RESTO Control Handle tight when shifting

[grr02]

Hi I have a 2004 utopia 185 and my control handle is pretty tight when I shift forward or reverse. Any recommended maintenance I can do to loosen the control handle?

 

[Windrider]

I had to remove mine entirely from boat, take it apart and relube. The grease was like chewing gum, so bad before that it required 2 hands to shift forward and reverse prior. Now it works like a dream. Pulled it out of the speaker hole, then detached the cables.

 

[wrench2ride]

check to see if it is the cable that is tight, once the cables get worn they start to bind, and eventually break. if you disconnect the cable from the shifter and the shifter moves freely and you disconnect the cable at the reverse bucket at the back and the bucket moves freely then you will know that the cable is the culprit, with everything disconnected the cable may not feel like it is the problem because there is no load on it where it is worn.