Throttle backing off

[jrpontiac]

I have a 90 Legend, as i'm pulling a skier the throttle will slowly back off.   To hold a steady speed I have to hold my hand on the throttle.    Is there an adjustment of some sort, or a nut I need to tighten up?   Also on boats does the throttle linkage at the carb have a return spring like cars do.  I think mine does, I'm not sure if that is my problem.  It came with one, I didn't put it there.

[Mike Harry]

Mine does same thing. Was told that's pretty much the way it should go. I was thinking about putting a spring on both sides to sort of equalize the pressure to see if it would help.

[jrpontiac]

So yours also has the spring.   I think I'll take the spring off.   I was driving a 79 Nautique and didn't have to keep messing with the throttle, it was nice.   There wasn't a spring on the Nautique.  I can't figure out why the spring is there.

[Mike Harry]

No it doesn't or didn't, but understand my boat was a basketcase. I don't know how it was supposed to be. I can tell you without a spring mine drifts.

[phil]

Ours doesn't have a spring either and the throttle holds its position.

[Joel]

a lot of ski boats throttle's pull back somewhat if your hand isnt on them...  Mine does and it does take some getting used to, but I think it is designed to do this in case the operator becomes incompacitated 

I'm sure Ron will chime in and tell me I'm completely whacked   

[RonT]

Joel, we all know your mental status, I covered this under his transmission question

[Midskier]

take the spring off and stay off the lake, well @ least any lake that may have people on it

it is tough to text too when the throttle keeps working its way back @ least you can hold the
wheel with your knee..........

[ckraus]

Mine had a worn Morse Controller.  Inside the controller there is a ball and spring with detent for Nuetral, Forward Idle, and Reverse Idle.   This ball rides in a grove for the rest of the travel.  The spring is supposed to help it stay where you put it.  Over time the ball wears a taper in this grove.  obviously, the controller make a lot of movement from the first detent to whatever throttle you need.  the grove on mine was about a 1/4" wide and 1/4" deep by the first detent, and a 1/8" wide and deep at full throttle, cause a slope that the ball rode in.  I just replaced the Morse Controller, took about an hour.  Now it stays put where you want it.  I suppose you could disassemble the controller and have a new alluminum piece machined at a local machine shop, but that was more work than I wanted to take on.  I still have the original controller and could take pics for everyone if there is interest.

Hope this helps.

[wetamb]

I actually prefer that my throttle needs some positive pressure from the driver to keep it in place.  As a skier, the boat speed drops while turning around the bouys so its nice to apply some pressure to keep the boat speed up during the skiers turns.  My 92 Legend has always been that way since day 1 so when I am in a ski boat and its doesnt need that constant pressure, I over throttle the skier and have a hard time keeping the same speed unless you have cruise control....  Just my opinion.

BJ

[Mike Harry]

Its not that bad now, but when trying to work on and watch engine after I built it....... it was tougher to do and that's what I was trying to get around.