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INSTALLATION MANUAL

Cable selection, installation, adjustment, maintenance, troubleshooting, cable replacement and replacement part numbers for Edson #751, #816 and #870 pedestal mount engine controls.

DocumentEdson Pedestal Mount Engine Controls #751, #816 & #870 Installation Instructions
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Edson Pedestal Mount Engine Controls #751, #816 & #870 — Installation Instructions

Description and Limitations

  • Mount on top of any Edson pedestal, cables led inside the pedestal column; clutch and throttle handles sit protected between the steering wheel and the pedestal guard.
  • Stainless and marine grade aluminum components, minimum-maintenance oilless bearings, pre-drilled for all Edson pedestals.
  • Dual-lever controls are for transmissions with detents that locate and hold the transmission in gear. Only the #751 should be used with hard-to-shift “mechanical” transmissions such as the Atomic 4.
  • Cables are not included: Edson Part# 734 and 735, in various lengths. Measure from the steering wheel shaft to the engine attachment point, allowing for bends and routing; lead cables belowdecks with a generous radius.
Control Shift cable Throttle cable Max. clutch cable throw Max. throttle cable throw Approx. max. operator input
751 Part No. 735 Part No. 734 3 3/8" (86mm) 3" (7.6 cm) 15 to 20 lbs. (6.8 to 9 kg)
870 Part No. 734 Part No. 734 3" (7.6 cm) 3" (7.6 cm) 5 to 10 lbs. (2.2 to 4.5 kg)
816 Part No. 734 Part No. 734 3" (7.6 cm) 3" (7.6 cm) 10 to 15 lbs. (4.5 to 6.8 kg)

Max. cable throw figures are for Edson's standard 4" (10.2 cm) column pedestal. Cable 734: equivalent to Morse 33C, 10-32 thread, O.D. 5/16, 3" (7.6cm) of throw. Cable 735: equivalent to Morse 64C, 5/16-24 thread, O.D. 9/16" (14.3 mm), 4" (10.2cm) of throw.

Planning and Engine End

  • Older Edson pedestals (pre-1979) have no hole for the cable holder: drill a 1/4" hole through the AFT side of the pedestal tube on centreline, 6 7/8" below the bottom of the wheel shaft.
  • Aim the cable centreline at the mid point of the engine lever; no more than 10° of total cable bend.
  • Two holes are generally drilled in the engine throttle lever for 1 3/4" or 2 3/4" travel; the inner hole gives more throttle travel and handle pressure.
  • Transmission cable direction may have to be reversed for correct directional control.
  • Tape or clamp the cables to structural members to reduce lost motion and keep clear of sheaves and wire rope.

Control Installation

  1. If needed, drill two 3/4" holes in the cockpit floor matching the holes in the aft side of the idler plate, clear of the steering cables.
  2. Connect the cables to the engine per the engine manufacturer.
  3. Remove the compass. Lead the cables up through the pedestal on the same side of the wheel shaft: shift cable left, throttle right.
  4. Fit the cable holder on both cables; the stainless cotter pin must hold both and be bent to stay in place. Screw the bronze forked clevises onto the cable ends and lock them.
  5. Push the cables back down below the wheel shaft (moving the chain forward of the sprocket gains working space: tighten the brake, then slack the steering cables at the quadrant or radial wheel take-up eyes).
  6. Separate the cable ends (throttle starboard, clutch port), align the cable holder with its hole on the aft side of the pedestal and fix it with the screw or nut, using Loctite or similar thread lock.
  7. Place the control housing on the pedestal, held with two of the four 3 1/2" bolts. Attach the clevises (throttle cable to the starboard throttle lever, clutch cable to the clutch lever) with cotter pins.
  8. Test and adjust directional control and movement before mounting the compass, then bolt down compass and control with the (4) 3 1/2" coated bolts, coated with anti-seize.

#751 Only

  • Shift lever horizontal in neutral, up in reverse, down in forward.
  • Maximum clutch throw 3 3/8" (86mm); on older pedestals this may require filing off a corner of the compass mounting flange.
  • Attach the shift cable to the shift lever at a maximum of 5" (127mm) from the pivot.
  • Older marine transmissions need 35-40 foot pounds for the optimum clutch setting: approximately 15-20 lbs at the handle under average conditions.

Adjustment and Operation

  • The control must give full engagement into forward and reverse, idle and full throttle. If not, screw the bronze clevis at the control end of the cable in or out.
  • The levers must not hit the steering chain or the compass compensating bars.
  • Never shift into or out of gear with the throttle above idle: forcing the levers or shifting above idle may break cables, wear or damage the transmission and cause loss of boat control.

Maintenance

  • Keep the screws holding the handles to the shafts secure (thread lock); check clevis connections, clevis pins and cotter pins for wear; check the cable holder screw or bolt is tight.
  • Lubricate the control handle shafts and both cable ends with Teflon spray.
  • Engine cables cannot be internally lubricated and suffer from transmission heat and salty bilge water: typical lifespan 5-7 years; replace if corroded or stiff.

Troubleshooting

Problem Remedy
Throttle or clutch operation backwards No adjustment in the control; most engines can be reversed at the cable attachment point (the clutch cable arm on the transmission can usually be reversed). Ask your engine manufacturer or dealer.
Throttle handle vibrates back to idle Tighten the throttle friction adjuster, beneath the compass inside the control housing on top of the throttle shaft boss.
Handles hard to move or stiff Check the cable route has no sharp or unnecessary bends. Disconnect both ends of existing cables and push/pull them: replace if still stiff. With the cables off, try shifting the transmission by hand; if hard, have it checked by an engine technician.
Handle hits the guard before full engagement Check the cable holder is tight. Screw the bronze clevis further onto the cable to move the throw back. If not enough, set the handle full forward (or full throttle) with a spacer such as a 1" block of wood, tape it, adjust the cable clamp at the engine for full engagement, reconnect and recheck full reverse (or return to idle).

Replacing Engine Control Cables

  1. Buy the replacement cable: type and length from the original (jacket O.D. gives cable type and thread size; core length tip to tip gives the length).
  2. Remove the steering wheel.
  3. Run electrical tape vertically from the compass across the control housing, top plate and pedestal and slit it at each joint for realignment; remove the four round head 1/4-20 x 3-1/2 compass bolts.
  4. Remove the brass clevis pins from the control levers, noting which holes they came from.
  5. Remove the engine control housing.
  6. Remove the cable holder nut or round head screw on the aft side of the pedestal tube, approximately 7" below the wheel shaft (cable holder A-969 or A-705).
  7. Bring both cables to the same (left aft) side of the wheel shaft.
  8. Pull both cables up until you can reach the cable holder (twist the cables so the holder bolt points toward the sprocket; turning the wheel shaft to port and back to starboard helps; moving the chain forward of the sprocket gains space).
  9. Remove the old cable, attaching a messenger line to it.
  10. Pull the new cable into place with the messenger line.
  11. Reassemble in reverse: the A-969 holder has a threaded (1/4-20) stud through the hole; the A-705 holder takes a round head 1/4-20 screw from outside. Use Loctite on threads. Hold the housing with the four 3-1/2" (Fig 817 Sz. 3.5) bolts to test and adjust, then mount the compass on the tape marks with anti-seize on the bolts.

Replacement Parts (Part #'s 751, 816, 870)

Edson 751 816 870 engine control replacement parts table and exploded drawings

Part No. Part Used on
963SB-55 Throttle handle 816-45, 816-6, 870-45, 870-6, 751-45, 751-6 View part →
963PT-55 Clutch handle 870-45, 870-6 View part →
960-A-1195 Clutch handle 816-45, 816-6 Ask us to source it →
960-A-1158 Clutch handle 751-45, 751-6 Ask us to source it →
960-A-594-2 Throttle lever 816-45, 816-6, 751-45, 751-6 Ask us to source it →
960-A-938 Throttle lever 870-45 Ask us to source it →
960-A-1055 Throttle lever 870-6 Ask us to source it →
805-4.5 Throttle clevis All; clutch clevis on 816 and 870 Ask us to source it →
810-225 Clutch clevis 751-45, 751-6 Ask us to source it →
960-A-125 Throttle bushing All; clutch bushing on 870 Ask us to source it →
960-A-581 Clutch bushing 816-45, 816-6, 751-45, 751-6 Ask us to source it →
817-3.5 Mounting bolts All Ask us to source it →
960-A-969 Cable holder 816-45, 816-6, 870-45, 870-6 Ask us to source it →
960-A-705 Cable holder 751-45, 751-6 Ask us to source it →
960-A-596 Hand grip #751/816 drawing Ask us to source it →

Control housing, clutch lever and decal numbers are in the scanned table in the PDF (shown above); check them there before ordering.

Need a part that isn't listed? Ask us to source it and quote the part number from the PDF.

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