Triton shift lever

[Jeff Bing]

What is the best option for a shift lever? I want to take the old one out of the cockpit floor
and go with something on the side. But the combo throttle-shift lever ones are $500 .

Also what do I use for a lighting ground plate outside the hull?

Thanks for your help.

[Hulukupu]

Regarding lightning protection, my Triton has a Dynaplate installed by a PO that the mast is grounded to. D

[Tim]

Are you still running the Atomic 4? Be aware that it is a challenge to cable-operate the transmission lever on that engine, since it was designed for mechanical activation. At a minimum, you need a large, heavy-duty cable, and most of the modern shift levers aren't designed for this cable either. You'll probably need to prowl the usual used sources for a suitable control lever in this case. And even then, operation may be less than ideal.

If you have a different, more modern engine, one that takes standard 33C cables, then my suggestion is the Vetus "Sisco" control.

[Figment]

Are you still running the Atomic 4? Be aware that it is a challenge to cable-operate the transmission lever on that engine, since it was designed for mechanical activation.

Tim is being polite.
I'm less so.

The A4 came with a big clunky shift lever for a reason. The elegantly simple gearbox is a fussy little girl-dog which requires significant force to operate.
Obsessive fine-adjustment of the clutch bands can bring things more in line with one's personal taste (regarding a narrow window of "neutral" vs. a positive engagement of reverse), but it still requires significant force. One soon learns to forego such obsessive fine-adjustment in favor of developing a feel and an ear for the thing.

I've been through three or four of these, each time hoping that the next one would be more forgiving. Hope shatters.

[Jeff Bing]

It is a A-4.
Tim do you have a separate throttle control or does that one do both.

I read a dynaplate will explode from a lighting strike.

Thanks

[Hulukupu]

Regarding the Dynaplate- mine looks like it dates back to at least the 2nd edition of Dan Spurr's boat book. They're sold by the major marine outlets. After watching a 3AM lightning storm pass over Bass Harbor a couple years back when two boats were reportedly struck, I've thought about augmenting the Dynaplate with something I could quickly install to the shrouds when a thunderstorm approached. Don Casey, Richard Henderson and others have suggested models for this, but I don't think there is a consensus on what is most effective. In the mean time, my philosophy is that something is better than nothing.
You'll find more indepth discussions on other threads here and other sailing forums.

[Tim]

The Vetus control, which is a single lever for both functions, will not work with your A4, nor will most modern single-lever controls, for the reasons listed above.

My boat has a diesel, and therefore works with the Vetus control.

I think you're best off sticking with the big mechanical lever for your A4.

[jollyboat]

Hi Jeff, et all - Brian here - aka Triton 466 "Jollyboat" it has been some time since I have posted a reply on the PCF but being a A-4 powered boat owner, your question caught my eye. The first thing that flashed across my thoughts was, "why". Clunky as it may be, the pure utility of the A-4 shift mechanism is, . . . beautiful. When you need it, it is there and when you don't it is virtually non-existent. In concern to failure, it is almost unheard of and if it ever did, would be somewhat approachable to repair. In concern to improving your existing system, consider eliminating some of the play in the connections with properly fitting pins and use washers, (brass and nylon) as spacers to reduce the overall "chatter and wobble" within the connections of the assembly. I think that you would like the results of this approach, as it would provide both a more quiet operation as well as a smoother feel in actuating the shift mechanism.