Help with 1990 Johnson GT 150 shifter/throttle

[Ogdog]

Was fishing tourney today and at take off I took off as usual and when I got near my fishing spot I pulled back on the throttle (shifter) and slowed down ok, then went to pull back to neutral and it wouldn't disengage from neutral. I turned motor off with key and then shift through back to reverse and then into neutral. When I restarted motor this time it sounded like the throttle was stuck on high so I shut it down. I'm guessing I need to adjust a cable(s) - looking for some advice and help on where to start. I'm pretty handy and comfortable working on stuff but can't seem to find any information online about adjusting the shifter/throttle. Thanks in advance guys!

[ChampioNman]

Only adjustment on on the motor. You need to loosen the cable clamps and then adjust the black trunion adjusters. Remove your cable ends from their post and move the throttle/shifter again and check for smoothness. Issue maybe in the control box.

[Ogdog]

Thanks for the advice. Found 2 issues - first was that the lower cable coming in the motor is missing the little retainer plate and screw so I'm guessing over time its been able to turn with vibration from time to time and the 2nd issue was the cable inside the top cable coming in was broken. Once I removed the cable end from the post it began to separate and I pulled out about 9" and there was the break. So what was happening was when I throttled up it pushed the cable end and but then the break in the line didn't provide the pull needed to swing the arm back to idle. Will be ordering the parts today. Any advice on replacing the cable and or setting the trunion adjusters once the new one in installed? Thanks for you help again!

[ChampioNman]

Gonna need to remove the control box to remove the static end of the cables so tie a pull cord to the remaining good cables end and pull it out. Tie the pull cord to the two cables and pull back to the motor. May as well replace both of them and clean and service the remote. Everything should be set at the motor so you will just have to adjust the trunions at the clamps.

[Ogdog]

I've got the control box apart and picking up new cables tomorrow. What kind of grease / lube do you recommend for apply to the parts in the control box? Thanks again for your help!

[ChampioNman]

White lithium.

[Ogdog]

I've got everything back together and looking for tips on adjusting cables. Right now the throttle cable is really difficult to move and it shifting is very easy in reverse but seems more difficult in forward. It also seems like the range going forward in gear is shorter than it was before.

I know all the adjustment takes place at the motor but did I maybe screw up when puting the control box back together and is there a certain position to place the throttle and shifter when reassembling the control box?

Thanks again!

[ChampioNman]

Neutral

[Ogdog]

Successfully completed and tested today! Thanks again ChampioNman!!!

[Ogdog]

CM - good news first - throttle and shift is so smooth now and works like a champ. Bad news - I'm not getting water through pee hole now. It was pumping through fine last time out, put it on water yesterday and it never did flow through. I had pulled poppet valves and thermostats and cleaned earlier this year, reinstalled and improved flow through but guessing I need to start there before jumping into water pump? Is there a way to check to see if poppet valve is working correctly and would that even be an issue for waterflow at start up? It might just be time to spend a little money and take care of the water flow system with new theromstats, gaskets, and water pump assembly. When this is all over I need to UPS you some of your favorite beverage or something! Thanks in advance for your advise

[ChampioNman]

No water pressure gauge? That should be high on your must have list. If it has been 3 years or more time for a new water pump kit only around $65.00 for the whole shebang.

[Ogdog]

I do have a water pressure gauge and it was reading super low even after throttle up. It has definitely been more than 3 years so I'll take your advise and change the pump. Guessing you've done a zillion of these - I haven't changed one on a motor this big - did one on a 40 evinrude - guessing same concepts? Is the lower unit too heavy for one guy to handle?

[ChampioNman]

Nope about 40 pounds but it helps to have someone thread in a bolt to hold it up.
Tools needed: 9/16" socket and speed wrench or combo wrench for the exposed bolts, 7/16" socket to remove toque tab, 5/8 socket for rear bolt. 3/8" socket for shift rod bolt and prop nut wrench or 1 1/16" socket.
Pull off prop to reduce weight of LU, shift to reverse. Remove VRO bracket with VRO mounted on it. This lets you gain better access to the shift rod bolt. Remove it, remove torque tab. Remove 9/16" bolt from under torque tab, remove 5/8" bolt just ahead of it (not the bolt for anode), remove three of the 4 9/16" bolts that hold the Lower in. Loosen the last bolt but don't remove until ready to remove the lower. Trim motor up as much as you can and then remove the last bolt. Lower will slide out and not crash to ground chopping off toes.

[Ogdog]

Any advise on re-connecting the shift rod? There's so little room in there to even use a screw driver to help guide the rod into position. Thanks

[jagert59]

The only way I could get my hand or anything in there on my 92 Johnson 200 was to remove the left side lower engine shrould.

[ChampioNman]

Remov the two bolts that hold on the VRO bracket and move the assembly out of the way. Can't separate the belly pan on a crossflow.

[316jughead]

Sometimes I would shift the control box into forward and then stab the lower unit. This keeps the shift rod from hitting the linkage and turning. Now shift the linkage slowly into reverse, guide the linkage over the shift rod.