Hi guys [gals ?] !

I'm new to MMT but not duck hunting and/or boats, been doing that for over 40 years. I hunt the marshes of Long Point Bay ,Lake Erie, Ontario,Canada. I recently purchased a used 16 HP Vangaurd Twin Go-Devil Longtail and use it on a 14 foot StarCraft utility boat. So far ,so good but have had a chance to expierence "The Death Spin" !

My question is ; Can you modify the throttle to a "return to idle" spring type ? Much like a motorcycle or regular outboard. Or even a trigger type throttle ? Yes ! I do always wear the Kill Switch Cord and a PFD.

Thanks in advance !

Chris

Do a search for bike brake handle.

You can replace your current set up with a brake handle from a bike. it will take some modification of the tiller handle to make the brake lever fit. I am currently working on fixing mine like this, will post pics when I get it done.

Contact GoDevil and ask them about using a surface drive throttle on your longtail.

yes you can modify it. may take a little 'coaxing', but you should be able to make it work.

GD will not sell a sd throttle to a lt owner. Tried it.

^^ there is a good man to ask!

Auto, ever considered making a throttle control kit for us LT guys? The brake levers work, but I am suspect of their ability to last...

Well here it is! I took a piece of 3/4 inch bar stock and had it turned down to fit inside the end of the tiller handle and welded in place. Then just installed a bike brake lever and replaced the throttle wire with a brake cable. The brake lever has a spring built into it and there were already 2 springs on the throttle arms so it snaps back into place when released. This works so much better than the stupid ball lever the motor came with!

That's what I've been looking for!!! Thank You, Thank You!!

If you need help let me know. I found the brake lever and cable on amazon.com for $13 total, comes with 2 levers so I have a backup.

Paleo, I've done several of these similar to what you did. My advice is buy the best damn bike brake lever you can find!!!! The aluminum they're made of is cast and weak. Go to a bicycle shop and tell them you want an adjustable lever for BMx. It will have adjustments for reach and pull. Also, get the brake cable with the liner inside If you didn't already. Learned both of these the hard way.

Is there a particular lever you have found to be optimal? The one on there now is garbage and I fully expect it to fail in cold weather (AKA every day of duck season here). I just bought the cheap one for proof of concept. A google search is coming up with a lot of Tektro brake levers for BMX that claim adjustable reach.

The cable I got is teflon lined.

Tektro makes good ones and cheap ones. Go to a bike shop and ask for the best one. My last one cost 60 for the lever.

Here are a couple of pictures that I took of my throttle setup with the help of paleo. It isn't the best of equipment but seems to work OK. I won't be useing it in real cold weather and have around $15 in it total, with a lined cable. It's a smaller handle but it fits my hand just right, sure beats the lawnmower type throttle I had on it before. Thanks again for the different ideas.

That's just like the first one I had. The first time the lever bumped the gunwale it cracked in two. That's why I went got the best one I could find.

Get a solid aluminum or stainless steel motorcycle clutch or brake lever (I think I got one for about 15 bucks off ebay). Mill out the inside of the clamp that holds it on to 1 inch diameter (most come standard 7/8" diameter) and clamp on and replace the throttle cable with a quality brake cable that has stainless steel cable and teflon lining. Place a large return spring from any auto store on the throttle lever (on back of motor) to pull back the throttle lever when pressure is not directly applied. I have run this set up for over 2 years without any problems. It is nice that when you release the lever the motor returns to idle and the boat rapidly comes off plane. I have run in snow at 14 degrees (that's cold for the carolinas) and then let motor sit while hunting and never had the lever or cable ice up.