Uninstalling Mercury Binnacle Control - Common Shift & Throttle Box

This is an extremely common shift/throttle control for pontoon boats. This binnacle mount and others very similar to it were used for decades on pontoons and other boats, and are still working great on boats around the world. If you're restoring a boat, but want to keep your controls for your motor, then this is the video for you. In this video I'm taking the binnacle control box off of the console for a complete restoration of the boat. We will unhook everything from the console, install new flooring and a new console, and run all of the engine components (and other accessory electrical) up through a hole in the new floor and console. Make sure you've subscribed to our channel to see when we post the next part of this video where this exact control box is installed on the new console!
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[@Boatfisherz1]

Your a huge time and frustration saver for us noobs. Thanks so much!

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you! Happy to help!

[@Jaylightsitup]

I so glad you posted this video. Thx

[@tomspontoons]

Glad it was helpful for your project!!! Thanks for watching!

[@philipbarth5937]

Sorry, this video is 9 day old, but I’m just seeing it for the first time. I may or may not be reusing this exact shifter, but I would be interested in looking at a more modern shifter. The push button to shift is a little uncomfortable, with the steering wheel being close. Please recommend a replacement shifter that you can squeeze the top portion of shifter. Thanks You, Phil AZ

[@tomspontoons]

The brand new Mercury binnacle shift and throttle control is a very sharp control box. It has a detent to shift out of neutral which is very nice to help with getting back to neutral to start and for finding forward and reverse instead of sometimes ending up between!

[@RippinLinesFishing]

I’ve got a question, there’s 2 yellow/ red wires coming from the binnacle for the neutral safety, and there’s 1 yellow/red coming from the ignition, but there is only 1 yellow/ red coming from the engine harness? How would I go about connecting all of these, do they just need to all be spliced together?

[@tomspontoons]

Essentially yes, they just need to all be spliced together. You'll connect each yellow/red wire coming from the shifter to one of the yellow/red wires coming from the ignition harness and ignition. My understanding of the system is that you're creating a loop with the wires, and the neutral safety switch in the box completes the loop allowing the motor to start. Hope that helps!

[@gregmansker6176]

Thank for this video! Need to service the inside of the shifter and didn't know how to access it. Going to clean the "plates" and relube with white lithium grease. If I want to service the cables can I do it from the shifter side?

[@tomspontoons]

Glad it was helpful! I was taught that the only servicing of the cables is replacing them. If they're letting moisture in and corrosion is happening it's something that will continue to happen even if you lubricate them. The best bet is new cables which should last another 20+ years if run correctly with no sharp bends.

[@luizzy__]

Quick question brother im missing the 2 end plates for both of the cables where it connects into the shift and throttle. Where can i find those 2 little plates do you have part number?

[@tomspontoons]

I haven't had to replace those plates. I would try to search Google for a part diagram of the control box. www.VansSports.com usually has those parts diagrams on their website.

[@avirubins2096]

Could installing the shift cable on the wrong hole (of the two holes per arm) cause shifting issues?

[@tomspontoons]

It might make finding forward/reverse gears tricky or not give you enough travel to get into gear. I’ve never heard of it being a major issue though, and usually you can adjust it on the motor side enough to make things work. It might just be certain motors are pickier than others. I wouldn’t sweat it…and if it’s wrong you’ll know when you test run it and it’s not fully engaging into gear. Won’t hurt anything unless you continue to run it that way!!

[@Moguiman]

Do you know what model the throttle shifter in the video is? I have the exact same one I need to replace or repair.

[@tomspontoons]

It's a quite outdated control. I'm not sure what parts availability and replacement is like. The new style runs Gen2 shift/throttle cables, so be aware that replacing with a new OEM Mercury control will require you to purchase new Gen2 cables (extra $120 for the pair usually). They are the shift/throttle cables that do not have the black barrel on the control box side, they're just all metal with a groove for the cable to slide into the control box to become fixed there. I have videos showing installation of that style control on a new Mercury outboard on the channel.

[@Moguiman]

@@tomspontoons Thanks for the quick response! I'll stop by the dealer and see what they can do. But I'll have to update the control and cables most likely.

[@tomspontoons]

@@Moguiman You'll love having the new controls and cables...it's an investment that'll last you another 20+ years of smooth shifting and throttling, and will plug and play with a new motor if you ever repower with a new Mercury.

[@bradenrmackay6041]

This shifter looks almost identical to what we have on a 25ft Party Barge. Our throttle is EXTREMELY hard to shift back into neutral (almost to the point it feels it is going to break) and it's not terribly smooth moving up into gear. It doesn't feel like the cable, but rather the shifter itself, is there aneasy fix?

[@tomspontoons]

I've never been a huge fan of working on the guts of a shift/throttle control. Typically when there's an issue in the box there's something broken or bent. If your boat is 10-20 years old (or older) and has the original shift/throttle cables I would consider replacing those first, or at least checking on the engine side where they are position-wise when shifting. Those cables and stretch and wear out over time to where they're not in the same position as they once were in relation to the shift mechanism on the motor. That's where I'd start if I were dealing with that on my own boat.

[@m4gnumek]

Mine looks the same but the box says Quicksilver and is Black/Silver color, is this the same exact part, just rebranded? Also, should the big button on the left pop out in neutral? My button doesn't seem to do anything and it always requires a bit of play to feel when boat the boat is in neutral or when it will switch to gear.

[@tomspontoons]

Yours is likely a different part number than this one and may have some differences. The button should push in and stay in when you rev it in neutral, then it should pop back out when you come back to neutral so that you can shift. It may need to be cleaned up and lubed to get that button to pop back out and function properly. Sometimes the "play" or having a hard time finding neutral has to do with the cables needing adjustment at the motor. They can stretch out a little over time and need to be adjusted at the motor to find that sweet spot again.

[@trentpierce7656]

My boat has the same quicksilver control. Did you find out any information about the differences?

[@garymurray1427]

How do you change the trim switch in that shifter?

[@tomspontoons]

Haven't tackled that yet. First, make sure that the trim switch is still available as a part. In some cases if the part is no longer available (NLA) or insanely expensive you're better off just taking the trim wires to a toggle switch on the dash.

[@user-qh5hh6fr9k]

do you know where I can buy a gen 1 center console shifter like you are showing on your video

[@tomspontoons]

Check EBay, or give Vans Sport Center a call as they sometimes have good used controls… 616-364-0666

[@williammuncey6963]

How do you replace the throttle lever itself

[@tomspontoons]

Haven’t tackled that one. We usually just reinstall the old stuff or swap out for brand new everything.

[@vicesparis]

Nice

[@tomspontoons]

There have to be hundreds of thousands of these control boxes out there...probably just on pontoon boats alone! This video has got to be helpful to at least a few people. Thanks for watching!