Yanmar Gear Shift Lag

[salar]

I'm wondering if anyone with more marine engineering experience than me could point me in the right direction please! I have a Yanmar 4LHA-STZP coupled to a bravo leg, low hours and usually very reliable. I have recently noticed a disctinct lag between engaging gear (Vetus single lever control) and the drive engaging. This isn't a problem at sea but when berthing in a tight spot it is very disconcerting! Probably only a half to one second but that is a long time if you need to move or stop in a few feet. Is there anything obvious to look at externally, or is this an internal problem?

 

[Neeves]

I'm totally ignorant - what is a Bravo Leg?

I might suggest you find a willing accomplice and have them operate the Vetus lever and you watch how quickly and positively the operation of the lever translates to movement of the morse cable at the engine. You can do some of this with out the engine running.

It might be the morse cable(s) is (are) sticking or the mechanisms in the lever assembly are sticking. Our lever has a morse cable for the gear change and another for the throttle - so you need to watch each in turn. You can check, on ours, by putting the engine out of gear and simply reving the engine alone (but it may be a fault that only occurs when you change gear and rev simultaneously).

Jonathan

 

[salar]

Mercruiser Bravo outdrive. You make a very valid point worth checking, it might be a throttle lag not a gear selector lag. Thank you!