[PaulinVictoria]

Anyone more than familiar with the Edson single lever engine controls, as in know them inside out?

 

[Faster]

If you describe your issues maybe someone's run into similar before....

 

[PaulinVictoria]

It's in my "runaway diesel" thread, I am now 100% sure the issue is down to the control itself, and if you don't have a diesel you might not have looked in there.

Symptoms:
- Run the engine in gear at cruising/high throttle, it'll be fine for a while.
- There is then a banging from the transmission, as if the cone in the gearbox is being slightly disengaged
- If you throttle back, it might slow the engine, you can go into neutral, back into gear and all is fine again (until next time)
- Alternatively, you can throttle back, nothing happens and if you happen to knock it out of gear, you then have an engine racing with no load at full throttle despite the lever being in the idle position.
- If you bang it back into gear (tried it today as a last resort) and waggle the lever around a bit, full throttle, idle, full throttle etc then you might get control back

Yes I have had the cover off, no it not all grunged up in there, yes I gave it all a squirt of oil, no the cables are not pinched, crooked, turning too tight, resting on anything etc.
The only thing I could see was a screw (which I think is for friction adjustment) had been tightened too much in the past and was actually burring the corners off the gear. I adjust, de-burred etc.
Am I looking at some sort of adjustment needed in the control itself? I cannot get my head around why if it was the adjustment at the transmission end, that would also affect the throttle. I can understand it trying to jump out of gear, but why would that then affect the throttle not shutting off unless there is something stuck/catching etc in the control itself.
I can't find any sort of parts diagram, or a clue as to how the thing goes together.
So, I wonder if anyone is an expert on these controls

 

[gamayun]

By maybe some coincidence, I have an Edson and the clevis holding my throttle to the cable broke yesterday. When I ran the engine, it was stuck at 2000 rpm. The only way I could control it was from shifting the lever at the engine, which I could reach from the companionway. Did you try that to see if you could replicate the issue? There was rubbing on the bolt from the chain that controls the wheel assembly. You might be having "sticking" problems similar to what caused my bolt to shear. Just a thought. Not sure why yours would be jumping out of gear. I'm calling Edson tomorrow to see if they can help...

 

[PaulinVictoria]

My controls are in a separate box, like this, so there are no chains to catch.
I may have to try getting in touch with Edson as well, having zero confidence in the engine/gearbox on the boat is not a good thing. Actually, I am quite confident in the engine and gearbox, after the abuse they have had with the control problem they are still fine, but you know what I mean.

 

[Faster]

I would disengage the shift cable at the gear shift end, go out with a friend and manually shift the gear at the tranny, then go for a motor to see if the event recurs.

That should eliminate the gear shift cable position/behaviour.. if the 'runaway' reoccurs then it's likely internal to the transmission, provided the shift lever goes properly past the detente when you shift it into gear.

Running the throttle off the engine arm (without the cable) would be another thing to try but somewhat more difficult to do.

 

[Classic30]

It's in my "runaway diesel" thread, I am now 100% sure the issue is down to the control itself, and if you don't have a diesel you might not have looked in there.

Symptoms:
- Run the engine in gear at cruising/high throttle, it'll be fine for a while.
- There is then a banging from the transmission, as if the cone in the gearbox is being slightly disengaged
- If you throttle back, it might slow the engine, you can go into neutral, back into gear and all is fine again (until next time)
- Alternatively, you can throttle back, nothing happens and if you happen to knock it out of gear, you then have an engine racing with no load at full throttle despite the lever being in the idle position.
- If you bang it back into gear (tried it today as a last resort) and waggle the lever around a bit, full throttle, idle, full throttle etc then you might get control back

Certainly sounds like a control issue to me. I'd second Faster's advice on tracking the problem, but I'm guessing you aren't getting quite enough transmission cable movement for your engine.

All this can be checked without the engine running: If you put it full forward are you getting full throttle and sufficient transmission cable travel? Same with reverse? How about neutral? If you disconnect the cable on the transmission, can you put it in and out of gear no problem?

Despite frequent use of WD40, the 'disengage' button on my old Edson control is almost frozen stiff and it's on my list of things to fix.. but the internals on these things are frighteningly complex.

 

[PaulinVictoria]

Gears engage fully in both forward and reverse, and throttle gives me full range of motion too. The shift lever at the transmission end has a kind of spring block attached, it is supposed to hold it fully in gear. I can try adjusting that to add a bit more spring tension.
What's still confusing me is why if the gear is partially disengaging does it also affect the throttle? I get that it is going to rev higher with less or no load, but why does throttle stop responding? If it was just jumping out of gear that would be one thing, but jumping out of gear and jamming the throttle wide open is another.

 

[Classic30]

What's still confusing me is why if the gear is partially disengaging does it also affect the throttle? I get that it is going to rev higher with less or no load, but why does throttle stop responding? If it was just jumping out of gear that would be one thing, but jumping out of gear and jamming the throttle wide open is another.

There's a bunch of springs in the control mechanism and if the throttle lever actuator-thingy is disengaging from the controller's slide-thinghy.. Sorry, out of my league here!..

In other words, if the controller is kaput its possible this could happen. How old is your controller?

 

[rugosa]

Contact Edson. Everytime I have contacted them they have been the best for advise and parts.

 

[chucklesR]

I had an issue with mine, turned out to be a loop in the cable to the engine that got a bind in it, the bind then limited motion at the engine controls.
I would, with the engine not running, have and assistant work the lever back and forth while observing the shift and throttle attachments on your engine. Make sure you know what the are supposed to be doing by disconnecting them from the cable first and manually operating them to the full throw.

 

[Lake Superior Sailor]

Don't fix it if it ain't broke! and I still wonder if you are not barking up the wrong tree! Faster is right get a friend and disconect the controls: Test !.......Dale

 

[PaulinVictoria]

Gears engage fully in both forward and reverse, and throttle gives me full range of motion too.

I already confirmed that the lever is operating things as it should at the engine end, the full throw of the lever on the transmission is used, as is the full travel of the throttle arm on the engine.