T&T: Throttle adjustment Morse/Perkins

[Ken Bloomfield]

 Hello Robert,

Don't know if my input is exactly what you need, as there appears to be
some difference in our throttle linkage.  However, for what it is worth,
I just replaced both of my injection pumps on stb. and port engines, and
therefore had to adjust the linkage to not have a bunch of "useless"
throttle movement before getting any RPM increase.  I believe that that
is what you are dealing with.  To some extent, it happens due to wear
internal to the Morse cables.  At any rate, if you have similar injection
pumps (IP) to what I have (my Perkins are T6-354 turbo/aftercooled) and
are the CAV rotary pumps, then my info may be pertinent. 

In my case, the final linkage to the IP is a rod which has a ball/socket
attachment at the Morse cable end, and a threaded end at the other (IP)
end.  This threaded end is screwed into a plastic piece that has a
lock-nut on the threaded rod, and fits to a pinion on the throttle lever
on the IP with a circlip holding it in place.  There is a certain amount
(small, as in perhaps +/- 1/4 inch) of adjustment possible by screwing
the rod into or out of this plastic fitting.  Typically, to get rid of
"slack" in the control, you would screw the rod into the fitting a bit
more.  However, as stated, this is a very limited adjustment, and in my
opinion is only the "fine tuning" to make the final plastic piece fit to
the pinion on the throttle lever on the IP.  The major adjustment is the
lever on the IP itself.  It is held on with a nut, and if this nut is
loosed, behind the throttle lever there is a kind of washer with multiple
holes in it.  The lever axle has a small protuberance that can fit (like
a detent) into one of these multiple holes, thus determining the angle
that the lever is at when at the idle stop.   When your throttle control
at the helm is at the physical idle stop there, then (with the linkage
disconnected from the IP throttle lever) you should pull on the end of
the cable/linkage at the engine end of the cable and see where the
plastic fitting lines up relative to the cir-clipped throttle lever
pinion on the IP.  You will likely see that it has moved too far.  You
now need to do whatever is necessary to make the plastic end-piece fit on
the pinion, and this may be a combination of moving the throttle lever to
a new detent position and then "fine-tuning" the plastic end-piece
position by screwing it in or out on the threaded rod.

This explanation sounds about as garbled and confusing as it can get, but
I can't wave my hands around or draw pictures while typing, so it will
have to do.  Feel free to contact me off-list as no doubt the Lehman
owners are not remotely interested!  Hope this is some help.

Ken Bloomfield
M/V Tellico Lady
50' Marine Trader, Walkaround
Maryville, TN
Cell# (865) 293-2174

Robert Grant wrote:

  Not sure if this is a Morse question or a Perkins question...
  
  I have twin Perkins, and the Morse throttle handles are out of sync enough
  that it's getting annoying, so I'd like to adjust one or both to bring them
  back so they are at least close.