Shifter Lever / Neutral

[vollthrottle]

Why is the shifter lever on a Challenger 230 by default adjusted in a way that in its neutral position the boat moves slowly forward?

When moving the shifter lever slightly to the reverse position the boat is really neutral and stays in place but in that position the shifter lever does not hold. Can it be adjusted so that shifter lever neutral = boat neutral and if so, are there any disadvantages when doing that?

 

[RFoster130]

Because these boats dont actually have a neutral. The engine operates off of forward thrust that is created by the motor turning the pump. The internal impeller inside the pump pushes water out the back of the nozzle and moves the boat. When the engine is on, it is constantly turning that pump and impeller. There isnt a transmission that disengages the pump. There is no neutral. When you put the boat in neutral or reverse, there is just a shield basically that drops down over the end of the nozzle. The water that was being pushed out the back to move you forward is now hitting that shield and being deflected.

You can adjust it slightly, but not really to work the way you are expecting it. The best thing is to just practice and get use to it.

 

[vollthrottle]

Thanks for the explanation RFoster130. The one thing that I find difficult is the fact that you cannot leave the helm and therefore cannot really do for example a stern anchor maneuver when you are alone on the boat. But I still don't understand two things:

1) Why does the engine have to constantly turn the pump and impeller (when in neutral)?
2) Why is the point where the boat is holding its position not adjusted to the neutral position of the shifter lever but instead to a shifter lever position slightly to the reverse side? That seems to be the case on all of the Challengers.

It's not that it is much of an issue, I just would like to understand it...

 

[oktain]

The impeller is on a shaft which does not disengage from the engine. It's not like an outboard, there is no gear case. That being said, my guess is that water still gets past that plate and is enough to propel you forward (slowly) at the dock. When you drop the reverse hood slightly it deflects just enough of that water to negate the forward thrust. If I really don't want my boat to move forward at the dock, I turn it off as it is the only way to keep the impeller from turning. This is the case with any jet drive boat/PWC.

 

[RFoster130]

Exactly, the drive shaft is attached to the engine. as long as the engine is on, the shaft is turning. There is no way for it not to turn, unless you shut off the engine. Thats what i do, if i wanna do something while i leave the driver seat unattended, i turn it off.

 

[logans runner]

Also keep in mind that even in neutral or at anytime the engine is running turning the impeller water is being drawn in the intake. There have been many instances where people have sucked up rope, rocks or small chunks of debris. This will cost you at a minimum a wear ring or an impeller.

The best practice is that if you are not moving shut the engine off. It takes some getting used to but it will save you troubles in the long run.