Twin engine controls

My Albin 36 trawler has twin engines and, of course, two sets of controls: one set is shift and throttle for the port engine, and the other set is shift and throttle for the starboard engine. I would like to have both shifts together and both throttles together. Anybody ever changed them over like that? Easy or hard? Thanks!

Morse controls?? If so, I believe the travel is different on throttle and shift.

Part of the shifting and neutral sector reduces room for the throttle travel. As a result shifting may be fine but throttling bay be very uneven and not very predictable. You may advance the throttle looking to gain 2-300rpm and instantly get 1000rpm. Can be frustrating and even dangerous in marinas.

I like the nice smooth and long dedicated throttle control.

I think you are saying that you have 4 levers, two levers on the port that work the throttle and shift and two levers on starboard that work the throttle and shift. You want both throttles together and both shifters together instead of split up, correct?

Comodave said:

I think you are saying that you have 4 levers, two levers on the port that work the throttle and shift and two levers on starboard that work the throttle and shift. You want both throttles together and both shifters together instead of split up, correct?

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Correct. I’ve attached a photo.

Should be no problem. I have done this mod on a few boats. Just be meticulous about which holes the respective cable ends go in and when done it takes some adjustment to get good control behavior.

I prefer this layout, both throttles together. Can power up and down with one hand and steer with the other.

For the Morse Twin S controls, which is the most popular dual lever control, Morse offers a neutral detent kit to make the mod you are thinking about.

Teleflex 022328 Clutch Detent Kit S and Twin S Controls

This control is made for either or clutch / throttle either handle. Travel per handle same / same

Here’s the way it is now:

That is what I thought, I would much rather have both shifters together and both throttles thogther.

The way they did it makes me sad and frustrated.

Davb1947 said:

Here’s the way it is now: View attachment 72553

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Is the flat (oblique) angle of the instruments from the point of view of the helmsman a negative or a positive?

Keysdisease said:

For the Morse Twin S controls, which is the most popular dual lever control, Morse offers a neutral detent kit to make the mod you are thinking about.

Teleflex 022328 Clutch Detent Kit S and Twin S Controls

This control is made for either or clutch / throttle either handle. Travel per handle same / same

Click to expand...

When the engine does not start, I first check to see if the transmission control is at the indent.

I’m not sure yet. I can give you a better opinion after our summer cruise. The little bit of harbor maneuvering I did since buying the boat has not revealed any liability with the way it is. But I was standing.

I got a very helpful reply from Jim at SeaStar Solutions (SeaStar Solutions || a global supplier of marine equipment for sports and leisure boats.). He said I can simply disconnect the cables at the controllers and reattach them as I desire, grouping shifters and throttles together, and unscrewing the knobs and moving them to mark the shifters and throttles accurately. I will do this over spring break when we drive to NY (10 hour drive :-(). I’m grateful to Jim and to all of you who offered advice. I’ll let you know how it turns out (though I know that not many of you have the same problem).

Is that an OEM install? That looks like a kluge. Like someone had 1-2 sets of single engine levers and cheaped out, trying to avoid buying a set of dual engine shifters and dual engine throttles.

Or he was used to SPortFish boats with a single combo shifter/throttle on each side of the wheel.

I believe it is OEM.

Glad it looks to be an easy project. I know you will enjoy having them grouped together.

Seems like a more sensible way to do it.

Do any of you have your twin engine controls set up like mine?

Comodave said:

Glad it looks to be an easy project. I know you will enjoy having them grouped together.

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Agreed. Reversing into our berth I stand outside the cabin on the walkaround decks, facing rearwards, reaching in operating the 2 gear levers mounted together. With the OP`s set up that would be very difficult.

FYI when I was at FLIBS last November, the same folks that do Yacht Controller had a pretty slick setup to convert the old style controls to "electronic" single lever controllers. Not inexpensive, of course, but sounds pretty awesome (compared to four cable levers that is).