, and reverse is where
> neutral used to be. That suggests to me that the lever linkage has slipped
> on the cable or rod that controls the transmission.
>
> Here are my questions: It this something that an owner can easily fix, or
> would I do better to leave it to a mechanic. If anyone has done this job,
> can you outline for me what it takes to do it?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> --
> David Veeneman
> SV Adelante, C320 #131
> Dana Point, CA
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